Sketchbook 2
Group of four bespoke, leather-bound sketchbooks, each 6 × 4 in., containing ink and pencil sketches dated from 2005 to 2007.
As part of his daily practice, McCafferty used sketchbooks to take notes and make sketches on drawing pads, diaries, and notebooks. He drew what he observed in front of him, often adding notes, comments, reflections, and lists—almost always dating, and occasionally timing, each entry. The act of observing and registering the present moment through quick sketches functioned as a meditative routine, complementing the performative, contemplative process of his paintings.
His wife, Ellen, recalls, “Jay always carried a notebook with him. During his years as a lifeguard, when he had long stretches of time at hand, he would note thoughts, jokes, and passing ideas.” In 2007, during his and Ellen’s trip to Africa, he received the first of the journals shown in these photographs as a gift. The trip marked a shift from writing to drawing; from then on he used his notebooks primarily for sketches.
MCC_Sketchbook group photo_002
