May 2026 Sketchbook — Your Site Title

Recently I have been in a dump. Having just recently graduated, I was left with the question, “What comes next?”. I was feeling unmotivated for around a month and wasn’t up to creating new work. And when I did pick up a pen or brush (or whatever material I was using), I was unsatisfied with whatever I created.

Experimenting, and just trying to have fun helped me push through this block. Journaling has become a part of my daily routine and has helped me process these feelings. I encourage anyone experiencing something similar to play with different materials, have fun, and play. And when none of that seems to help, write about something, could be anything, to get your hands moving.

*Hobonichi spread, ink tests on left stationery swatches on right; 2026*

So in an effort to fill a hobonichi planner page, I got out and played with some old ink I made in the winter of 2024. Natural inks are fugitive and some would say alive. I was surprised by how the color has changed in the last year and a half. I also love seeing the different reactions these inks still have with one another.

*Tithonia, Hibiscus, Avocado Pit, and Turmeric ink swatch; 2026*

I have searched through my scanned files to show how the original ink color first appeared when they were freshly made and bottled. Seems like a lot of them oxidized.

*Tithonia, Avocado pit, Turmeric, and Blueberry ink swatches; 2024*

*Hibiscus, Avocado pit, and Turmeric ink swatches and doodles; 2026*

*Hibiscus, Tithonia, Avocado pit, and Turmeric ink drawing; 2026*

I continued drawing/sketching angry Canidae creatures with the ink. Loved the granulation I was able to get with these inks. Makes me wonder how a watercolor paint would look like if I extracted the pigment.

I went all out for this last one, I was having a blast trying to bring out as much granulation. This one probably took the longest to dry considering all the wet on wet application I used.

Early ink swatches (2024) below.

Acorn cap ink swatches on top left, Hibiscus ink on top right, Ink bottles lineup on bottom left, Tithonia and other ink swatches on bottom right; 2024

*Avocado pit, Tithonia, Turmeric, and Hibiscus ink swatch; 2024*

I cannot state enough how much joy seeing how time has changed these inks drastically or even subtly. I may have to revisit making my own ink again and maybe I’ll make an actual series with them, we’ll see.

Visiting Old Materials