Best books for adults to read. I’ve read 7 of the 23 titles on this list, and they all gave me lots to think about. Some of these books are also appropriate for children.
It might be too late to be considered for the giveaway (I don’t know for sure), but this children’s book about the Holocaust is so noteworthy that I have to share this article.
This treehouse takes it to the next level. I wonder if my husband could build me one. . .
You might know that I’m a bookaholic. So is my husband, Greg. We love books. We have many bookshelves scattered throughout the house. We have closets stuffed with books we haven’t read yet. We’ve given away hundreds of books. We have books we can’t bear to give away because we have reread them multiple times and plan to reread them again.
These are the books currently on the art book shelf in my writing/quilting room. I have more art books in the bookcase in our foyer.
I’ve pulled out five books that I especially like.
I’ve posted about first book, Samantha Dion Baker’s Draw Your Day: An inspiring guide to keeping a sketch journal, before, and you may want to check out my review.
My son Andrew gave me The Complete Book of Drawing Peopleby Barrington Barber (and two others) for Christmas one year. I especially like it because Barber breaks down the parts of the body and draws them at different angles. Barber also breaks drawings into steps so you can see how to plan and construct them. A few years ago I worked from this book for the Index-Card-a-Day challenge.
A couple of years ago I saw the sketchbook 300 Drawing Prompts by piccadillyinc.com at Target and grabbed it. It has pages with prompts and ample room to draw. I have not yet used it but I intend to start this year—it’s one of my unofficial artistic goals.
I love watercolor, and I want to get serious about it. I bought 15-Minute Watercolor Masterpieces by Anna Koliadych because I’ve seen some of her tutorials on YouTube. I’ve used some of her designs for World Watercolor Month, and I think I’ll use this book again this year. She has a section on mixing colors and watercolor techniques, and she breaks her masterpieces down to doable steps.
The final book I have read many, many times: A Walk Through the Cloisters by Bonnie Young, about the medieval branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, located in Fort Tryon Park in Manhattan. If you’ve followed ARHtistic License for any length of time, you know I’m obsessed with the Cloisters, and especially with the unicorn tapestries that are housed there. Unfortunately, this wonderful book filled with history and gorgeous photographs is out of print, but you might be lucky enough to find it in a library or used book store.
Now it’s your turn. What are some of your favorite art books? Share in the comments below.
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Every year around this time, I make some heart-themed tangles.
First up–this pattern is called Zghetti by Nancy Garcia:
Next is Allegra by Claudia Schaulin (the border of the heart) and Tubez by Ludmilla Blum (the interior):
Amore by Adele Bruno:
Persian Hearts by Neil Burley:
Cross Ur Heart by Jenna Black:
In this one, the border is Heartrope by Bunny Wright; the central design is Heart Burst by Barbara Duel Johnson, and the one that reminds me of ribbon candy is Puffle by Sandy Hunter.
And finally, the outside border of this one is Scrolled Heart and the interior pattern is Walp, both designed by Helen Williams.
These patterns were suggested by daily challenges in a Facebook group that I am a member of, Tangle All Around. For me, the most fun one to draw was Neil Burley’s Persian Hearts.
Now it’s your turn. Which of these is your favorite? Let me know in the comments. And if you’re brave, try copying it. If you need a little help, google the pattern names + zentangle or tangle, and you may be able to find directions online.
If you’d like to see my Valentangles from previous years, here they are from 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017.
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