NSS: AN OPEN SKETCHBOOK

The National Stationery Show was full of talented artists. But, the booth with the nicest, super talented couple was definitely An Open Sketchbook. We met Suzanne and Edgar Cabrera, from North Carolina, on our second day at the show. Their colorful, process filled wall immediately caught our eye. The process wall reveals the authenticity of their work, and was truly a unique feature in the entire show. Wandering inside, we heard their inspiring story and saw photos of their adorable two year old interns. What a talented and creative couple!

Suzanne writes, "An Open Sketchbook is our passion. It’s our answer to the question, ‘What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?’ Drawing inspiration from our family, childhood and a love of visual storytelling, we strive to create work that celebrates the best and, often times, overlooked parts of life. Today we collaborate an assortment of projects from product design to editorial illustration to the hardest and most rewarding project of all, parenting twin baby boys."

According to their NSS show chronicle, "Working on a very limited budget, we made the most out of 80 square feet of New York real estate, making nearly everything, from the booth itself, to the desk, shelves and 'wallpaper' by hand. Without a doubt, our wall of process work was the most discussed aspect of our booth. As we designed our collection for the Show we accumulated pages and pages and pages of sketches. We figured using these scraps to create a wallpaper for our booth was one of the best ways to bring our home studio with us."  

Top photo courtesy of An Open Sketchbook