Twice a year our library holds a book sale. I go on the first day to get the good reads and I go on the last day for collage material when they give away the leftovers. I always score on both ends. Last October I squeaked in the door ten minutes before closing, and just started grabbing. The standout of the bunch was The Art Spirit by Robert Henri -- the cover had a groovy 60s pink and orange design and I thought it would make a nice wall item for the front room. And I soon found out that this one was fully worth judging by its cover, because I opened it during a fit of insomnia one night, and five months later I'm still reading it. It is a witty, encouraging, uplifting, centering, and substantial collection of his thoughts and lectures on art and its role in humanity. These are some of my favorite quotes from the book, though really I should have just lettered the entire thing because it was so hard to pick and choose what to record. Alas, the groovy pink and orange edition is no longer in print, but thankfully the book itself is. If you can grunt your way past the early 1900s sexist language (I gave him the middle finger more than a few times) you'll find the forgiveness worth it. It is a joy to read and it will leave you thinking about what art really means long after you close the cover.
39 comments:
Your pages of quotes just gave me an doodle-gasm! :) LOVE THIS!
love all the quotes fr this one book.. wow... this man was brilliant! hugs xo
love, love, love.
i've missed you!
I live for our library book sales! We also have them twice a year and I can spend hours sifting through books.
I will definitely be looking into this book, sounds interesting!
I cracked up when I read you gave him the finger. I have the book as well and it does have good stuff.
Gina
Every little morsel a mini masterpiece. These filled my soul………mind if i Pinterest??? Must share! Love you!!!
brilliant quotes.
Ok - gotta get this book. What a beautiful idea making the quotes into the art! I have SO many books where I've journaled quote after quote...then let the quotes sit quietly closed in the journals.
Love those book sales as well. I usually have to go with one or both of my kids which means less browsing, but the beginning and final hours are awesome times!!)
I enjoy so much by coming in here and looking your happy and beautiful art!
It makes me smile every time :)
I really liked your last post when you embraced your freedom and the unique way you have of keeping the quotes you love and expressing yourself. Brilliant!
id have to agree with Lisa's comment! too funny
i still have a color romance.
lovely as always, aimee.
I'm a new follower! So glad I found your blog! :)
http://creativechronicle.wordpress.com/
I like your description of which days you go... the last day for collage material. And thanks for the quotes to mull over this quiet Tuesday eve.
i've missed you, dear friend!
ohhhh, i remember this book in your hand & a couple of these lovely handwritten bountiful bits held in mine (one still, lucky me!)....how i love to see a collection!! (i've always loooved pretty collections, marbles & so on!).
i love them ALL...& to also highlight two that are speaking to me this morning...
"rather paint the flying spirit of the bird than its feathers"...i had a dream last night of flying & have also been enchanted by feathers the last couple years/this gives me something new & maybe even more powerfully core to be with/thank you!
also "no nation as yet is the home of art. art is an outsider, a gypsy over the face of the earth"..
loooooove from the gypsy in my flying spirit to beautiful yourrrrrrrrrs! xoxox
Oh boy .... am I glad I visited your blog today . What an inspiration ..... I am speechless.
Thank you so so much . I do love how you created all the words to something so unique.
You searched and found and read and transformed . This man will be so grateful where-ever he may be. All the way to Holland it's inspiring ...... Thanx
The Art Spirit is one of my most favorite books ever! I love that you doodled these quotes! Beautiful.
Gosh, how I love, love, LOVE your pages of quotes. Some very good ones.
@Lisa, doodle-gasm :)
I love that book too! And I love your doodle pages! I've got to go and pull it out and re-read it :-D
I loved reading all these quotes-he may be sexist but he was obviously very wise! I like the way you have grouped them al together. I will keep the book in mind!
These quotes are amazing, Aimee, especially your rendition of them. Are you going to put them in your shop?
wow. WOW! I love the quotes and I LOVE your beautiful lettering and your composition of them. The colors make me want to cry in happiness!
Amazing. And to think he started writing this almost a hundred years ago. Art and its effect on us is timeless. I especially love the quote about Art being a gypsy!
Wow, so many awesome quotes. He's quite spiritual!
Love the »score on both ends« May this be true in life as a whole!
:)
Unbelievably cool this is Aimee!! Wow! You have a real gift with this, I hope you know that :D Love the quotes and am now interested in this person :D
wonderful! your quotes are mindblowing... and the book sound great (love that you give him the finger..!)
thank you for sharing. and more so thank you for inspiring me and making me think about the meaning of art... i think this post will stay with me for a looooong while
xo
'there are mighty few people who think what they think they think" this might be my new favourite quote! as always your work is beautiful and you have inspired me to find a copy of this book for myself!
Aimee, As I read the quotes I was struck (and not for the first time) that each generation of humans discovers for themselves certain timeless truths that have been " discovered" by the generations before them.
There is an endless cycle of forgetting and remembering. Each time maybe getting a level deeper?
I think so. :0)
Xoxo
Gonna have to come back and read all of these... I'm so tired right now, and can't fully appreciate..but what I see, I LOVE!!!
Isn't it great when you find inspiring words, Thanks Aimee.
I don't think I could read it, I am not as forgiving as you are though I lauhgt at you giving him the finger while reading - go girl go! :-)
Love the pages!
Wow!! So many gems from one book! I especially love "look for the spirit line that runs through everything." I believe that just might change the way I go about my day today...
I might have to find myself a copy of this book.
Thanks for sharing it in your deliciously artsyville way, Aimee!! xo
thanks everyone! the language can be obnoxious, but he does include a lecture he made to a women's design school in the early 1900s, and he references multiple women artists in his theories, which for those days had to be revolutionary.
you always find the best quotes everywhere... and if necessary, you make up the best ones too!
Pretend you are singing and dancing a picture! Love that... and all your doodles and colours, you are just as brilliant as your doodles
I guess you really liked that book! Sounds like quite the score. I love when judging-by-the-cover is proven wrong. makes it even more like a treasure found. So MANY good quotes.
what a great find! perfect for three in the morning;)
xxx
Love it too. I've missed you too!
Oh Aimee, it's beautiful! (middle finger or no, he said some really true things!)
Howdy,
Excellent quotes - and groovy layout. Very Interesting. Well done!
Would love for you to stop by my blog when you have a moment or 2.
Peace,
LuLu
www.lulu-too-beaucoup.blogspot.com
Post a Comment