A Visual Reading Diary

... the Colombian artist José António Suárez Londoño... is involved in a time-based project. For several years he has been systematically producing a drawing a day based on books he is reading... He has so far completed some 5,000 drawings, contained in 65 pocket-size notebooks that he refers to as “yearbooks.”

The New York Times

The press release for his exhibit at the Drawing Center in New York City noted that this project began in 1997. "each notebook drawing is numbered and dated, as are the corresponding texts, and they frequently include additional diaristic notations."

Sometimes he uses the entire page as the impetus for his drawing while at other times only a single word is referenced. All illustrations must "conform" to the size of the notebook.

How can I feel so simpatico with this artist? I often wonder how to both sketch and write and ofttimes the two interests vie with one another for time. This year I've set out to write every day and include the word release ( and the meaning) within each posting.

Reading about his "yearbooks" opens up an entirely new adventure—if you're a vociferous reader why not combine several genres?

I can't wait to think of the next book I read within a visual context—and perhaps do a sketch.