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So what are you reading?
by Bonnie Zahn Griffith
Don’t most artists collect art books over the years? I think most of us have a copy of Carlson’s Guide to Landscape Painting or Edgar Payne’s Composition of Outdoor Painting. And there are countless publications of beautiful images by masters of the arts that are a source of reference and study for today’s artists. A friend gifted me a copy of Douglas Snow’s Final Light. Snow is considered to be one of the most influential painters of modernist school of art and was a Utah artist. Utah has a long history of some great painters in past and in present day. Beautiful and interesting read! So what are you reading to help you grow as an artist?
I have a couple of recommendations! A book that I am about halfway through is The Art Spirit by Robert Henri (1865-1929). This is a classic work for aspiring artists or collectors filled with wisdom and technical advice about the place of art and the artist on American society. He was a teacher at the Art Students League in New York and is considered to have had a profound influence upon early 20th century painters. You can find this online and in paperback…check it out.
I’m big on establishing goals and objectives at the beginning of the year. It isn’t hard to do and if you break them down into daily, weekly and monthly segments, they are manageable and can help you stay on track with your artist life. It’s a roadmap for me. So I enjoy a good motivational read every now and then. I don’t want something dry and boring; I want to read something holds my interest, is a little entertaining and has some good content. Move Or Die is that book. It’s an easy read (or Audible listen) and is filled with great info. Written by Chris Carlisle a former coach on the Seattle Seahawks coaching staff now author and speaker, it’s worth the time to read. One more great book for your library is James Gurney’s Color and Light A Guide for the Realist Painter.
Check these books out and happy painting !
B Zahn Griffith
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