An Artist’s Bookshelf

A little corner of our home featuring some of my art books for your perusing pleasure. And yes, I ADORE gnomes!

Self-Portrait through Books, Part SIX the Last!

One more time, this is the sixth installment of my self portrait, find my earlier five posts all created in this month, July of 2018.  I’ve saved two books for the last.  Here’s the picture one more time!

Okay, I have been working my way from top to bottom and have worked my way to the last two titles, which are hanging around in the middle.  The white one, Chinese Calligraphy first.

I remember years ago going to the bookstore all excited that I had decided to learn Chinese.  I just happened to meet a Chinese friend there and told him of my plans.  He laughed at me and said, “Have fun with that, even the Chinese don’t knowChinese!”  Not letting him dampen my spirits, I purchased this book and have been glad for years that I did.  

Have I learned Chinese?  Well, technically, no.  BUT, I have learned a lot about the development of the Chinese language from pictograms to characters and have an understanding of how they have changed.  I can look at many characters and see the root of the word and why the characters are written the way they are.  I can read VERY FEW words, but can identify the language from other oriental languages and appreciate the rich heritage. The way they write their characters is a very high art in itself and it has enriched my life studying and learning the character formation and give me a deep appreciation for those masters.  What a beautiful language.

All this to give a nod to my Chinese friend, and a wink admitting he was right.  Oh, but I am glad I tried!

I saved my Bible for the last, because it is ever so much the most important one of all!!!  I’ve been using a bilingual Bible because of my constant love of learning and languages.  It’s also been fascinating because many times the Spanish is more clear in its interpretation than the English, and many times I’ve found that the words chosen in Spanish have more impact for me, and sometimes enhance the passage even more.

But the reason I saved this for last is because this is the ONE BOOK that has changed my life. It tells the story of man’s fall, the mess we’ve made of ourselves, and the fact that we are all sinners.  It tells the story of God coming to earth to become a man, Jesus, to purposefully die that our sins can be forgiven.  It tells the story of how we, as sinful people, can reach out to Jesus for forgiveness and ask him in to our lives.  It tells the story of beauty and redemption and the full, rich life possible for each one of us. 

It tells the story of my life, a mess, turned around by Jesus.  I have hope.  I have a future.  I have freedom.  I have no fear.  That is a lot to say in this dark world! The reason I put this book in the center is because it holds everything else up.  There would be nothing else for me or for anyone without the God of this book.  Thank you, Jesus, for changing MY life and filling me with hope and beauty!!

Art Book Love

Oh what a find at Good People Books in Austin! How cool is this? I know, I know, your heart isn’t going pitter patter, but mine is. :)

Bookish Self Portrait

Well, I decided to do another self portrait, this one with books.  I walked around the house for a couple days and gathered the books that have been so important to me that they have come to represent me, and this gathering is actually a pretty telling portrait.  How shall we begin? How about top to bottom?

Nature in Winter. Ahh.... all the field guides we have used over the years, beginning when I was a child feeding and identifying birds, progressing to teaching our own children about everything under the sun.  The guides are pretty much all gone now, but this one is too beautiful and special.  I love it.

Wicked Plants. Noah gave me this one for Christmas and it is a plethora of creepy, delightful information about plants that KILL and TORTURE. I have an intimate relationship and deep working interest in plants and this one is just plain fun.  

Next to that is Dragon’s Fat Cat by Dav Pilkey. Oh, Dav, how I do love thee and your quirky, colorful Dragon books! I agree with your admiration of VanGogh and your continual nods to him in your children’s books! I have read them to my own children and to scores of students over the years.

The Heart of the Artist.  This is a sweet and inspiring book.  God has given us gifts, artist friends.  So must we use them.

Good Poems by my dear friend (although he doesn’t know it) Garrison Keillor.  For ... oh, how long was he on the air with Prairie Home Companion anyway? 30 years?  I can count my listening time back to 198...4?  His shows and work have given me great laugh-out-loud joy for many years.  He also had a program that was literally maybe three minutes long where he would read and discuss one poem.  Just found this book and I’m loving it.  But although it’s new, it represents a long history, and also represents my love of both reading and writing poetry.

One more book, and then I’ll post this, or my writing will be too long and put you to sleep!  The next - How Should We Then Live? This one is deep.  I’ve read it many times over the years and glean new gems with each re-reading. It has helped me to form and solidify my philosophy on how we should view, understand, produce and discuss art, and how to live our lives in relationship to art.  It’s a really beautiful, beautiful and timeless reference.

There is a marked difference in this last picture, in fact, I forgot something extremely important to my personhood. In fact, it was so important to me that I had to add it in and redo the photo shoot the next day.  Can you see what it is? See if you can figure it out before you look at my answer UNDER it at the bottom of this article. :)

Yep.  Musica.  That sheet of music at the bottom is not a book, but represents hundreds of music books I have laying around the house holding little impromptu jam sessions when no one is looking. I have long loved and played piano, flute and piccolo in every imaginable situation. Words cannot express how music has enriched my life.

They say that music itself is a language, and I am certain of that! So, I am extremely fluent in two languages, and pretty good and downright dangerous in several others. :)

Now, I’m going to post this and continue with my ramblings in the next post!  See you!