James Polk is a doodler. As a professional architect and all-around creative thinker, the Petal native has long utilized sketchbooks to jot down design ideas, notes about projects, and sketches of all shapes and sizes.
Consequently, the 58-year-old owner and founder of a Prentiss company that designs, builds, and sells “tiny houses,” goes through a lot of sketch books.
We’re talking about a lot of sketch books.
After years of kicking around the idea of designing a sketchbook of his very own, Polk bit the bullet earlier this year and now his aptly-named “Sketchbook” is a reality and on sale now via Amazon.
In fact, Polk has two different versions available online, both measuring 8.5 inches by 8.5 inches.
His traditional “Sketchbook” consists of 200 blank pages perfect for sketching, drawing, doodling, illustrating, and delineating.
For those who might want to add some notes or ideas to their sketches, drawings, doodles, illustrations, or delineations, he also offers a “Sketchbook Journal” with the top half of each page blank and the bottom half lined for journaling.
They’re available for $11.99 each, plus shipping (unless you have an Amazon Prime account, in which case shipping is free).
Gracing the cover of the sketchbooks is an original Polk drawing of Frank, the family’s beloved grayhound that died earlier this fall after spending 10 years with the family after retiring from the grayhound racing circuit.
“He was a beautiful, amazing creature,” said Polk, in a Facebook video posted on his personal page. “I drew hundreds of sketches of him over the years and maybe one day will even have a show featuring them.”
For Polk, there’s something magical about a blank page.
“You have an infinite number of things you can do in that space,” said Polk. “I don’t care what it is you’re sketching or doodling, there’s something special about putting that pen or pencil to paper and letting your emotion pour out onto the page.”
Children, especially, need to be given the opportunity to draw, he said. They deserve the opportunity to use their imagination and flex their creative muscle.
“Kids need to draw,” he said.
I happen to agree.
One of my favorite people in Hattiesburg is Abigail Lenz Allen. Although there are plenty of reasons to love this wildly-talented woman, it’s her work with the Hattiesburg Arts Council’s SmART Space After School Program that is exceptionally impressive.
Each and every Friday during the school year, Abigail – along with the multi-talented Ellen Keever and their entire team – expose area students to a wide variety of visual and performing arts.
One of Abi’s favorite sayings is “art makes art makes art.”
The idea is that art inspires other artists, who – in turn – creates more art and thus, inspires more artists.
For me, it’s a neverending cycle that plays an integral role in my overall happiness and quality of life and I’m always tickled to connect with other kindred spirits like James Polk who believes in a project enough to put his money where his mouth is.
“It’s not for me, it’s for Frank,” he said with a wink. “Frank had a good vibe and as a result, you just know this book – and the art it inspires – is going to have a good vibe, too.”
Gustafson is the not-so-mild-mannered editor/publisher of The PineBelt NEWS. While actual sketching may not be his best artistic talent, he does enjoy doodling. In particular, one of his favorite ways to idle away the time is by drawing straight lines and squares on random pieces of paper. Thanks to James Polk, he has a fancy new sketchbook to house all of his “important” doodles.
