Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Random thoughts


My family has been ill. Pink eye, ear infections and colds, a bit of a bad reaction to food. I think everyone is fine now. Thankfully. I just feel so sad when the little ones are so sick. They bounce back pretty well though.

I have been reading my old copy of Sarks Make Your Creative Dreams Real: A Plan for Procrastinators, Perfectionists, Busy People, and People Who Would Really Rather Sleep All Day. I have discovered I am a perfectionist with my art. The description fits me perfectly. Ughh..

I have a birthday coming and I am going to treat myself to these two books. I love books!! Taking Flight by KellyRae Roberts and Living the Creative Life by Rice Freeman-Zachary. I am very excited to get these two books. I have checked them out in the store and they are great! I also bought a watercolor block and a new palette. So there will be lots of cake ( I am not worrying about calories) and no cooking for me. I will let you all know how the day goes.
Also, along the lines of the previous post... there is summersville sketch, a new blog that artist and designer Lu Summers, of Summersville started. She is trying to stretch herself by making a small piece of mixed media art every day for a year. She has done some nice work so far.

And I know having a word for the year is so popular. I don't have one. Not yet, and maybe not at all. I do love this idea. What is your word?

6 comments:

Louise Gale said...

Hey Dana, when is it your birthday? I have both these books and i love them! I just love books and magazines(the expensive somerset ones yikes!) (not that i have a great deal of time to read them but do love to peruse and graze). I love the idea of daily painting and wish i could do that myself, how amazing it would be to follow how you evolve creatively over that period of time.

PS im beside myself as i get to meet Kelly Rae in Feb at the retreat im going to - SO EXCITED! Hope all is well with your family and wishing speedy recoveries.

Also love the new banner, that pink is gorgeous. :-)

Kate England | Marmalade Moon said...

These books look so inspiring and I hope we'll hear more about what you think of them! Interesting to hear that Louise loves them, that bodes well! :) Oh, wouldn't it be fun to make a low pressure art book club!? With a very doable schedule and blog about it?!

Anyway, I bought "The Artist's Guide" but find it hard to pick up. I admit that it's partly because it isn't very visually appealing, and when I flick through the pages it seems dry and longwinded... I know I haven't given it much of a chance, I try, but I am just not drawn to it just now. Maybe it's simply just not the right time in my life to read it just now.

Happy Birthday!

Dana Barbieri said...

Kate- Thanks so much for the birthday wishes!
I bought that book from Marisa's recommendation and I began reading it and can't seem to get through. It is alot of info to digest and you are right not visually appealing. I don't there is good info but it isn't a book that you can get excited about reading.

These two book mentioned here, I did check out in the store and they are both visually appealing and lots of inspiration. They may not be very nuts and bolts though which is what the Artist's Guide seems to me to be.

Wini said...

Hi Dana, I bought "Taking Flight" late last year. I think its a really nice book, with lovely pictures, quotes, stories & techniques. Good choice!

Kate England | Marmalade Moon said...

Dana, I got a gift certificate for Amazon for my birthday, and I'd love to buy these two books with it! But first, I wanted to check in with you, to see if now that some time has passed and you have perhaps had more time for them, do you still feel they are good?!

Kate England | Marmalade Moon said...

Hurrah, I'm so excited, I finally went ahead and ordered these two books as well as Creative Time and Space: Making Room for Making Art!