Beware the wild-eyed, book-hungry artist
I can't help but indulge my wild side, even if the challenges I create for myself are a bit, well, needless. Take my habit of spontaneously swinging by the local second-hand bookstores, ransacking the art section, then giving myself the charming task of finding a spot for my new literary finds in my cozy studio. Sounds quaint right? I tell myself it is- in reality it reads more ‘feral.’
It may not be the most practical endeavor, but the joy I get from the hunt and the hunt of finding a spot for the art books I curate is simply too refreshing a wild hair to resist.
My wild hairs may seem impulsive to some, but I have bursts of clarity while I’m running my hand over the bindings- going over a mental list of artists I look for: Cassatt, Sargent, Homer, Whistler, Rubens, Pissaro, Degas, Manet, Constable, Potter. That’s right. Beatrix. Sometimes I’m lucky to find Ernest Shephard. Always hopeful, but never have I stumbled upon a Levitan.
In my last studio- a compact 8x8 foot loft that served me well, I marveled at how a very tiny shelf could fit on a very tiny wall housing my art books. I had much less books then. And much less access to them through a forest of stacked frames and canvases.
When I later relocated to a more spacious studio, arranging my fellowship of art books at eye-level became a top priority, allowing me to easily engage with their creative wisdom. Feels like I’m surrounded by family, surrounded by my heritage. Just looking at their names inspires me.
Apparently, the wild wind just had to blow earlier this week- I blacked out and found myself bringing home these four new books. Folks, I’m out of shelf space. Now the self- comforting and affirming thoughts come of “It’s good to present yourself with challenges. Healthy even. Keeps you young.”
Off I go to emboss my new-to-me books with my personalized library stamp, and tell Cezanne to scoot over and make room for Renoirs’s early years.
Keep an eye out for a sequel to this journal post. Where our heroine is seized by book-hunger and a creative frenzy. With wild-eyes, she'll acquire a Kreg jig, some wooden planks and in a flurry of saw dust will to awaken to a dazzling new bookshelf - and a charming new vacancy sign beckoning new art books near and far.
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Browse my studio library here!
I get a wild hair with books at the library book store too, where you can buy used, tattered copies of books for less than a buck each. I am often bring home classics or children’s Newberry award books, but I am always on the hunt for old cookbooks, books about animals, gardening, and art books too! It’s rare to find a good art book, but my classics collection is bursting and I haven’t spent more than $30 on the whole thing! It’s a thrill for sure.