Jamie's Sketchbook

Jamie

Sketching obsessed.

Close-up detail from the Saturday 4 April 2026 food diary spread. A Ciao cherry sparkling water can in red and blue stands beside a small bowl of cherry tomatoes, and a large golden oval plate holds teriyaki pulled pork, jasmine rice, and zucchini noodles, all sitting on a soft purple watercolor wash. Stillman & Birn Delta sketchbook.

Cherries, Icing, and Feeling Poorly

Time for a catch-up post on the food diary. I’m still using the Shikiori markers. Four days, four very different spreads, and a peek into what happens when I sketch under varying degrees of brain function.

First, the errata page.

A double page spread in a Stillman & Birn Delta sketchbook labeled Errata in bold lettering with a red heart on the left page. Loose watercolor sketches of deep red Amareno cherries are scattered across the left page with handwritten notes about forgotten food entries. The right page shows a detailed sketch of a Miss Jones cream cheese icing container in green and red, with handwritten cost and nutrition data. Dated Friday 3 April 2026.
Friday 3 April 2026 — Errata — Stillman & Birn Delta

I forgot to log the Amareno cherries I ate by the spoonful while cooking lunch. Those deep jewel reds were so fun to paint, and drawing bigger than usual suited them. The Miss Jones cream cheese icing on the right got its own sketch too, because apparently I also ate several spoonfuls of that while making dinner. I have regrets. I suspect the extra sugar gets my heart going. And yes, for mysterious reasons I have been bingeing more sugar lately. Trying to rein that in.

A double page food diary spread dated Saturday 4 April 2026. A lineup of food items sits along a deep purple watercolor horizon wash. Left to right: a dark chocolate bar and blue-lidded container, a tall green sparkling water bottle, a Miss Jones cream cheese jar in green and red, a golden bowl of red lentil pasta with spinach, a second green sparkling water bottle, a small bowl with a Ciao cherry sparkling water can, and a large golden oval plate with teriyaki pulled pork, jasmine rice, and zucchini noodles. Handwritten food names, costs, and nutrition totals below.
Saturday 4 April 2026 — Food Sketch in Stillman & Birn Delta

Saturday was a proper cooking day with teriyaki vegan pulled pork, jasmine rice, and zucchini noodles. It was very good and I was pleased with the sketch. I did this day’s sketches in the moment! My sunflower plate with the purple shadow wash underneath is one of my favorite things I’ve painted in this book so far. (And I didn’t forget to include the rest of the icing I finished off on the second day of it being open!)

A double page food diary spread dated Sunday 5 April 2026. A loose watercolor lineup of food items stretches across both pages along a soft blue-grey horizon wash. Items include a pink sparkling water bottle, dark chocolate, a red lentil pasta bowl, a Summer Strawberry sparkling water bottle, two halves of a bento box — one with dolmas, baby carrots, hummus and herb garlic cheese, the other with cherry tomatoes and kalamata olives — followed by a plate of salmon with roasted vegetables and mac and cheese, lemon olive oil cake muffins, and a lemonade. Handwritten food names and nutrition data in the lower left. Stillman & Birn Delta sketchbook.
Sunday 5 April 2026 — Food Sketches Stillman & Birn Delta

Sunday was a big food day. Bento box with dolmas, baby carrots, hummus and herb garlic cheese (vegan) in one half, cherry tomatoes and kalamata olives in the other, then salmon with roasted vegetables and mac and cheese for dinner, finished off with lemon olive oil cake muffins and a lemonade. It looks like a cheerful parade of colorful shapes across the page, which is exactly what it was. 

A double page food diary spread dated Monday 6 April 2026. Loose, expressive watercolor shapes sit against a broad green wash background. A pink heart doodle appears in the upper left corner. Items left to right include dark chocolate, sparkling water, trail mix, a red lentil pasta bowl with spinach, a quesadilla with enchilada sauce, and sparkling water. A handwritten food and cost summary box on the right is labeled "Feeling Poorly." Stillman & Birn Delta sketchbook.
Monday 6 April 2026 — Feeling Poorly Food Sketches Stillman & Birn Delta

And then Monday. I was not feeling well, and it shows. The whole spread went down in a loose green wash and I forgot to sketch the cookies entirely. The little pink heart in the corner was doing its best. Some days the diary is a beautiful detailed record, and some days it’s an honest green blob. That I’m keeping up is a miracle, when the bad brain hits. I blame the sugar and the allergens I had eating out on Sunday. Which is the whole reason I like to sketch my food, so it’s easier to find the culprits, when the body crashes or outbreaks or flares up days later. 

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