NEW BOOKS ON MY DOORSTEP

A parcel of new books arrived on my doorstep just in time for the weekend. I've been dipping into each book and am feeling rather inspired.

Art from Intuition by Dean Nimmer

"You have your own innate artistic intuition to guide you, but it's up to you to supply the passion to make things and the hunger to try out myriad possibilities in your art in order for it to succeed". - Dean Nimmer

One of the 1000 drawings by Dean Nimmer

The idea for this book first came to Nimmer while he was working on a project to create 1,000 drawings in a year. He soon realized that, before he could accomplish this goal, he would have to change several bad habits that had become ingrained in his painting process.

"Over the course of completing the drawings, I discovered that all the ideas I held sacred were in fact holding me back from real discovery and new possibilities for my art. I came to understand that in order to avoid these pitfalls, it was much better to allow my instincts and intuition to show me the way, and to stop being so self-conscious."

In his book, Nimmer shares the insights he gained through working on the 1000 drawings. You can see some of these drawings , here . There is also an Art from Intuition blog, here, where you will find a few of the exercises from the book.

African Textiles by John Gillow

This book overflows with striking photographs. I love the tooled leather apron above and the Kuba man's skirt, below.

Afrikan Alphabets by Saki Mafundikwa

Lynne Perrella recommended this amazing book. There are over 20 intriguing alphabets featured.

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

Donna and Leslie have mentioned Bird by Bird so often that I thought it was about time I read it. I love the story that follows.

"Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he'd had three months to write. [It] was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother's shoulder, and said, "Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird." - Anne Lamott