Monday, July 12, 2010

Books du jour

I have been on a bit of a book buying spree lately. I guess I should add the phrase 'as usual' to this sentence because I do really adore books. I use the library for books that I want to read, fiction type stuff, but I really like to own art books. Here are a few that I like:

Carla's book is a must-have for anyone who wants to loosen up and capture the true fun of drawing. Her personality shines through on every page and her drawings are so delightful I find myself smiling as I read. The book is formatted in weekly sections which is genius. It's my intent to work through it with my grandson and I know we will have a blast.

I saw this book at Anthropology last week and I might have accidentally drooled all over it. I did go home and order it off Amazon though simply because it saved a considerable sum. Being a painter, I find myself chuckling at lots of the studio pics in the gorgeous eye candy magazines (you know the ones I am talking about) on the market today. Sure I read them and love them, but my studio doesn't look anything like that. My place is a pig sty. Stains on the floor, paint marks on the walls, dirty coffee cups, petrified paint palettes, all sorts of yuck everywhere. I simply can't help myself, I get pretty passionate and really feel stifled if I try to stay clean. My furniture is all used and was free (picked up on garbage day). I would be nuts to furnish my studio with nice things.

So anyhoo, imagine my thrill when I pick up this book and see a bunch of famous contemporary painters (I am talking about big famous names like Eric Fischl and April Gornik) whose studios are a wreck too - the kind of mess I produce - whew, I thought there might be something wrong with me (ha! that's a topic for another day). In depth and interesting interviews accompany the photos and this is a book I know I will read in its entirety. Simply fascinating to me, a little like crawling into the heads of these artists.  Drool, drool......

9 comments:

  1. Have you ever seen the pictures of Alexander Calder's Studio? He will make you feel really good about yours. Pig sty.
    Love Carla's book too, and not just because I got to be in it.

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  2. drawing lab looks great- i'm going to amazon NOW. thanks!

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  3. I use paint but am not a painter...and you accurately described my studio as well as your own. Who needs neat?

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  4. I'm pretty much in pig sty mode myself so I can identify.

    Pondering on a stencil order.......

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  5. I'm pretty much in pig sty mode myself so I can identify.

    Pondering on a stencil order.......

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  6. I'm pretty much in pig sty mode myself so I can identify.

    Pondering on a stencil order.......

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  7. I'm pretty much in pig sty mode myself so I can identify.

    Pondering on a stencil order.......

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  8. Thanks for the book suggestions! I've been wanting to take a look at the DRAWING LAB. It sounds like something fun for my son and I to do together. I'll have to check it out...

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  9. I too really found Carla's book intriguing. Besides my art life, I teach 5th grade and love trying to fit art into an increasingly tight curriculum of All the Other things. I made a list of several ideas she has that 5th graders would love and benefit from.

    ...and I'm in the What's Wrong with this Picture? group regarding studios. I try, I really try. Too many things going on at once, though. It may possibly be hopeless.

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