Art Inspiration
If you read one book about photography — this is the one. A remarkable teacher, Abell is generous and honest. Reading this is like taking a workshop with him (which I’d HIGHLY recommend). He shares the set up, the back story of the shot…
Proof that small is wonderful. A master woodcut artist. If you’re in Santa Fe, the New Mexico Museum of Art (just off the square) has some wonderful pieces in the permanent collection — and a wall of wonderfully done framed reprints in …
50+ years after its release, this still WOWS. Every color exercise brings a new concept forward. There’s an interactive app, too. Combines moving color plates, text and audio for a full surround-sound experience. This book is a gem!
A wonderful reminder — and nudge — to get out of your own way and make art. I love this book. You can read a few pages. Forget about it. And read them again as a reminder of doing what you love is a rare, wonderful thing.
The first in a four volume Sam Abell library — can’t wait for the next installment.
A must read if you love photography — and the life of capturing images.
A San Francisco institution of great art and great printmakers. Wonderful!
A reminder to pick your head up, stop checking your phone and observe the tiny, funny, everyday moments. A great annual read from an all-time favorite photographer.
Pick it up, turn to any page — and enjoy. Great offering in the “vitamin” series. Reminds you of the raw talent “drawers” have. No hiding behind the lens or lots of paint.
Some of Diebenkorn’s drawings were included in the De Young Museum show in SF a few years ago. What a treat! This book has more (of course).
A favorite – this edition is a great compendium of Walker’s wonderful images.
An all-time favorite book featuring the face of America from small towns to cities. Day and night. Years ago SFMOMA featured a Robert Frank exhibition with many of these photos, plus his the letters he wrote to friends and to get grants….
I could look at Maynard Dixon paintings all day — and night.
Learn what Goethe saw in the 1800s – and live it all over again. Color by color. Whether you’re an artist or an admirer of the arts, this is a classic.
Amazing. The ideas and the execution of each installation is fantastic. Makes you look at stones, branches and cracks in the earth with a new, admiring eye.
I listened to the audiobook–a bit strange when the book features a visual artist. But it was a perfect way to learn about Lange while working away in my studio. Part history lesson, part chronicle of one remarkable woman’s life as a pho…
There’s a bit of a cult following on this one.
Gorgeous images of Olympic athletes from one of the photography world’s greats. Moody, monumental portraits.
One of my favorites — for the photographs, for the stories, for the inspiration.
An AMAZING story by a gifted — but until recently, undiscovered — photographer. Street photography is the best way to capture “slice of life” ordinary moments of humor, humility and everything in between. Check out the documentary on M…
I’ll take the warm ochres and burnt sienna over the Southern California / Ocean Park palette. A wonderful collection of Diebenkorn’s paintings from his time in New Mexico. Heaven!
What one artist can do with gauche, paper and scissors — it’s extraordinary. The MOMA’s exhibit (runs through early 2015) is amazing. The scale of some of the pieces (and rich colors) is challenging in print. This collection is one I lo…
Wonderful. Read it in the dead of winter when you want the warmth of Dixon’s western palette by your side.
