"The Art Spirit" by Robert Henri, A Must Read for Every Artist

Back in the day, when I was studying painting and portraiture at the Art Students League on 57th Street in New York City, the book that was required reading in almost every class was “The Art Spirit” by Robert Henri. I refer to this book as, “The Art Bible” for artists. The content in this book is educational and highly inspirational for beginners, professionals, and everyone in between.

I still have my copy, pictured here and below, which I purchased back in the 70s. (Did you catch the price I paid back then? $2.50.) I lovingly read this book over and over. As you can see, it’s been so well-read that it’s falling apart and held together with rubber bands. For me, it’s like an old friend I keep saying “hello” to, or an old pair of tattered slippers that are still so comfy.

I like to underline important content in a book I’m reading. As you can see, almost every passage has been underlined. The information in this book is so deeply moving and important that whether you’ve been painting for 50 years, or 50 minutes, “The Art Spirit” will educate and inspire you to paint better, and also will teach you to better appreciate life and the beauty of nature that we're blessed with.


One other great advantage of “The Art Spirit” is that it’s not a book that must be read starting on page one and working your way through to the end. It’s the kind of book that you can pick up at any time, turn to any page, and be enthralled by what you’re reading.

I recommend “The Art Spirit” to all my students. It’s a must-read for you, the artist, or a great gift for the artist in your life!

Here’s a link to the paperback copy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4hOJn6m

Hardcover edition: https://amzn.to/3YO4ihf

Audible Audiobook edition: https://amzn.to/3YL0uO2

!Disclaimer - some links in the description are affiliate links and I may receive a commission on purchases made through these links. Thank you for supporting my content.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

3 REASONS TO USE SLANT RHYME IN YOUR POETRY

Image
S lant rhyme or half rhyme, sometimes called near rhyme or imperfect rhyme are words that come close to rhyming, but they really don’t rhyme. (Said / regret, or find / friend.)             Emily Dickinson is best known for her use of slant rhyme. They are a common characteristic of her poetry as is her unconventional punctuation.              I will admit, my original thoughts about slant rhyme were confining. I was under the impression that Dickinson (and others) used slant rhyming merely to increase the possibilities of word choice. This, in turn, would allow the poet greater flexibility and increase his/her ability to convey meaning.             In searching the internet for thoughts on the advantages of slant rhyme usage I came across a site, www.Chegg.com. In their definition of slant rhyme the author states, “Many poets use slant rhyme to introduce an element of the unexpected and prompt their readers to pay closer attention to words themselves rather than the sounds of th
Read more

JANE ISAAC: THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS

Image
Today, I'm excited to introduce fellow mystery writer and guest blogger Jane Isaac. Jane is the author of the psychological thriller, An Unfamiliar Murder . Jane lives in rural Northamptonshire , UK . She studied creative writing, and later specialist fiction with the London School of Journalism. Jane is not only a mystery writer, she is also an avid reader, a mum, a dog lover and a traveler. Recently, she has had two short stories accepted for crime anthologies, so please listen up – she knows what she’s talking about. Here is her fact-filled essay: The Devil is in the Detail No matter what genre you write, every book carries some element of research and, for crime fiction, the weight is a heavy one. There’s not only police procedure, plotlines, areas and events to study, but also people. What’s the secret formula behind the great characters in fiction? Research. Investment into creating and layering our characters gives them the depth to become ‘real’.
Read more

DO YOU KNOW THE “BIG FOUR” FEMALE DETECTIVE WRITERS FROM THE “GOLDEN AGE”?

Image
If you’re a writer of detective fiction or someone who loves a good detective mystery, then you’ll want to learn all you can about the “Big Four” female detective writers from the 20s and 30s. Their combined work has sold in the billions. Okay, let’s take the leader out of the picture since her work has sold over 4 billion copies . That still leaves millions of books sold, which means there are millions of fans, which means millions of buyers. That ain’t chump change.    1)       Number one on the list is Agatha Christie (1890 – 1976). Creator of two of the best-loved detectives, Hercule Poirot and Jane Marple. She wrote the best-selling mystery of all time and one of the best-selling books of all time, And Then There Were None , selling over 100 million copies.    2)       Dorothy L. Sayers (1893 – 1957). Creator of one of the great detectives of the “Golden Age,” Lord Peter Wimsey—sophisticated, witty and with a high social standing. Sayers was also a translator,
Read more