The Magic of Materials 

Artist Ophelia Staton learned early on that if you want to explore what various art supplies can do, a sketchbook is the perfect playground.   

One of Ophelia Staton’s earliest memories of art is being given a blank drawing pad and markers by her parents. “I was the child that had to keep my hands busy, or else there would be trouble,” she says. Turns out, she loved everything about making marks. She loved bringing colorful things into existence. She loved the simple act of playing around with materials until she’d made something out of nothing. “I was hooked,” Staton says, “and it was all I wanted to do.” 

The first time Staton found herself in an art-supply store, it changed her world. “I spent hours wandering the store, looking at the materials.” She went home and started reading up on what each of these materials could do. “I purchased a sketchbook to begin testing out some of the supplies,” she says. “I had no clue. I didn’t know how to hold a brush properly, how to make paint move, or mix colors. I didn’t know anything.” 

It was within the pages of this sketchbook that Staton’s art education took hold. She’d swatch out colors of paints, scribble with colored pencils, cut out scraps of fabric and paper for collaging, add stamping and stenciling, and on and on. “It just felt amazing to be able to turn a blank page into something unique,” Staton says. And she kept notes about the materials—what worked and what didn’t. “The only purpose of that sketchbook was to document my play,” she says. “It wasn’t about getting things right. I didn’t know how to properly paint with watercolors, but watching the color dance across the paper was pure magic to me.”   

The Practice of Play 

Because a sketchbook is so portable, Staton takes hers with her everywhere she goes. “Creativity is always at hand and with minimal supplies,” she says. “It’s effortless.” Her practice is intentionally simple with a small toolkit consisting of a small watercolor palette, a few colored pencils, and colorful pens.  

“Playing in my sketchbooks always brings me back to center,” Staton says. “It’s where I write down thoughts, look for solutions, and work out ideas for larger works.” Perhaps most importantly, it’s a way for her to keep her work loose and fun. “Whenever I find that my creative practice has become a bit stiff,” she says, “I return to my sketchbooks to get myself back into my creative flow.”

“My sketchbook is a trusty companion. There are no rules, no intended outcomes. It’s simply a creative playground where I’m free to explore, experiment, and have fun.”   —Ophelia Staton

Creative Connections 

Last month, Ophelia Staton joined Golden Peak Media (the media company behind Artists Network and Artists Magazine) for special programming at Creativation by NAMTA, the annual conference for suppliers, retailers, and creative professionals in the fine art and craft materials industry. In the Creative Connection Studio, a special space set aside for hands-on creating, Staton guided attendees in an art-making experience, introducing them to a wide range of creative tools and materials (get instruction PDFs here).  

Many thanks to the companies that sponsored this programming, supplying participants with an exciting selection of 40+ fine art and mixed-media products, even bead and jewelry-making materials, for their creative play and experimentation. You can find Ophelia’s Artist’s Journal instructions and links to these tools and materials here: “Create an Artist’s Journal.” Take a look and see what products might add some spark to your own sketchbook adventures! 

Learn more about the artist at opheliastaton.com.