A conglomerate of lovelies..
I came across this almost just now and decided to use it instead of what I had planned. Because.
Are you familiar with the work of Sister Corita Kent? You would love to see her art, still so relevant today. (She was big in the 60s and 70s, other scary times in the U.S.)
Back when postage was 22 cents. Remember?
This video. There are several other videos of her on YouTube.
So, before I got distracted with Corita, I had planned these lovelies from past blogs. I like to go back and find still useful/awesome/interesting things that you may or may not have seen, since my blog encompasses 17 years. (!) Always (well, almost) about art and the artists who create. My passion.
1
A book I discovered in the graphic novels section of Elliott Bay Books today. It's called Everything Is Its Own Reward by Paul Madonna. (I bought the book and still peruse through it today.)
Beautiful detailed pen and inkwash full page city illustrations, a collection of All Over Coffee strips published in book form. First page: "In hard times, beauty can seem frivolous - but take it away, and all you're left with is hard times." Strong geometrical and yet inviting architectural scenes and details on each page with a short spot-on narrative. Surprise at the back cover - a full poster size drawing of many windows and balconies of a high rise or apartment building, with descriptive annotations regarding the occupant within each dwelling. Be sure to read the Afterword. "My intent was to explore the power of text and image by reassigning their roles in nontraditional ways...I thought of All Over Coffee as a comic strip without the comic, whose main and only character was setting. I would bring forward what were generally innocuous backgrounds and give them a leading role...In place of cartoon characters, stories would be told through dialogue or snippets of stories that floated around these scenes." I checked: the book is still in print and available here, or Amazon, and other online sites. (Originally published 12/23/11)
2
Journalers and artists may remember Janice Lowry, a California artist. Janice died in 2009, way too early, but her many journals can be enjoyed by visitors to the Smithsonian. Therein sits a whole archive collection of American art expressed in journals, sketchbooks, and diaries. You can see Janice’s journals here. Other fascinating entries include a (visual) study of ducks, many to-do lists from interesting lives, "expenses in the pursuit of art," Alexander Calder's address book, and Joseph Cornell's list of items purchased at antique show. Picasso, Grant Wood, and dozens of others will entertain you. (Originally published 12/14/11.)
And, back to the present…
