Over the weekend, I made a trip to my local library, in search of some new reading material. I find it incredibly relaxing to wander among the shelves, browsing the spines until something jumps out at me. On a recent trip, I discovered a biography on Charlotte Bronte, a favorite of mine, and the Lucy Worsley on Jane Austen I’ve been meaning to pick up for ages.
My most recent library excursion had me on the hunt for art books. I find doing art helps me transition from my very technical 9 to 5 to a more creative mindset so I can focus more effectively on writing. It’s also a good way to manage stress, process feelings. The benefits of doing art go on and on.
But getting back to books, I picked up a nice collection of wonderful art books to explore new skills in painting on glass and working with encaustics. I’m also wanting to get started in pastels so I found a couple of books on that as well.
For more focused reading, I added The Complete Works of Virginia Woolf to my reading list. In all my reading of classic literature, I have yet to read anything by Ms Woolf. I’m looking forward to getting to know her work better this week.
What books are on your list this week? I hope you’ll add your suggestions in the comments.
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This is the complete body of work of Virginia Woolf, including essays, short stories, novels, writing journals. It’s an impressively lengthy volume. I’m looking forward to working my way through it, a little at a time.
Encaustic art is a medium that involves painting with melted wax. I first discovered it at an art fair, where I had the chance to speak with an artist who specializes in it. With the use of heat, it’s possible to create smooth, blended colors. Brushing melted wax onto a piece creates layers and texture. It’s also possible to embed paper and photographs into the wax, creating mixed media work.
I’ve done a number of pieces in this medium, including vases, coffee mugs, even an old window. It’s always nice to learn new techniques and find new ideas.
I bought a set of pastels ages ago and have done nothing with them. I’m looking forward to getting started with them soon!
This is also a new medium to me, one I was introduced to by my dear friend and artist, Maggie Boraz. She works in a variety of mediums and created the cover art for my debut novel, The House on Maple Street. Visit her online gallery at maggieboraz.com.
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If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you know I read about a book a week. I read a wide range of genres, traditionally published books, indie books. From novels to novellas, I’ll read just about anything. Which means people are always asking me for recommendations. But the question I find hard to answer…
“Summertime and the living is easy” Trying to figure out your summer reading list for time spent by the pool? I’ve put together a list of 10 of my favorite reads to help get you started. These are in no particular order and all come from my Ultimate Reading List. Need more suggestions? New subscribers…
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As a thank you for registering for our email list, you’ll receive free printable reading journal templates and a bonus 100 book reading list! Members of the email list also receive an exclusive discount code for my Etsy store: MapleStreetStudioHRS.
