Mourning Diary By Roland Barthes Mourning Diary by Barthes is quite possibly the most complete portrait of grief that I have read up to this point. After my father’s death I began to read everything I could get my hands on about grief, hoping that maybe someone elses experience, their words, would give me the right words to express what I’d been feeling. I always thought that I wouldn’t find a piece that encapsulates all of the different facades of grief; the physicality, the mental and neurological aspects, and of course the emotionality, however Mourning Diary does. In the fragments of thou ..read more

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel Before delving into “Fun Home”, a beautifully illustrated and written graphic non-fiction book I was both excited and apprehensive. I have known since starting the MFA program at Regis that I wanted to add graphic elements to my own thesis. Although “Fun Home” uses a traditional comic book form, which is likely not what I will do myself it helped me to think about using graphics in non-fiction in a different way. Before “Fun Home” however, I had never read any comics and wasn’t quite sure what I was getting into. I wasn’t sure whether or not I would get much out of ..read more

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And for the full review: Book Review: Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi I’ve been eager to read ,Burnt Sugar by ,Avni Doshi since I saw the gorgeous cover revealed and it’s 2020 Booker prize standing. I didn’t know much about the book before cracking the spine but quickly learned that it was deep and lyrical with a lot of emphasis on relationships and the importance of setting, and a fair amount of gender studies sprinkled in. From the first sentence, I knew there would be a lot that author Doshi would have to deliver to the reader: “I would be lying if I said my mother’s misery has never given me p ..read more

A little bit ago, Princeton University Press sent me a copy of this gorgeous book; NATURE'S PALETTE: A COLOR REFERENCE SYSTEM FROM THE NATURAL WORLD. This is maybe one of my favorite books that one of my favorite presses has sent me. Ever since starting my MFA in 2014, I've become a little bit obsessed with color and books on color. This is by far the most gorgeous, interesting, and informative book on color that I've ever read. It's filled to the brim with beautiful antique illustrations of botanicals and plants among others. The color palettes in the book are thoughtful and well explained ..read more

I've been wanting to read The Scandinavian Guide To Happiness: Balanced Living with Fika, Lagom, Hygee, and More by Tim Rayborn (published by Whalen Book Works) since I first learned about it a few months ago. After the challenge that was all of 2020 and the rocky start to 2021, I felt like these Scandinavian ideas came into my life at just the right time. I read the whole book, cover to cover, in one sitting, with a snuggly cat on my lap (very hygee!). The book covers seven different philosophies from Scandinavian countries that, when implemented can help to create a happier and more fulfill ..read more

The desert is arguably one of my favorite landscapes to draw and paint, so being in the desert and finding that perfect view, plopping down in the sand, and just drawing, is always a treat. I've spent a fair amount of time in Moab as it's not far from my home in Colorado, and I've staked out some of the best spots for sketching/painting/drawing for anyone who want's a little plein air fun. It would be hard to not start with Arches National Park because it's a goldmine of amazing locations. But, I wanted to break these locations up a bit to give each their due. Let's start with Landscape Arch ..read more

I was SO happy when Princeton University Press reached out and asked if I wanted to review "Birdpedia: A Brief Compendium of Avian Lore" because I LOVE birds! When I first saw the cover I knew I was in for a treat (I have this beauty displayed in my art studio among other bird-y things). I read it in one sitting and along the way, noted so many interesting facts about birds and new ideas for paintings and drawings. Birdpedia is an engaging illustrated compendium of bird facts and birding lore. Featuring nearly 200 entries―on topics ranging from plumage and migration to birds in art, literatur ..read more

I have been a fan of Princeton Architectural Press for as long as I can remember. Not only do they have some of the absolute best book covers out there, but they've always published some of the most amazing design books out there. These are a few of my favorites: Posters For Change A Few Minutes of Design Typography Sketchbooks Graphic Design: The New Basics The Design Of Words The Big Leap I can now officially add Prints and their Makers by Phil Sanders to that list. I've followed Sanders for some time and have always loved not only his work, but his breadth of knowledge of printmaking and ..read more

Since I last did a round-up like this, a lot has gone on. There was an insurrection at The Capitol, the President was impeached for a second time, Anthony and I took a quick trip to Moab and Glenwood Springs, and the Coronavirus daily numbers continue to rise above 300,000 cases. New years eve felt different this year. Anthony and I sat in our AirBnB in Moab, a fresh blanket of snow covering the red rocks and Juniper bushes, eating pizza and watching True Crime shows. We were both asleep before midnight. There hadn't been much to look forward to in 2020, and the start of 2021 hasn't been a gre ..read more