The Moment in Time Window

"marginalia"
I was introduced to this word by the Cat Sidh blog. I immediately copied this quote:

"I think the interesting thing about marginalia is not so much the intrinsic information it contains, but the window it opens onto the moment in time when the notes were made."

. . . and placed this comment on her blog:

"A-a-ah, “marginalia.” True for literary folks, but doubly true for visual artists. It’s the one thing we forget to do when sketching. AND, one of the simplest reasons we can’t get back to ‘that moment in time’ when we are back in the studio."

It perfectly fills a little empty spot in my education.

I've always made notes, underlined and doodled in books and my sketchbooks include everything from the weather and smells to sizes of potential paintings I might make. Now I have a word for it!

I learn a lot from Shelly, but mostly she makes me wish I were younger, more irreverent, freer to explore and more creative with the information I have gathered -- especially with the stuff in the margins.

Shelley Couvrette's "Marginalia" entry, along with her other typical bloggin' may be found here: http://cat-sidh.net/blog/?m=200702&paged=4