Keeping a Useful Sketchbook with Jan Munro

Jan Munro is leading a session on keeping a useful sketchbook at Marshalswick Community Centre on Wednesday 24 February, from 19:30 to 21:30. It's run by the St Albans Art Society, which keeps a year-round programme of talks, demonstrations, exhibitions, workshops and informal outdoor sketching sessions going for local artists. Their public lectures and demonstrations are open to non-members, though some of their classes and workshops are reserved for members.

During the evening, Munro will bring in examples from her own sketchbooks and demonstrate how she records observations, tests ideas and develops them into finished work. She'll be sharing practical techniques for recording and developing creative work, so the focus is as much on the process as on the result. It's the kind of thing that's easier to see in person than to read about — watching how someone actually works through a sketchbook, rather than just seeing the finished pieces.

There's a practical side to it, too: guests are invited to bring along their own sketchbooks to share and to try out the techniques for themselves during the session. Refreshments are provided, so it's a fairly relaxed setup. The session runs from 19:30 to 21:30 at the Marshalswick Community Centre, 481 The Ridgeway, St Albans, AL4 9TU, and non-members are welcome for £5.