Lower Juniors have been thinking about the reason artists use sketchbooks. We have been lucky enough to look at an artist called Jane Smith and how she has used hers to work out ideas for her textile art.

She experiments with different media.

She experiments with different drawings and designs.

She collects inspiring photographs.

She writes notes to help her remember materials or inspiring artists.

She tries out techniques to help decide whether they work for her or not.

She investigates, plays and pushes ideas.

She says, "I can't work without a sketchbook as I try things out and it helps me work things out before I commit to a final piece of work. Half my ideas come to nothing and that's fine - my sketchbook is where I've realised this. I feel lost without my sketchbook and my textile pieces suffer without it because that's where I do all my thinking and experimenting."