Recommended Art Books

Hi there, everyone. I wanted to stop by with a quick post about my favorite art books, most of them by textile artists. Turns out, over the past five years or so, I’ve accumulated quite a few. Unlike lists where I might share what I plan to read, all of these books are recommended because I’ve read them . . . and used them. Many of these books are available as e-books through the library. I hope you enjoy looking at the list and exploring some of these artists. The list is by author, which is also the artist unless otherwise noted.

Emily Carr:
Growing Pains

Natalie Chanin of Alabama Chanin:
Embroidery
The Geometry of Hand-Sewing
Alabama Stitch Book

Marilyn Chase:
Everything She Touched: Life of Ruth Asawa

Jessie Chorley:
Journal with Thread

Rachel Davies:
Mosaics in Nature

Rakefet Hadar:
Layers of Meaning (art journaling)

Rachel Hazell:
Bound (bookbinding)

Cas Holmes:
Soulful Stitch
Textile Landscape
Embroidering Everyday

Ekta Kaul:
Kantha

Yayoi Kusama:
Infinity Net

This is my Yayoi Kusama tshirt. My dear friend Amanda (hi, Amanda) took me to see Yayoi’s exhibition in Cleveland some years ago. She is an intriguing person - lives in a hospital for her mental health - and an awe-inspiring artist. Her infinity pieces, done with mirrors and lights (often depicting pumpkins!), boggle the mind.

Anne Kelly:
Textile Folk Art
Textile Portraits
Textile Nature
Textile Travel

Denise Lach:
Calligraphy: A Book of Contemporary Inspiration

Sally Mann:
Hold Still

Judith Montano:
Free Form Embroidery

Mandy Pattullo:
Textile Collage
Textiles Transformed

Stephanie Redfern:
Stitched Textiles: Nature

Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo:
Threads of Awakening

Joshua Rivkin:
Chalk (about Cy Twombley)

Tommye Scanlin:
Marking Time with Fabric and Thread

Peter Schwenger:
Asemic: The Art of Writing

Pam Sussman:
Fabric Art Journals

Julia Voss:
Hilma af Klimt

Laura Wasilowski:
Joyful Stitching
Playful Freeform Embroidery

Claire Wellesley-Smith:
Slow Stitch
Resilient Stitch

Magazines: I also recommend Embroidery Magazine (from the UK), Piecework, and Quilting Arts.

*****

Mystics are defined as people who seek by contemplation and self-surrender to obtain unity with the Other; who believe in the spiritual apprehension of truths that are beyond the intellect. Are you a mystic like me? Here’s a mystical sort of poem I wrote recently . . .

Pendulum

Pendulums swing from

Edge to edge,

Naturally winding

Down

Until motionless.

Life is like that,

Unwinding bit by bit,

Motion to memories.

*****

Until next time, may we all at least glimpse the peace we so strongly desire.