Dear Wonderful, Creative You:

Each month I focus on a theme that I think will help students solidify their creative practice in my membership, The Gathering. This month, we have been focusing on reflective practice. Reflective practice is a habit of pausing to think and write about what you are learning, and its meaning – in this case – reflecting about our art.

What does reflective practice have to do with art books? I’ll tell you by telling you about my reflective practice. My reflective practice happens at a special table, in the morning, with my breakfast and coffee. I make it feel bountiful. There are flowers, a few art materials, and inspiring books. Each morning I read, write, draw, and paint. It’s an expansive time that is part reflection, part reading, part creation. It’s a way to stir the creative pot at the start of the day. I read and look at books that remind me that I’m an artist – books that make me want to create.

I’m excited to share art books that will inspire your work – at least I think so! I’d love to know which books have bolstered your creative practice – tell me in the comments.

Just Draw Botanicals: Beautiful Botanical Art, Contemporary Artists, Modern Materials

• From soft, airy colored pencil papayas, to hyper-realistic renditions of hydrangeas and monochromatic leaves, this little book will make you want to run outdoors, grab the first botanical you can get your hands on, and draw and paint all day.

Poemcrazy: Freeing Your Life With Words

• I am a big fan of highly inspiring books that set you off on a creative tangent just a few paragraphs in, such that it takes months or years to finish reading. It’s like lingering over a delicious ice cream or a piece of chocolate cake. Poemcrazy inspires me to write more poetically, but it also inspires me to think poetically. It makes my life more rich and creative and therefore feeds my visual art as well. This kind of stirring of the pot is good for creatives of all kinds.

The Wolf’s Secret

• I happened upon this gorgeous book recently, and couldn’t put it down. I’ve kept it on my art table since and its beautiful nature-based illustrations have inspired me to take some of my observational drawings a little further into the realm of fantasy and ornamentation. I think you’ll find it equally inspiring for your work.

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Big Magic – Creative Living Beyond Fear

• This is a book I refer to frequently with my students – Elizabeth Gilbert talks about the ways in which we humans are innately creative in a way that feels essential and logical. She also shares valuable insights about the inner critic that have been helpful for me and folks in my community. This would be an excellent book to encourage your creative life and action.

The Practice: Shipping Creative Work

• This book is an ode to practice and the beauty of what happens when you embrace it. Our work is only as good as the practice and love we put into it. “The magic of creative process is that there is no magic. Start where you are. Don’t stop.”

Bound: 15 Beautiful Bookbinding Projects

• For anyone who loves to work in books and wants to make their sketchbooks, I highly recommend this book. Rachel Hazel paints an inspiring picture of her artistic life with gorgeous photos of the shore and her seaside home. Each page feels tactile, beautiful, and approachable. She makes bookbinding feel incredibly creative and possible even for those of us who hate to measure. (Though we still have to measure – sorry!)

Steal Like An Artist

This is another book to be taken in little bite -sized bits, but it’s SO full of creative wisdom. I think it’s the best advice for artists about how to learn from others WITHOUT copying. In the internet age especially, we are all inspired and influenced by each other, but it’s about putting all the different influences together through your particular hand and seeing what emerges.

A Creative Companion

I have several of SARK’s books, and for me they are all about opening the doors of possibility and giving your creative dreams a voice and a path. I have the original edition of this book, and on page 43, she invites you (in her handwritten script!) to write in the book: “5 wonderful things that could happen if you let your dream come true.” Here’s some of what I wrote over 20 years ago:

“Get known as an artist.”

“Speak to audiences about creative process and art and healing.”

“Do workshops.”

“Go on splendid vacations.” (I just taught art in France this past September!)

It’s going well, SARK! Thanks so much for helping me to dare to dream! This is one of the books that helped send me off to art therapy school, and eventually, through a very circuitous route, brought me to where I am today. I still refer to it periodically as you can see.

Tell Us Which Books Are On Your Art Table in the Comments!

I would love to hear which art books have been elemental for you and your practice. Tell us about it in the comments.

Creatively Yours,

Amy

P.S.

Click here to see all the books I recommend on Bookshop.org

Click here to see all the books I recommend on Amazon.com

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Dear Wonderful, Creative You:

Each year I compile a list of books that have been important to me and my creative life during the year. I hope you find a few that speak to you, and that you comment at the bottom to add your favorites to the list. This is a favorite topic of conversation in my membership, The Gathering – what is everyone reading that encourages them to be creative people and take creative action?

Drawing and Painting:

Watercolor for the Soul: Simple Painting Projects for Beginners to Calm, Soothe and Inspire – Sharone Stevens

This is one of my top favorite recommendations this year. I picked it because I know how technically good Sharone is, and because I know that her project-based way of teaching skills will appeal to many of my students. This book is full of great watercolor instruction via simple, fun projects.

Picture This: How Pictures Work – Molly Bang

I found this book by accident, and what a happy accident it was! Using a simple, well known story, Molly uses cut out shapes to explain what makes pictures work, what gives them their emotional punch, and how to take advantage of the elements of style. Her approach is hands-on and easy to understand and then apply to your art. You may find this in your local library, but you may also want to buy it so you can refer to it again and again.

Draw Yourself Calm: Draw Slow, Stress Less – Amy Maricle

It’s a little cheeky to include my own book here, but a year after publication, and after being translated into 3 other languages, I’m still getting daily comments about how much this book has helped to transform your art practice. If you haven’t already, I hope you check it out.

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Hand Bookbinding: A Manual of Instruction – Aldren A. Watson

This is an oldie and a goodie, but it’s new to me. I haven’t yet made any of the projects, but I loved the step by step illustrations. It might be worth a check out from your local library to see if you want to learn these fully bound book techniques from a book, or if you prefer some other format.

Little Book of Book Making: Timeless Techniques and Fresh Ideas for Beautiful Handmade Books – Charlotte Rivers

This adorable book is full of fun book binding ideas and inspiration from artists around the globe. There’s also a shorter instructional section on techniques like making paste paper, natural plant dyeing, and a few stitch techniques. Everyone is a different type of learner, but I would recommend this one more for the inspiration section than the instructional section.

Poetry:

Felicity – Mary Oliver

If you know me, you know that poetry is synonymous with Mary Oliver for me, so this is the latest beautiful volume I’ve read. Nature and contemplation – that’s all we need!

Nature Books:

Rooted –  Lyanda Lynn Haupt

As someone who has loved the outdoors since childhood, walking amongst the streams and mossy rocks and finding myself out in nature, I felt seen by Lyanda Lynn Haupt and her stories of childhood “frog church” and the things in nature that capture her wonder now as an adult.

Mozart’s Starling – Lyanda Lynn Haupt

I picked this up from the library knowing nothing about it and was just tickled. Haupt decides to keep a starling as a pet while researching Mozart, who kept a starling of his own. I had no idea starlings were so beautiful, smart, and had incredible songs. I hope you love this one as much as I did.

What have been your favorite books on art, creativity and nature this year? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

Creatively Yours,

Amy

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Dear Wonderful, Creative You:

Each year I compile a list of books that have been important to me and my creative life during the year. I hope you find a few that speak to you here, and that you comment at the bottom to add to the list.

Art + Drawing Books:

Life is Better When You Draw It, Koosje Koene

One of the things I find most important as a teacher is offering invitations, not directives. I want students to feel enticed, delighted, and in love with the process of making – this is exactly what I feel as I read Koene’s book on drawing. In fact, I’m having a hard time making it through, because every few pages I just have to put it down and draw. For anyone looking to develop a drawing habit, this is a must have.

Draw Yourself Calm: Draw Slow to Stress Less, Amy Maricle

It may be a bit cheeky of me to include my own book in this year’s list of my favorites, but I made this book for you, and I want you to have it. I think you’ll love all the step by step nature-inspired patterns and the many, many invitations to make this practice your own. I hope to entice you to draw more, and look for your own patterns in nature everywhere you go.

The Unwinding, And Other Dreamings, Jackie Morris

If you want to be swept away, to be inspired, to be transported into a world a of dreams and possibility, and creative joy, then pick up this book. Jackie Morris’ attention to the details and wonder of the natural world will transport you.

Things to Look Forward To, Sophie Blackall

This is a beautifully illustrated book, which, like mine, was born out of the difficulty of the pandemic. When she felt hopeless and dark in the midst of difficulty, she decided to start listing and drawing simple things she looked forward to each day. I find Blackall’s illustrations and words gorgeous in their celebration of the joy of simple things and experiences.

Painting the Feminine, Connie Solera

Painting the Feminine is a wonderfully inviting art journal full of gorgeous imagery, and you are invited to paint ALL OVER IT. It’s an art journal full of starting places and themes centering around embracing the power of the feminine in all of us. Unfortunately for the moment it looks like pre-ordering is closed, but my guess is if you sign up for her list, you’ll know when the next round might be available.

Creativity:

The Motherhood of Art, Marissa Huber + Heather Kirtland

This is a beautiful, inspiring book made for mothers who are artists, mothers who think perhaps they could dare to make art, and mothers who haven’t dared to create, but wish they could. Real women speak to the difficulties and joys of balancing making and mothering. You’ll be inspired by their spaces and their work, and validated by their words.

Finding One’s Way with Clay, Paulus Berensohn

While I never had the opportunity to meet Paulus, I’ve been touched deeply by his work, and find so many connections between our approaches and beliefs about the creative process. While this book is about working with clay, it’s also very much a work about how to embrace the creative process, and how to create in a mindful, enriching way.

Show Your Work, Austin Kleon

Be validated. Be inspired. If you’ve read Kleon’s other books, you know his bite sized, graphically pleasing presentation will help you move your creative process forward.

The Reset Workbook, Justin Shiels

I’m excited to use this workbook as part of my end of year review. There’s great questions like what makes you feel energized, and what your body needs right now, and assistance on focusing on goals.

Creating with Natural Materials:

Outside of making a few inks and dying some papers, I have not made a lot of my own art making materials just yet. These books are great resources for the artist who would like to make more art and use less plastic.

The Organic Artist: Make Your Own Paint, Paper, Pigments, Prints, and More from Nature, Nick Neddo

Earthen Pigments: Hand-Gathering + Using Natural Colors in Art, Sandy Webster

Wild Textiles: Grown, Foraged, Found, Alice Fox.

I find everything Alice Fox does to be incredibly inspiring. This is a wish list item for me.

Nature Books:

Entangled Life, Merlin Sheldrake

Be prepared to have your mind blown about fungi intelligence and their absolute necessity in our world.

What books are your favorites from this year? What’s on your wish list? Tell us all about it in the comments.

Creatively Yours,

Amy

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Dear Wonderful, Creative You:

I’m more than pleased to tell you that my book, Draw Yourself Calm, is now available in the UK! Even more fun is that folks in the UK can purchase with a special coupon code I’ll offer at the end of the post.

I thought it would be great fun to give you a sneak peek of what’s in store for you in the book, as well as some ideas of what to do with your drawings. (Not to worry, the US, Canada, Australia, and other countries will all be here by September 6th! You can order here.)

Let’s look even more closely at some pages:

You can see how approaching the pattern multiple times helps you to find your own way with it.

If you are noticing my little inchie squares and wondering if we will be doing The Inchie Challenge this year, the answer is YES! September 6th – 16th.

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I love to use my slow drawings in my art journals. Sometimes it’s fun to just let them be the star of the show.

Lichen is a pattern I created, used for a while, and then added the straight lines into the center. I really like the blend of organic and geometric feel. These are the sorts of playful explorations I’m inviting you to try too. You can learn the pattern with the step by step photos and then try out lots of little variations of your own. This is how our art process becomes joyful.

This is a closeup from one of my art journal pages – see the little lichen drawing in that collage? Collaging is a very fun way to use your slow drawings.

While most of the patterns in the book are slow drawings, some are slow paintings, and I offer lots of ideas for adding watercolor to your work.

Outside the UK, pre-order here:

Another way I love to play with slow drawings in my artist books and art journals is with tracing paper. This is a handmade art book with the Edge, Squiggle, and Wave patterns from Draw Yourself Calm. Some of the patterns are drawn directly onto tracing paper with a white gel pen. The top watercolor card is glued on top of the tracing paper, and bottom ones are sitting under a layer of tracing paper.

Layering is one of my most favorite techniques to play with.

The beauty of slow drawing, besides the calming effect and the fact that it can help you to develop your art practice, is that if you are ready, you can do it almost anywhere. Just carry a small stack of cards or a small art journal and a drawing pen, and you can create any time.

Save 20% off Draw Yourself Calm in the UK!

Search Press, the publisher of the UK version of the book, has generously offered a coupon code for Mindful Art Studio students in the UK. My apologies, they are not able to extend the coupon to folks living outside the UK. When you purchase Draw Yourself Calm here, use code DRAWCALM20 in the promo code box to save 20% off the price of the book plus free UK postage and handling.

If you’ve already got the book, I’d love to hear from you here in the comments about your experience with Draw Yourself Calm.

To share your images, share on Instagram with: #drawyourselfcalm #createwithamym and #mindfulartstudio or on Facebook in our Mindful Art group.

Creatively Yours,

Amy

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