.jpg)
When I study art, I like to see it in person, in a gallery or in a museum,
where I can see the actual size, the texture, and the actual colors, which
often do not reproduce well in a book. However, when I want to study
one artist in particular or see a collection of one artist's works, which
will probably not be within driving distance of my home, there is no
substitute for a book, which can also provide biographical material on the
artist, or artists, if one is studying a movement or style. In another
light, a book can provide an overall or detailed history of art, an artistic
style or period, or artist that no gallery can provide.
My art library is small and growing. I recently bought a book of
Georgia O'Keefe's works, and another on Picasso. Van Gogh has always been
one of my favorite artists and I have a few books on his works plus a
collection of the letters between Van Gogh and his brother Theo.
I have a very good book on art techniques and history called "The Artist's
Handbook". I also have "The Acrylic Artist's Bible" and "The Oil
Painter's Bible".
Most of the artistic books I have are on photography, because I started out
as a photographer back in the early nineties. Therefore most of my
books are not on the classical painters like Rembrandt or Vermeer, but on
photographers like Alfred Stieglitz, Ansel Adams, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and
Edward Weston. While I did not learn about painting techniques from
these masters, I did learn much about composition.
For now, peruse through the small selection of bookstores below.
Hopefully later I will be able to offer more choices.
Abstractions
Books
Clicking on any of the links below will take you to a
Powell's Books Art subsection--of which there are too many to list on this
single page. If you do not find the specific area of interest you
would like, please click on the Powell's logo to the left to go to their
main Art section, where you will be able to search for it.