An Artist’s Bookshelf Review. Sean Scully.

Bookshelf.

I’ve had a long love of books, and some of my most prized books are art books. This is a review of books from my collection that can be found on shelves in my studio. I will provide links when possible.

Sean Scully.

Thames & Hudson have published several books about the work of the Irish-American painter Sean Scully.

Sean Scully by David Carrier is a fine introduction to the work of this great painter. It has 200 illustrations, 190 are in colour, and covers all aspects of his career, from his earliest work, to his work as a printmaker and photographer. Sean Scully is an abstract painter who takes his inspiration from the world around him. There is an interesting section of his photographs of the fronts of buildings, showing doors, windows, and shadows on pages 162-163, called Atlas Walls.

Atlas Wall.

In these photos I can see his inspiration for much of his recent work. Scully is an artist whose work gets better with age. His painting is much looser, and his use of colour is subtle and lush.

“This book is the first fully illustrated monograph to present an account of the artist’s life and career to date, from his childhood in 1950s London, via New York and Barcelona, to the present day in Munich. Lavish reproductions of his major works illustrate the text, while photographs taken by Scully on his travels show some of the forms that inspire them. Photographs of Scully at work in his studio demonstrate stage by stage how he creates his pictures, from blank canvas to finished work.”

Like paintings but not.

Texture.

I’ve been looking for abstract images in my surrounding environment. The artist Sean Scully is a painter who finds inspiration in this way. If you look hard enough anything can be broken down into a beautiful abstract image.

Scar.

Texture.

Curves.

Vertical.

Abstract.

Rust.

Gray.

Broken.

Grid.

A Wednesday list of ten things I like.

This is not a top ten list, but rather a totally random list of things I like. listed in alphabetical order of course, and complete with links where possible.

1) The Charlottetown Farmers Market. It is small, but a great place to buy direct from farmers and crafts people. I always run into friends and acquaintances who are always up for a chat. The kids love the smoothies and sausages. I like the perogies.

2) Crocs. Yes, I like Crocs. I’ve had a brown pair for 3 years, and they are ugly, but comfortable. I use them as slippers, and unlike any other slippers I’ve had they don’t smell!

3) DanielSmith.com. Daniel Smith Artist Supplies is located in Seattle, Washington, and has been a reliable source of art supplies for many years. They make their own great line of artist supplies that are always of the highest quality. They ship fast. Ask for a catalogue and if you ever order from them, it is amazing.

4) Just Us fair trade coffee. I’m a coffee addict, and I love a good cup, or several, of coffee in the morning. I especially like the Italian roast.

5) Lindt Dark Chocolate. We go through several bars of this stuff every week in our house. We are especially fond of the sea salt dark chocolate.

6)Netflix.ca. We signed up a few months ago and are really enjoying it. Not a lot of new releases but tons of great stuff to watch. We are enjoying revisiting old shows and movies that we haven’t seen in awhile. We have also discovered many great movies that we wouldn’t have found in movie rental stores.

7) Republic of Doyle. Finally, a great Canadian television show. A great cast with lots of chemistry, fun stories, and set in beautiful Newfoundland.

8) Sean Scully. Scully is one of my favourite painters, and one of the great colourists. His work is simply beautiful.

9) Twitter. I only just signed up for Twitter. I really didn’t see what all the fuss was about but I find myself enjoying it. It is a great tool for artists. I am following the most random selection of people possible.

10) Winsor and Newton Designer Gouache. I love using gouache. It is tricky to use at first but it has many uses and beautiful colours. I mostly use it in combination with traditional watercolours. I will finish a painting with gouache, often employing it as a drawing medium as it creates a great line. The best gouache is Winsor and Newton. It has great opacity and a beautiful mat surface. No other brand is as consistent.

Sean Scully: By David Carrier

Sean Scully is an artist whose work I have lately come to admire. Thames & Hudson have published several books on Sully’s work and I believe this one is a fine introduction to the work of this Irish- American painter. It has 200 illustrations, 190 are in colour.

“This book is the first fully illustrated monograph to present an account of the artist’s life and career to date, from his childhood in 1950s London, via New York and Barcelona, to the present day in Munich. Lavish reproductions of his major works illustrate the text, while photographs taken by Scully on his travels show some of the forms that inspire them. Photographs of Scully at work in his studio demonstrate stage by stage how he creates his pictures, from blank canvas to finished work.”