Category Archives: art history/books

ANGELOU AND ARKANSAS

MY QUEST

This is my fourth installment in my QUEST – I’m reading a book by an author from each state (alphabettically) For the state of Arkansas, I chose I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS by Maya Angelou (published 1969).

It follows Maya, from age 3 to age 17 ending with the birth of her son.

After the divorce of her parents, Maya, at the age of three, and her older brother, Bailey, are sent to live with her paternal grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. Calling her Momma, she owns the only store in the black section of Stamps. Struggling with feelings of rejection, Maya also believes she is an ugly child that will never measure up to the white girls, and doesn’t feel equal to the black children in Stamps.

The children move to St. Louis to be with their mother. It is here that Maya is raped by her mother’s boyfriend. After being acquitted in court, he is murdered.

Returning to Stamps, Maya is introduced to an educated woman, Mrs. Bertha Flowers, who encourages her to read and gives her books of literature and poetry.

There are several instances along the way that show how insidious racism can be. Her mother sends her and Bailey to live in San Francisco. Here she studies drama and dance and becomes the first Black female conductor in San Franciso. Visiting her father in Southern California, she drives a car for the first time (she has to get her drunk father home from Mexico), leaves after a fight with her father’s girlfriend and ends up living in a junkyard with other kids.

I recommend this book – I feel it is time well spent. There is much more in the book than what I mentioned here!

Maya Angelous was born Marguerite Johnson on April 4th , 1928. She published seven autobiographies, several books of poetry, and was awarded more than 50 honorary derees. She worked as a cook, prostitute, nightclub singer and a journalist in Egypt. Other interesting facts about her:

She wrote Hallmark greeting cards

She loved Law and Order

She wrote a couple of cookbooks

She danced in a touring company of Porgy and Bess in the 50’s

She was a guest on Sesame Street

A lover of country music, she said she was “seriously affected by the breakup of Brooks and Dunn”

Won three Grammy awards

Fluent in six languages; English, French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic and West African Fante

First African-American female of the Directors Guild of America

Appeared in the television mini-series Roots

Appointed to the Bicentennial Commission by President Gerald Ford

Recited her poem “On the Pulse of Morning” at Bill Clinton’s innaguration, only the 2nd poet to participate in an innaguration (Robert Frost read in 1961)

Received the National Medal for Arts in 2000

She died May 28, 2014.

Some facts about Arkansas:

The mockingbird is the state bird

The square dance in the state dance

Milk is the state beverage

The fiddle is the state instrument

The honeybee is the state insect

The state tree is the southern pine

It is illegal to mis-pronouse the state name – it is Ar-Kan-Saw

The only active diamond mine in the US is located in Arkansas

Well, my next stop on my quest will be California! Any suggestions for a writer from California??

FEBRUARY READING

A MONTH WITH SERENITY, INTELLIGENCE AND SOME DOWNRIGHT SILLINESS

I am so thankful for Goodreads and Kindle. I try to record the books as I read them in Goodreads, but sometimes I have to rely on the books I have downloaded on Kindle. The reason? I actually read a couple of books in February that I needed to read the recap in Goodreads to remember them! February was all over the board! (in categories and quality both).

Chaser, Unlocking the Genius of the Dog Who Knows a Thousand Words by John W. Pilley: Surprisingly, I picked this up at the grocery store while stocking up for a non-existent upcoming winter storm. Who could resist that face? John Pilley is a retired psychology professor in South Carolina. When he adopts Chaser he begins exploring communication and language with her. In the end, Chaser knows over a thousand words and demonstrates an intelligence that is remarkable. The training is 4-6 hours a day and done in the spirit of play. It will make you look at your dogs differently! As a dog owner and lover I usually don’t read books about animals. But – Chaser is alive and well in Spartanburg, S.C. While there is a fair amount of scientific research in the book, I still enjoyed it!

Turning the Mind into an Ally by Sakyong Mipham : This was suggested reading for a meditation course I took at the Shambhala center down the street. Mipham was raised in the West, so the book is written in easy to read idiomatic English. He believes to lead a sane and peaceful life, we need to train our minds, and without doing this we become “at the mercy of our moods”. There are a few appendices that show meditation postures and give easy to follow instructions. It takes the mysticism out of both meditation and Buddhism. An added treat is the forward that is written by Pema Chodron. By the way, Mipham is the director of Shambhala International that is over 165 meditation centers (founded by his father). I will keep this book and refer back to it. While I still struggle with meditating daily, I have not given up! I signed up for another class beginning next week – Contentment in Everyday Life. This is part of the description of the class:

To be content is to know what is sufficient.

To know what is sufficient we must know ourselves.

To know ourselves we must be willing to look into ourselves.

To look into ourselves we must engage with gentleness and bravery, and

in this manner we make friends with whatever we see.

Coaching Questions: A Coach’s Guide to Powerful Asking Skills by Tony Stoltzfus: In 2014, I became a certified life coach, but I’m still in training mode. I recently took on my first “practice” clients (or ally’s as I prefer to call them). To ask powerful questions is one of the two most powerful things to learn (the other is to effectively listen). This is a reference tool I will refer back to. Coaching helps guide one in the right direction, helps them realize their dreams and begin achieving their life goals. After all, we all have the power within us – as one of my favorite quotes below illustrates.

To Catch a Bad Guy by Marie Astor: This was a free download that I read on a dismal wintery afternoon. I downloaded it because it had a picture of a cute dog on the front. I barely remember the story though – need I say more?

From the Ground Up, A Love Story about Fame and Farming by Janet J. Lawley: Another free download – this one is about an out of control Hollywood actress (think Lohan). After she crashes her car into Saks, a judge sends her to an organic farm in upstate New York to work. It is kind of cute, but very very predictable.

Still Life with Murder by P.B. Ryan: Set in Boston after the Civil War, there are some interesting elements in this book. It follows Nell Sweeney – born into poverty now working for a very wealthy family. There are two sons they believe died in the Civil War. When the black sheep, also a physician, returns secretly addicted to opium, he is accused of a murder. Nell begins proving his innocence, and it takes you back to the terrible Andersonville. Interesting historical setting and a few twists along the way.

Hollywood Assassin, A Hollywood Alphabet Series Thrille by MZ Kelly: I love books about the history of Hollywood, and this one promised this. Detective Kate Sexton is being stalked as she puts together the pieces of a 30 year old cold case. I should have caught the line in the promo (another free download) saying it “has more twists and turns than a car on Sunset Strip with a Hollywood starlet at the wheel.” and by an author named MZ? I guess that is for MIZZ??? But, I have to admit, I did read it!

For March, I am assembling a better quality of books – that doesn’t mean I’ll won’t read some quick simple download along the way.

MY 10 MOST MEMORABLE BOOKS OF 2014

I am taking part of in a 10-day creativity challenge, that of course, began YESTERDAY. But, in my defense, I’m winding down my year at work – and after today – I am off until January 5, 2015. YEAH!!!

So, I thought I’d take a moment to list my most memorable books of 2014. In this list, you will find books about art, a classic children’s book and a book that made me make a commitment. These are in no particular order.

1. OFF THE WALL, A PORTRAIT OF ROBERT RAUSHENBURG, by Carl Tompkins

2. BREAKFAST WITH LUCIAN: THE ASTOUNDING LIFE AND OUTRAGEOUS TIMES OF BRITAIN’S GREAT MODERN PAINTER BY GEORDIE GREIG – I enjoyed it so much, I continued with another book about Lucian.

3. MAN WITH A BLUE SCARF: ON SITTING FOR A PORTRAIT WITH LUCIAN FREUD By Martin Gayford – I’m fascinated with Freud’s process and his life.

4. THE GOLDFINCH by Donna Tartt – I read it before it won the Pulitzer Prize!

5. ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND by Louis Carroll – need I say more?

6. AN ARTIST OF THE FLOATING WORLD by Kasuo Ishiguro – set in postwar Japan, it won the Whitbread Prize in 1986 (ok, I’m a little behind!)

7. MR. PENUMBRA’S 24 HOUR BOOKSTORE by Robin Sloan – what is better than a book about books?

8. THE FAMILY FANG – by Kevin Wilson – think Wes Anderson in print – about performance art – or is it?

9. DAILY RITUALS – HOW ARTIST’S WORK by Mason Currey – rituals of 160+ artists

10. THE HAPPINESS OF PURSUIT – FINDING THE QUEST THAT WILL BRING PURPOSE TO YOUR LIFE by Chris Gillebeau – I declared a quest after this – you can read about it here.

If you don’t know me, I am a voracious reader. I have to limit my reading sometimes. Halfway through the year, I limited my reading to no more than a book a week! Yes, it was tough!

What have you read you want to share?

NOVEMBER BOOKS

HISTORICAL FICTION, A BIOGRAPHY, A FAIRY TALE – OH MY!

Yes, November was an interesting month of reading.

MADAME PICASSO by Anne Girard: Beginning1911, it is set in that wonderful time in Paris that is so much fun to read about. A fictional historical novel, it tells the story of Eva Gouel, one of Picasso’s first loves. A seamstress at the famous Moulin Rouge she spots him in the audience and later meets him backstage. Names like Matisse, Gertrude Stein, Apollinaire, George Braque, Maurice Chevalier to name a few appear. Even the sinking of the Titanic makes an appearance. Eva Gouel is fairly hard to find in the history books, but she did exist. Picasso describes some of his art himself which was nice to read. It is a well-researched novel set in a wonderful time to read about.

IF YOU LIVED HERE, I’D KNOW YOUR NAME, NEWS FROM SMALL TOWN ALASKA by Heather Lende: I’m on a quest! I’m reading a book by an author from every state in the nation (you can read my declaration here). This is my selection from Alaska with a separate blog to come. I will say I enjoyed this book and the inhabitants of Haynes, Alaska. Heather is a frequent contributor for NPR’s Morning Edition.

TINSELTOWN – MURDER, MORPHINE AND MADNESS AT THE DAWN OF HOLLYWOOD by William J. Mann: The basis for this book is the murder of William Desmond Taylor, then the president of the Motion Pictures Directors Association, in his own home. It is billed as “The Day of The Locust” meets “Midnight in the Garden of the Good and Evil” and “The Devil in the White City”. The books says the crime has never been solved, but other books have been written devoted to this topic. It starts off fast, but it gets bogged down in the middle. As it goes into the history of 1920’s Hollywood, the rivalry between Adolph Zukor and Marcus Loew is investigated, as is the lack of morality, Christian vigilantes, anti-trust violations, and of course, sex and drugs. There is ALOT of information but the murder somehow gets lost along the way. It left me wanting to read The Day of the Locust about the people that lived on the fringes of Hollywood.

STATE OF WONDER by Ann Patchett: I am a fan of Ann Patchett, so I was excited to find this book. But – it gets downright wierd as it follows Dr. Marina Singh into the Amazon to investigate the death of an employee of a pharmaceutical company and also to investigate the progess of a drug that is being researched. This part was interesting, but when she gets to a village deep in the Amazon, she finds there is research being done on women that bear children well past menopause. I found most of the characters flat, almost unlikeable. When the women go into the jungle to chew on the bark on trunks of trees, I found it unbelievable. Then, there was an ending that left a lot to be desired.

THE WISHING SPELL (#1 The Land of Stories) by Chris Colfer: This book is about twins Alex and Connor as they journey to a fairy tale land through an ancient book of stories. Here they meet all the characters they read about growing up, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty are all queens of different kingdoms, married to the “Charming” brothers. Goldilocks is a wanted fugitive, the evil queen who poisoned Snow White has escaped prison and the son of The Big Bad Wolf is intent on revenge. The twins want to go home and they begin a scavenger hunt taking them through the kingdom. It was great fun! The author is an actor on Glee!

THEN AGAIN by Diane Keaton: This is as much about Diane Keaton’s mother as it is about her. Her mother kept about 85 journals over the course of her life and much of this book is Diane sorting through these and learning more about her mother. Her life seems to be mentioned in passing, she’s in a play with Woody Allen and then she has broken up with him. She has a childhood crush on Warren Beatty – and then they are together. She makes The Godfather with Al Pacino and years later they are a couple, then not, and then they are, and then not. It is an enjoyable book. My favorite section was her hanging out with Larry McMurtry – I wish she would explore this more in depth at a later time.

ONE DOG AND HIS BOY by Eva Ibbotson: I am writing a series of blogs regarding Women in Art, and Eva Ibbotson was my choice for the letter “I”. I had never heard of her – and I’m so glad I found her while researching women artists that start with the letter “I”. You can read that blog here. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any 8-13 year old that loves dogs. It was described as Lassie meet Roald Dahl – and that’s not too far off. Basically it is about a boy and a dog that belong together, his parents who think they can buy him anything to make him happy – anything but a dog, and the journey the boy and the dog make to be together (which includes a trip the circus, an orphanage and a monastery).

That’s it for November! Happy Reading!

IS IT POSSIBLE TO READ TOO MUCH?

OCTOBER READING

This is my monthly blog devoted to the previous month's reading

According to GoodReads, I have read almost 14,000 pages this year – that is almost 10 days (and that is the 24 hour day, not the work day!). Is that too much? Possibly. I admit reading is a habit and I’m guilty of downloading free books on my Kindle just to pass the time with reading. So, I publicly declare – I will concentrate on reading NO MORE THAN ONE BOOK A WEEK, unless I am on vacation. I am going to be more thoughtful in my choices of books. I have to admit, in looking back at what I read in October on GoodReads, some of the books have already faded from my memory. So – here goes.

THE GRASS HARP- by Truman Capote. This is a delightful novella. I am currently on a quest to read at least one book by an author from every state in the union. This book is my first selection for the state of Alabama – okay – I know Truman Capote was born in New Orleans, but he lived in Alabama for years and his best friend was Harper Lee. I will write more about this book when I blog about my quest. (You can read where I declared my quest HERE).

SYCAMORE ROW by John Grisham. This book takes place three years after his first novel A Time To Kill, with Jake Brigance back. This follows the trial after Seth Hubbard, dying of lung cancer, kills himself and leaves a handwritten will giving his fortune to his black maid of three years. Of course, his family contests the will. I think Grisham is in better form in a courtroom drama, so I’m very glad to see him back! He makes it fairly clear that he will return to this character in the future. The only drawback to the book, it is a little wordy.

A COLD DAY FOR MURDER by Dana Stabenow. This is the first in a series by Kate Shugak, who left the Anchorage D.A.’s office and returned to her home in North Alaska. I found this book while researchingAlaskan writers for my previously mentioned quest – so I will write more later. It was a fun and quick read, but it gets a little bogged down explaining Alaskan culture. (PS, it is free on Kindle right now)

A CRUISE TO DIE FOR by Aaron and Charlotte Elkins. This is the 2nd book in the Alix London series. Alix is trying to make her way in the artworld as an art restorer and consultant. Trouble is her father is a convicted forger himself. In this book, she gets a job as an art expert on a cruise in the Greek Islands by one of the richest men in the world. Her job is to give lectures and answer questions from prospective buyers of world class art. However, she is working for the FBI’s Art Bureau, trying to expose an art forgery scheme. This was a fun little read, not too heavy, but it does have a little art history thrown in!

WHAT THE DOG ATE by Jackie Bouchard. The first sentence is very promising:

“The vet handed Maggie Baxter a plastic specimen bag containing a pair of size tiny, lavender thong panties extracted from her dog, but they were not hers. Or rather, they were hers now since she’d just paid $734 to have Dr. Carter surgically remove them from Kona’s guts.”

This is a cute book about Maggie trying to get her life back on track after her husband leave her. Starting out as a workaholic, she is trying to balance her life and find her dream job. Along the way her brother moves in, he leaves, she hangs out with his best friend, she meets a new best friend in a yoga class, all the time trying to figure out what direction she should take her life in. As I said, it is cute, but it is also pretty predictable!

REUNION WITH DEATH by Sheila Connally. Laura joins a group of her college classmates from 40 years ago on a trip to Italy. When a professor from the school is killed by a fall down a hill everyone thinks it’s an accident. But, of course, Laura things there is more to it than an accident. I liked the fact that the women were older, and while it is billed as a “mystery”, a large part of it is a travelogue of Northern Italy. While I enjoyed it, it was an extremely light read and I knew who the murderer was early on.

PLAY DEAD by Leslie O’Kane. This is the first in a new series about Ally Babcock, an animal therapist in Boulder that, of course, solves crimes. Cute but very predictable.

So – no more downloading books just to have something to read! I’m going to plan what I’m going to read and take it slowly.

Any recommendations for good winter reading?

LET’S SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT FOR ARTEMISIA GENTILESCHI

Artemesia Gentileschi (1593 – 1652/53)

This is my 7th installment in my weekly Women in Art series.

Why do we need to set the record straight? Artemesia fell into obscurity after her death, even though she was one of the first female artists to paint more than the traditional portraits – she actually painted major historical and religious scenarios. The Medici family collected her work. Michelangelo Buonnarti the Younger (the more famous Michelangelo’s nephew) helped her start her career in Florence. She was friends with Galileo. But, after her death, many of her paintings were thought to have been done by her father, Orazio Gentleschi, from whom she received early training.

Her technical abilities were beyond reproach. The following painting was done when she was but 16 or 17 years of age.

Madonna and Child 1609

When she was not allowed to study in the art academies of the time her father arranged for a friend of his, Agostino Tassi, to teach her. In 1612 her father brought charges of rape against Tassi that resulted in a seven month trial. During the trial it was found that Tazzi planned on murdering his wife, planned to steal some of Orazio’s painting and was having sex with his sister-in-law. Can you believe that? He was sentenced to either a year in prison or banishment – neither of which was carried out.

After the trial, Artemisia’s father married her off and she moved to Florence. In Florence, she was the first woman accepted into the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno.

Susanna and the Elders 1610

This is a painting that was attributed to her father for awhile – but it is the first known signed painting by Artemisia. The story is of a virtuous Susanna being sexually harrassed by the elders in the community. Most male painters approached this with a flirtatious and coy Susanna. But, you can see Artemisia shows her scared, upset and vulnerable. Was she our first feminist painter?

Judith Slaying Holofernes 1612-1613

This painting was possibly inspired by an earlier painting by Caravaggio. But Artemisia’s depiction is must more bloodier and graphic. (see Caravaggio’s below – not nearly as bloody)

Caravaggio’s Judith Slaying Holofernes 1598

To read the story of Judith Slaying Holofernes – click here

Judith and her Maidservant 1613-14

This is a scene after Holofernes is beheaded and they are attempting escape. One interesting thing that is very hard to see online – Judith has an ornament in her hair that is a picture of a man with a lance – was it possibly David, who decapitated Goliath? Scholars believe it is a homage to Michelangelo’s statue of David.

This is considered a self-portrait. In fact, alot of her paintings were self-portraits.

There is must more to know about her life – she even joined her father in London in 1638 into the court of Charles I.

For more information about her life – here are some more references:

The Passion of Artemisia by Susan Vreeland

Artemisia – movie from 1997

DIANE ARBUS – WOMEN IN ART WEDNESDAYS

This is my inaugural blog of a new series. On the 4th of July, I posted images from American Women Artists (you can see it here). In researching this little blog, I found there just isn’t much information about women artists. So, I decided to go through the alphabet, letter at a time, posting something about the life and work of a different female artist on Wednesdays! I’m not going to critique them, just share their story!

I’m beginning with DIANE ARBUS!

Born Diane Nemerov in 1923 – her name is pronounced Dee-Ann.

Her family ran Russek’s Department Store on Fifth Avenue in New York.

the building today

When her father, David Nemerov, retired, he pursued a career in painting.

Her younger sister, Renee Sparkia Brown, was a sculptor and designer. (Her first husband, Roy Sparkia,created the Empire State Building illuminated panels depicting the 7 wonders of the world, with the 8th wonder – the Empire State Building. These 5’ x 7’ crystal resin and stained glass panels were installed in the lobby in 1963.)

Her brother, Howard Nemerov, was a Pulitzer Prize winning poet and the United State Poet Laureate in 1988.

Obviously, this was a creative family. Diane studied panting in high school. At age 14 she fell in love with Allan Arbus (19 at the time). She lost interest in painting and said her only ambition was to be David’s wife.

“I hated painting and I quit right after high school because I was continually told how terrific I was. I had the sense that if I was so terrific at it, it wasn’t worth doing.”

They married when she was 18 and together pursued a career in photography, turning their bathroom in Manhatten into a part-time darkroom. Her father gave them work shooting fashion for Russek’s.

Allan was a military photographer in WWII. After the war, their photography business took off, shooting for magazines like Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. It is said Allan shot the photographs and Diane came up with clever ideas and props.

But Diane wanted to be an artist, not a stylist. Allan wanted to be an actor, not a photographer. During this time, Diane suffered from several depressive episodes. They had two daughters, Doon (who later published two books with Richard Avendon) and Amy, who became a photographer.

Diane’s turning point came by taking a class at the NewSchool in New York with Lisette Model.

“I always thought of photography as a naughty thing to do – that was one of my favorite tings about it, and when I first did it, I felt very perverse.”

She began taking photographs of the seamier side of New York.

1959, the Arbuses separated. Also that year, Diane had her first magazine assignment for Esquire – that included photographs of a sideshow performer Jungle Creep.

In 1962 she changed to a 2 1/4 format camera, and her pictures became sharper and more detailed. She said she wanted “to see the difference between flesh and material, the densities of different kinds of things: air and water and shiny.”

She was known for having intense relationships with her subjects. In fact, she spent 10 years with Eddie Carmel, whom she called the Jewish giant, before she captured the photograph she had been looking for! Some of the circus performers she photographed appeared in her images for 10 years!

The Jewish Giant at Home with His Parents, Bronx 1970 ©Diane Arbus estate

The art-world began to see Arbus’ pictures as more than journalism. In 1967, 32 of her photographs were chosen by MOMA for an exhibition.

A Young Man in Curlers at Home on West 20th St. NYC 1967

“I remember going to New Documents (the show at MOMA) when I was in college and seeing a man spit at her work. People hadn’t seen an unambiguous picture of a man in curlers with long fingernails smoking a cigarette, and at the time it seem confrontational. Now, at this distance in time, it seem elegiac and empathetic rather than threatening” Sandra Phillips, SFMOM’a Photographic historian

With her growing fame, people became a little wary of being photographed by someone that had been dubbed “the wizard of odds”. At this time, Allan, who she remained close to, moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting full time. Do you know his most famous role?

Allan and Diane

Allan as Dr. Sidney Freedman

Yes, he played the psychiatrist on MASH!

To make money, Diane had a plan to sell limited editions of 10 of her photographs in a clear box that doubled as a frame, for $1,000 per set. Very ahead of its time, only four sets were sold, but one set was sold to the artist Jasper Johns and two sets to photographer Richard Avendon! (one set recently sold for $553,000).

In 1971 she was chosen to represent the United States in the 1972 Venice Biennale – the FIRST American photorapher to be so honored.

Unfortunately, in 1971 she was ovewhelmed by what she called “the blues”. On July 26, she took barbituates and slit her writes and was found in her West Village apartment two days later.

Identical Twins Rosell NJ 1967

Circus Performer

Some of my favorite quotes:

“Love involves a peculiar unfathomable combination of understanding and misunderstanding.”

“A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you the less you know.”

“The world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation. The hand is the cutting edge of the mind.”

What do you think of Diane Arbus and her photographs?

What female artists beginning with the letter “A” would you have included? I ask because I think I will continue this project for awhile!

A NEW DIRECTION – June Reading

Yes, I am addicted to reading. But this month I read less. I made myself a challenge to read 40 books this year, and at the end of June I have completed 34. My goal for the remainder of the year is to read no more than one book a week, which is no easy task for me. Here are the books I read:

EVERYTHING THAT REMAINS by Joshua Fields Milburn – Lately I have been thinking about moving into the next phase of my life – which is giving up the day job and do what I want to do. So this book was perfect for me. This is the story of two almost 30 year olds making a six figure income and realizing how empty their lives are. They start The Minimalist movement, which is getting traction in many different forms these days. Basically, it is pairing down your THINGS, basically asking the question “How might your life be better if you owned fewer material possessions?” After reading this, I cleaned out my closet and donated seven bags of clothes to charity. I have donated 4 boxes of books. And, I’m just beginning. I just don’t need all these THINGS anymore. I believe this book laid it out for me, something that has been brewing in my brain for a while. I didn’t want to just de-clutter, I wanted to go a step further and simplify! And appreciate what I purchase more. I have adopted the one in – one out philosophy too.

MR. PENUMBRA’S 24-HOUR BOOKSTORE by Robin Sloan – how would you not be drawn to a book about a 24-hour bookstore, especially one located in San Francisco. Trust me – it is a place you want to go, but you might not want to leave. It deals with breaking codes of more than 500 years, using computers, and even visits to the Google campus. It was actually named Best Book of the Year by NPR (I don’t know what year though). You have to like books, fantasy and have an imagination – but if you do – you won’t be disappointed.

LIFE AND DEATH ON THE TAMIAMI TRAIL by Sheila Marie Palmer – this was my one guilt pleasure, my only free download of the month. I was drawn to it because I have spent time on the Tamiami Trail. Solving a murder that is 20 years old involves gypsies and a little majic. It wasn’t great, but it was fun!

AN ARTIST OF THE FLOATING WORLD by Kazuo Ishiguro – a very lyrical and meditative book about an artist living in post war Japan. The “floating world” refers to shifts in patterns. The artist, Ono, is retired. The novel shifts around in time and gives you bits and pieces of what has happened. It explores the social attitudes of post war Japan, and Ono’s strident believe in an imperial Japan during the war. Delicate is a word I use to describe the writing. By the way, this author wrote Remains of the Day later.

SHOW YOUR WORK – by Austin Kleon – this is a little gem of a book, easily read in a couple of hours, but one to go back to. There wasn’t that much earth shattering in it to me, it was just refreshing to see someone writing about things I have believed for awhile. Yes, it is fun to show your work all over social media, but it is tedious if that is all you are doing. As I’ve said before, the word “reciprocity” is very important and he illustrates this time and time again.

So, as you can see, it was less books than usual! But, I did paint more, and I did spend time cleaning out some of the excesses of my physical world. In that spirt, I have decided over the next month to read the books I have on hand. I have plenty of them. Some of them are classics, some are art-related – but these are a few stacks of them I’m going to start cleaning out.

Last point – video to recommend – Tim’s Vermeer directed by Teller – a documentary eight years in the making directed by Teller (of Penn and Teller) about an inventory that tries to discover how Vermeer managed to paint so photo-realistically in the 17th century. David Hockney and Martin Mull make appearances. He travels to Delft, Yorkshire, and even Buckingham Palace to see a Vermeer.

Have you seen any documentaries lately?

MAY READING

This was NOT a stellar month for reading. I bought some books at the Dollar Store – and didn’t stop there – I downloaded free books too. So, I feel as if I got sucked into some kind of a void and was reading just to do something. So, I vow in June, I am going to read things that will make me think, teach me, and inspire me. Here are the books I read in May (and if I wasn’t keeping track of them on Book Reads, I might not have remembered them!

SLEEP TIGHT by Rachel Abbott: This is a page turner, about a woman that is missing along with her children. However, the investigator recognizes the name of the missing women from prior investigations. This is written by an English author and contained a fair amount of British slang that took some getting used to. There are a few twists and turns that I didn’t anticipate, but it was just okay. It was worth the price, a free download, complete with a few typos!

ONE LAST GREAT WICKEDNESS by David Stansfield: I read this while on an art retreat, no internet and no television. So – I stayed up reading this until 2A! At times I found the book very good, at times I felt it was contrived. The main character’s father committed suicide when he was thirteen. Now finding family letters, he begins investigating his family’s past, and learns things he never suspected. In fact, he discovers an almost parallel universe. The ending was surprising, but somewhat oontrived.

LONG GONE by Alafair Burke It started out promising with Alice Humphrey landing a dream job in a gallery in New York. She is the daughter of a privileged family, she has a chance encounter with Drew Campbell. Campbell claims to represent a wealthy anonymous patron of the arts who wants to open a gallery, and Campbell believes that Alice, given her background, would be the perfect person to manage it. Sounding a little too good to be true, she finds Drew murdered in the gallery – and Alice is the primary suspect. She begins to believe she has been set up. I read this in one sitting – it is a little improbable, with characters making somewhat silly choices. In fact, I knew she was being set up long before it dawned on her!

THE WIDOW’S DAUGHTER by Nicholas Edlin: Peter Sokol is an artist in San Diego, but he was a doctor in World War II stationed in New Zealand. The book shifts in time from WWII to California during Viet Nam. What happened in New Zealand is revealed bit by bit. This was a piece of history I was unaware of. I found it interesting!

THE FAMILY FANG by Kevin Wilson: The first two sentences hooked me – “The parents called it art. Their children called is mischief”. This is the story performance artists Caleb and Camille Fang – who are totally dedicated to their art. Their two children – known as cihild A and B (Annie and Buster) unwillingly become part of their art. To get away Annie becomes an actress, Buster an author. But, they are forced to return home. his book isn’t for everybody, but I liked it and enjoyed my time reading it. I felt like I was reading a Wes Anderson movie. In fact, the reviews on Good Reads are somewhat entertaining, they go from hating and not understanding it – to sublime! There are several good points made about that age old question “What is Art?”

Any surprising finds for you lately?

BOOKS FOR ARTISTS

I am given a prompt every week as part of the group – The Daily Creative Practice. This weeks prompt basically is “how has reading informed your art form(s)? (see the end of the blog for the entire prompt).

Now, I admittedly am a book junkie. The only time I do not have a book to read is when I finish a book and have yet to start another. Reading is such an integral part of my life, I know the books I read influence all parts of my life, including my art. So – I thought I’d put together a list of books about art. I divided them into three categories, Reference, History, Fun reading. (note – these are not book reviews)

REFERENCE:

The Collins BIg Book of Art – this is a quick reference of art from cave art to pop art with over 1000 works of art represented.

Color, A Natural History of the Palette by Victoria Finley – Eleven chapters, each devoted to a color. The book is packed with information!

Daily Rituals: How Artists Work: by Mason Curry – 161 artists rituals are profiled, from novelists, to musicians, painters, comedians, sculptors, and scientists. From Benjamin Franklin to Toni Morrison.

Inside the Painters Studio by Joe Figg – I love to take a peek at artist’s lives – but you might get some serious studio envy!

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron – the grand-daddy of all books about creativity.

The Quotable Artist by Peggy Hadden – I keep this book close by!

The Creative Process, Use It Or Lose It by Twyla Tharpe – a book I’ve returned to over and over.

HISTORY

The Greater Journey, Americans in Paris by David McCullough – if you are familiar with David McCullough, you know his attention to detail. Covering 1930 – 1900, it deals with artists, writers, scientists and more that fell in love with Paris.

Secret Lives of Great Artists, What Your Teachers Never Told You About Master Painters and Sculptors by Elizabeth Lunday – this is just a fun look at the art world.

Originals: American Women Artists by Eleanor Munro – the book goes from Cassatt to Kiki Smith – a great reference book as women have been so often overlooked in the history of art!

The Man With the Blue Scarf, On Sitting for a Portrait by Lucien Freud by Martin Gayford – great book about the creative process.

Bad Boy, My Life On and Off The Canvas by Eric Fischl – more than just an autobiography, you get a glimpse into his view of the art world.

FUN

The Forgery of Venus by Michael Gruber – a wild ride of a book, it includes time travel, forgery, drugs and more. This was the book that got me reading book after book after book about both art forgery and art theft.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt – winner of the Pulitzer Prize – it is a work of fiction that revolved around an actual painting (that I actually saw the year prior to reading this).

The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro – okay – I admit, I have a fascination with art forgery!

Books to Read

The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson -described as Wes Anderson meets Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe – it got my attention!

An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro – A floating world refers to changing cultures in post war Japan. This is the first book by the author of The Remains of The Day

This is a fluid list, it changes as I read more and more books. In fact, 75% of these books were read this year! Yes, I left many books out. If you have some to recommend – share it with me!

Here is the entire prompt:

“How has reading informed your art form(s)?

Looking at reading as visualization, perhaps a source for learning visualization. Have particular writers inspired you to visual expression? Ever had inspiration from reading to do something visual, in writing, or other art expression, music, movement? Self-help books, facebook, online, biographies, poetry, spiritual, fiction, children’s books, magazines? How does one transfer an idea or insight gathered from one art form into another art form? I don’t mean these particular questions to be answered, but an attempt to point to examples. Or does reading have no part at all in your art expression? Or sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn’t.”

Vickie Martin

Mixed Media Art