What I’m Reading: Intersections of Art and Loneliness in The Lonely City

Artists may experience loneliness more than anyone else. Making art is an inherently lonely endeavor. To succeed, you must spend hours alone in a studio, with just your own thoughts and frustrations. I’m well-acquainted with loneliness. Since childhood, I have never felt I fit in anywhere. I always seem to find myself among people unlike me, growing up in an affluent, conservative suburb, living abroad for … Continue reading What I’m Reading: Intersections of Art and Loneliness in The Lonely City

(Book Review) Effie: The Passionate Lives of Effie Gray, John Ruskin, and John Everett Millais

Usually, when I view Pre-Raphaelite paintings, it comes at the end of a long museum visit. My feet are aching, my head is full, and all I want is the cafe so I can sit down and gather the strength I need to continue sightseeing. There is no denying the paintings are exquisitely beautiful, but they always leave me feeling somehow untouched. It’s a little … Continue reading (Book Review) Effie: The Passionate Lives of Effie Gray, John Ruskin, and John Everett Millais

Life Lessons from the Wisest Among Us

I have been busy, busy this week. I am getting ready to get married (yes, that’s right!). We are also preparing for a long-awaited move to Germany, where Mike will be stationed for three years. But more on that in a later post. Today, I wanted to share a book I just read, 30 Lessons for Living: Tried and True Advice from the Wisest Americans. A … Continue reading Life Lessons from the Wisest Among Us

Book Review: Joan Mitchell, Lady Painter

It’s curious to me that as a realist painter I would have such love for abstract painting. If you don’t believe me, check out my art board on Pinterest. As much as I adore the magical transformation of paint into a depiction of something tangible, I also love how the sublime can be reached through abstraction in a unique way. Joan Mitchell and Helen Frankenthaler … Continue reading Book Review: Joan Mitchell, Lady Painter