Recent Reads

31. 1,000 Artist Journal Pages: Personal Pages and Inspirations
I'm on a roll with creative, artistic books lately, and revisited this one again. It is a collection of journal pages from various artists, and is a good source of inspiration. I loved this book the first time I read it many years ago, but this time around, found that I merely liked it. Fun, and colorful, but not what I need anymore I guess. Maybe because there is so much available on the web today. Rating: 3 stars.

32. Drawn to Nature: Through the Journals of Clare Walker Leslie
Book blurb: For journal keepers, nature lovers, birdwatchers, artists, and anyone interested in using nature as a source for self-reflection or meditation, this book will be a welcome companion and source of inspiration.

This is probably the third time I have picked up this lovely book. I'm a fan of the author and her work, and this is a collection pulled together from her journal pages - a journal page anthology if you will. A reminder to notice what is around us, and make note of it with text and sketches. Rating: 4 stars.

33. My Favorite Things
Every time I read a book by Maira Kalman, I want to invite the author over for tea and crumpets. Or maybe a glass of sherry. She sees the world in a way that most of us adults lose touch with as we drape ourselves in our serious-grownup-adult cloaks. And our lives are the sadder for it.

This picture book for adults contains paintings, photos, and wonderfully quirky text by the author. We surround ourselves with objects, but how often do we really look at them? The author does just that in "this beautiful pictorial and narrative exploration of the significance of objects in our lives, drawn from her personal artifacts, recollections, and selections from the collection of the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum." An ode to the whimsy of collections. Rating: 4 stars.