Do you enjoy reading about painting almost as much as painting itself? I find that for me reading about painting is like listening to a chef talk about food: absolutely irresistible. So here is a list of some of my favorite Painters, on Painting:
The Fesole Club Papers, by Charles Collingworth
In The Fesole Club Papers, Charles Collingworth, secretary of the renowned Victorian aesthete and artist John Ruskin, chronicles a correspondence art club that he started. In a series of written lessons that he would mail out, he teaches students the basics of art and its fundamental ideas. Above all, his writing is just a joy to read! Here is one of my favorite selections:
"To look is something, but its spirit will not come at once; you must look long enough, with a child's forgetfulness of time.....to draw something is to caress it; all the difference between staring at a kitten and stroking it; between watching a game and playing it. That is why it is worth learning to draw."
Lessons in Classical Painting, Juliette Aristides
Juliette Aristides is a contemporary artist and master in an atelier studio setting. This book is a series of lessons on different principles of art and how to learn them. Her discussions on the color wheel and color theory are excellent.
"Painting as a Pastime," essay by Winston Churchill
"Painting is complete as a distraction. I know of nothing which, without exhausting the body, more entirely absorbs the mind." In this charming essay, Winston Churchill chronicles his love affair with painting, in the inimitable way that only he can.
Just a few titles for your new years reading pleasure! Do you have any favorite artistic writings? I would love to hear about them.
Leave a comment