10 Best Art Books of 2018

2019

marks my

10 year blogging

anniversary

and so

much has changed since I was a 

novice blogger..

I remember trying to blog each day..

until I wore myself out..

and almost burned out creatively too..

Now I think nothing of taking time off when I need it ....

I no longer listen to the "experts" whoever 

THEY are... 

and I just write my little blog and trust that the ones who

are interested will show up when I return..

10 Best Art Books 

of 2018

these are the best books that I read in 2018

not all are new, but they are all 5 stars in my little opinion.. 

click on the title for a link to Amazon if you are so inclined..

Dancing With The Gods

This is a marvelous book.. 

one of the best I have read on the subject of creativity 

and no matter how or what you create, invent, bake, write, sculpt, 

Kent Nerburn gets you..

he understands and articulates  

our collective challenges, desires and dreams.. fabulous. 

People say that blogs are dead because no one reads anymore..

we have a society of people who live on their phones..

and flash through channels..

and while that is true..

Foundations of Drawing

Whether you are proficient at drawing or simply a beginner, this is an outstanding book

filled with techniques and tools and breaking down the history of drawing...

yes .... there truly is a history of drawing and it has changed over the years..

I also know that there are many who are like me,

the ones who want the deep relationships..

sharing and caring and opening wider..

we are the readers and the thinkers and we understand that it takes time for

ideas to incubate ...

The Art of Ball Point

What a cool book..

not in spite of the tool

but because of it..

I have always disliked ball pint pens

but I have to admit, 

there is some magnificent work here..

stunning...

Frida Kahlo

I Paint my Reality

This tiny little paper back is simply awesome ... stuffed with lots of photos, and great plates,

each page is littered with information and tiny asides.. There were several tidbits

that I had never read anywhere else.. if you are a Frida Fan, then put this on your list..

but you just might have to buy it!

we are the ones who 

chew on the paragraphs and savor our books..
calmed by the gentle rustle of the

foxed page turning in our hands ....

Frida Kahlo
Making Herself Up


I was so blessed to see this exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London with my dear videographer and hubby, Don and long time blogger friend Joanne Archer.
It was incredibly moving and I kept wiping away my tears..
What do you paint when you must lie in a hospital bed?
you paint your pain of course..
when you are confined to a body cast?.
you paint the cast..
and the hospital and cast assist in the making of the artist..

Some of the reviews were less than stellar.. the criticisms were primarily focused on the fact that that there were many extremely personal items in the collection..
such as her prosthesis, her body casts, her make up and even her medicines..
They complained that it was voyeuristic and macabre..

Perhaps it is because I am an artist and not a writer, that I found it to be the most comprehensive understanding of an artist that I have ever seen..
As an artist, I feel that life is art.. and we cannot separate the artist and the life..

The next exhibit will be in New York, but if you cannot make it, then,
 this book is the next best thing to really understanding how and why an artist creates and the personal manifestation of Frida's work.

and by the way...
we are all voyeurs

Frida Kahlo

At Home

Ok... I know... 

3 books on Frida??

yeah I know it IS a bit obsessive, 

BUT..

these are really great books, 

and all very different with lots of great plates and information.

What was fascinating about this tome, 

was learning about her collection of antique artifacts and 

the photos of her homes was very intriguing and gave

a glimpse into her life from a completely different 

perspective.

Leonardo

Walter Isaacson is truly one of the best biographers 

and this exhaustive study of Leonardo is simply magnificent. He left nothing untouched, and when you read this ...

you begin to understand what true genius is. 

What appealed to me was Leonardo's insatiable appetite for understanding and his consistent curiosity. This is truly a masterful biography...

and hey, 

his mother was named Caterina..

Like magnets we are attracted to the written word 

wherever we find it.. digitally or not..

we are the ones who read the cereal box at breakfast..

and recipes for fun...

Pilgrimage 

I finally got around to reading this simply yummy book this year, and I wish it had not taken me so long. How fascinating to follow her and see what strikes her fancy..

my favorite photos are the botanical specimens of John Muir and Emily Dickinson's pressed plants.. her herbarium book..

but equally fascinating are the photos of Vanessa Bell's home and her paisley stenciled walls..

a feast for the senses..

and ... a forward by Doris Kearns Goodwin.. epic.

words matter...

and we know that while we cannot read everything

we can find the time to read what interests us right now..

Georgia O'Keeffe and Her Houses Ghost Ranch and Abiquiu

Having been to Abiquiu but never inside her home,

I was really curious to know what it was like and I sincerely

 believe  that the domestic situation of each artist reveals so much about them and their art..

Her spartan life is so much like her art..

clean, concise and pared down to the bone...

So..

Call me a crazy, ancient, artist, 

but I will keep writing this blog

and sharing with those who still read..

Butterflies of North America

 Titian Peale was not only a naturalist 
and one of the first 
"butterfly people"...
but he was a remarkable artist and while he did not receive the recognition or the remuneration that he so deserved in his lifetime.. 
sadly, he was a true starving artist...
he would be pleased to know that his book
has been treated with great respect and his manuscript and plates are printed 
exquisitely..
the binding alone is spectacular..



The curios ones..
the ones who

 let the notifications pile up
as they stretch out with a good book..
or a blog...


You know who you are..

Cheers!
Thanks for celebrating with me this year..
methinks it will be a good one..


xox