eyes.2c Reviews

Lost in Paris by Betty Webb           ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Life in the artist quarters of Paris in the 1920’s. Of course all the greats are present, the artists, writers, sculptors of the time. A deftly woven story that involves the Hemingway’s and our heroine Zoe Barlow as she tries to solve the mystery of a missing manuscript, digging herself deeper into the perceived insults, the slights, and the drama surrounding those involved. When she starts to stumble across bodies, she realizes there’s more here than meets the eye. Webb’s brilliantly captured the time and mood of the heaving mass of artistic temperament and talent that was Paris then. A Poisoned Pen ARC via NetGalley.                                               Many thanks to the author and publisher.

Artists in Residence: Seventeen Artists and Their Living Spaces, from Giverny to Casa Azul by Melissa Wyse, Illustrated by Kate Lewis ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ What a great idea! Looking at various artists’ residences. I know similar books have been published but I just really did enjoy this “seeing” through a different lens. Although reading this reminded me that I’d missed visiting Monet’s Giverny  years ago due to it being closed for the season. Sigh! Something I’ve had a lingering regret about over the years. Kate Lewis is to be congratulated on her extraordinary illustrations. She brought the artists’ homes alive. Her illustrative exploration deepened the book’s aesthetic experience for us. What a wonderful way to research! And then, Melissa Wyse’s very different investigative  method over the years, of filling notebooks with descriptive prose about those residences! Only for the two to so serendipitously meet at an ‘artists in residence” enclave! Brilliant! Aspects the described homes...

Frida in America: The Creative Awakening of a Great Artist   by Celia Stahr         Frida Kahlo. I love her work, her ideas, and the colorfulness of her personality. And yes, when I've visited Mexico I've picked up some wonderful pieces of fun jewelry that represent her, kitsch or not. I enjoy wearing something that harkens to the talented and revolutionary soul Frida was in oh so many ways. This book covers the years Frida spent in the United States and how that influenced her aesthetically and politically. Celia Stahr has captured the person of Frida.  One idea that struck me was that, 'the duality of life for the Aztecs, as for Frida, was a bringing together of opposites. “Everything is all and one."' Added to this was that that "notion of duality remained rooted in the land, and it shaped Frida’s psyche," and is reflected in her work. In its unpacking, a foundational concept about Frida and her creative spirit. Adding relevant art works or ph...

The Vincent van Gogh Atlas   by  Nienke Deneka  (Author),  René van Blerk  (Author),  Teio Meedendo  (Author),  Laura Watkinson  (Translator).     This is a superb production chronicling Vincent van Gogh's life journey--his early days, the places he lived, his various starts and passions, his communications with his family, his artistic development. An in depth look at the river Vincent's life flowed along. Van Gogh's story is supported by beautifully constructed pages.  Informative maps mark a clear path the most dedicated van Gogh aficionado would love to use for a pilgrimage, if not in actuality, at the very least via the written word, 'travelling in the footsteps" of Vincent van Gogh. Excerpts from letters between Vincent and members of his family are quoted, bringing van Gogh and his family to life. The narrative is accompanied by photographs and postcards from the time. Vincent's sketches and paintings of...