Carnet de gratitude : April 2026 sketchbook

What is this magnetic force that pulls me into my “Carnet de gratitude” every evening for the past five years ?
It begins with attention to the instants of grace when I feel grateful for a sensation, an idea, a mood…
A few days later, these fragments return, quieter, and find their way onto paper as drawings.
Each page becomes a gentle translation of lived moments — shaped by memory, softened by time, and accompanied by the quiet presence of the seven Potichats I share my life with.

Working within the same small format, day after day, I follow a rhythm rather than a goal. Through repetition, these pages slowly form a continuous, living archive.

If you want to know more about my Gratitude sketchbook practice, I answered an interview for Domestika's blog at the end of 2024. https://www.domestika.org/en/blog/13539-stig-legrand-s-journey-turning-daily-gratitude-into-illustrated-masterpieces

This project is published monthly and you can access the archives beginning in November 2021 from the Projects section on my Profile.

Sketchbook : Talens, Art Creation, 9x14cm, colour Fresh Mint
Fineliners : UniPin in Dark Grey, Light Grey, Black, size range from 0.03 to 0.5 - Colour Fineliners : Sakura Pigment
Brush Pens : Water-based Tombows AB1, Kuretake Art & Graphic Twin, Koi by Sakura, Pentel Brush Sign Pens, Faber-Castell Pitt Artist

An of course, feline attention <3

On April's Fool day, I began the day early to prepare jokes and plant funny hints around the house. The Potichats helped by stepping around up the walls and even on the ceiling with glow in the dark pawprints and the best joke was the blue milk that turned breakfast into a great big laugh.
Also, I managed pairing my Apple Watch with my newly iOS updates phone <3

I got new blue shoes ! So we walked to the dentist in style and comfort, and discovered beautiful plants, flowers and trees.

Husband unwrapped my camelias from their winter cover and one of them was covered in red blooms <3 On another one, a single pure white flower opened <3 and I nibbled on vanilla waffers all night while drawing.

Walked by the cat tree and Kurumi who had just woken up said "hello meow".
I began the treatmen for Yuzu's eye, his tearduct was inflammed so it was cleaning and medical cream morning and evening.
For diner, I prepared "The Crying Tiger", a thai recipe.

We celebrated Easter and Beltane with special treats : avocado and tarama blinis for brunch, fresh asparagus and homemade strawberry tiramisu for dinner. Not to forget a lovely chocolate egg that we shared !

I did many things on that day but the most striking was slicing this humongus and perfectly organic tomato.

What a day for wonder ! Seeing the dark side of the moon was intense and beautiful.
I went for my appointment at the hospital and met my new hepatologist, a young Italian lady.
At home, in my room, there was a huge spider just over the door and I managed to show her the way out.
We got strawberries <3

It was uncommonly warm for a month of April... I made a nice brunch with soft boiled eggs on vegetables.

Mmmmhhhh... I sampled some cheese from Sicily, Piacentinu Ennese and it is the oldest cheese known in this part of the world.
Tanuki was her sweet self <3 My delightful plump fluffy princess !
Listened to a very nice podcast with Belgian author Amelie Nothomb.

On that day, I finally completed my retirement papers, quite a relief...
I had a Desperados Mojito beer to celebrate, with a dinner of grilled eggplant, calamari rings, olives, potato patties, fresh mint and for me... of course RED HOT CHILI PEPPER !

In the morning, we tasted a fruit for the first time : an UGLI from Jamaica :-)
In the evening, I watched a TV show that demands attention while drawing, and I managed to fall asleep and keep on drawing and playing in the sedated state.

I got a little basil plant that I hoped would survive in the kitchen.
For the first time, I cooked sticky rice with steam and served it in small bamboo containers.
I spent a long time and a lot of hope searching for a professional groomer for Yuzu to help remove the fur mats that are creeping up his body. I found the best person then found out we were outside of her perimeter.

What striked me with wonder on that day was the majestic dance of the crane dressed dancers for Shirasagi no Mai, at the Senso-Ji Temple of Asakusa.

Proof that hope prevails : new rose buttons on our Pierre de Ronsard that almost died this autumn.
I was so tired when drawing this page that I wrote nonsense with my fineliner, so I had to make my peace with that.

Sang this song "En moi le chaos" by Maison Tellier, and I am still singing it today <3
Hinata walked among dandelions ready to blow away and one of them landed on her head.

Tanuki, sitting in the catio, well combed, with her little nose in the wind...
Listening to songs from Tori Amos' tour <3

It's always nice to see Miruku's shapely feet sticking out from his favorite position : up on the top of the bookshelf. He has to jum from the top of the cat tree to land there.
Seeing a complicated flower and hypnotizing myself drawing it.

We went to the Spring market of our town and got two new climbing plants : jasmine and wisteria.
We also selected 5 different honey pots and a honeycomb.

Playing with the Potichats and the relaxed way Hinata likes to catch the red velvet tentacles of the large octopus.
Going in the garden to plant the new camelia Nikki Crisp in its beautiful pot.

Husband drove me to my favorite asiatic produce shop : Tang Frères. I seriously stocked up on spicy kimchi seaweed snacks and many more...
Back home, I made a strawberry tart.

I began removing much of Yuzu's fur burs by myseld and was pleasantly surprised by the result.
I cooked some nice ramen noodles.
There was a short film I chanced upon called Zahir about two women climbing and it was amazing.

There was a new episode from my favorite podcast "Continue, tu m'intéresses" with guest Hippolyte Dourdent about quantum theory and thaumazein philosophy. It was pure joy and I listened to it 3 times already. It inspired me to draw this entire page with Tanuki and Hinata's help.
Notice that I experimented with colored pencils background color.

Husband brought back a bag of chouquettes.
I ate a cherimole fruit that was just perfectly ripe.
I cooked steamed sticky rice with grilled fish in a thai basil sauce. It turned into a day of Perfumes and Flavours <3

The day of Flavours continued with a chocolate and pistachio cream lava cake after fried noodles with Airfryed marinated tofu, scrambled eggs, packchoï and fresh herbs.
I looked after Yuzu to help his tear duct and all his tangled hair mats.

Listened to my new Playlist for alternative Hip Hop songs, mostly from bands I didn't know about.
I gave matatabi stick to the Potichats in the catio, eliciting much frenzy, rolling around and general happiness.

First Yuzu let me treat him in a very friendly way <3
Then we had a lovely brunch and I saw photos by my friends Ellen and Delia, curently traveling around in France.

Yuzu still very cooperative with his treatment <3
New buttons on our ancient rose bush.
Listening to UNKLE's album "Psyence Fiction".
Many spider babies in my room, mostly visible when they sat on screens.

Watching the buttons open on our Pierre de Ronsard that we thought was dead.
Eating an overripe mango with herbs and chili.
Going to my physical therapist and doing exercices with her on the floor.
At the pharmacy, a young person over the counter who thought that I was 20 years younger than my meds proved LOL.

Nice eggs for the brunch with fried green pepper from Madagascar <3
Yuzu first on the bed for his treatment and Tanuki waiting for her turn.
I'm glad how Yuzu turned out nice on this page, that's him !

First, husband planted the jasmine tree in the garden. He found huge larvae under the roots of the dead mimosa but luckily they were golden rose chafer and not cockchafer (one is good for the garden and cleans the dead wood, the other kills roots).

Let me share with you something that is on my mind... : I'm thinking of ways to show my Carnets de gratitude in an exhibition <3