In 2018, the Ever Imaginative Ian, my dear brother, gave me a copy of The Moleskine Project: a beautiful collection of artwork confined by the dimensions of a standard spread of a moleskine notebook.

In an effort to engage with the art with more than just my eyes, I set out to write a poem about each piece. It was the perfect opportunity to employ an enchanting wood-bound journal gifted to me by the Wondrous Seamus Quinn. The process was simple:

• In the morning, open the book to a new page
• Take in the imagery
• Within a minute, start writing a poem based on the first impressions and feelings engendered by the work
• Keep the poem contained to the small piece of notebook paper

As projects often go, I fell in and out of practice for chunks of time, but eventually find myself on the last page of the project. I am grateful for the experience. The texture and aroma of what seem to be handmade pages. The suspense of revealing that morning’s creation. The growing sense of duty to jump in to that artist’s creation and put words to it.

What started as a writing and mindfulness exercise turned into a new way for me to connect with visual arts. I now see them as collaborative. The creator queues up a prompt, and the consumer, should they wish, adapts and extends the narrative.

To celebrate this process and the artists that inspired my work, I’ll be sharing all 49 pairings of picture and poem.

Poems