Written by Today is a day that I can wholeheartedly support in that I think reading books is one of the best things one can ever do to broaden horizons and provide a bit of entertainment on rainy days. Though I love books, I had no clue to what to sketch for this day and was rushed for time, so we ended up with a quickly sketched little stack of old books. My mind went to old books, actually, because I need to schedule an eye appointment and am dreading it. It turns out, I myself am getting a bit old and dangerously close to needing bifocals. Currently, my method of reading involves zooming a book in an out with my arms in order to get the text to come into focus properly. This is the same thing I have to do with menus at a restaurant, unless it’s one with very low lighting, in which case, I just give up entirely and ask Philippe to order for me. And my inner child still longs for the old days when books came in this form and weren’t reduced to a bunch of words on an electronic device. But, no matter what form a good story comes in, I’m always an avid fan. Even if I might require reading glasses in the near future to view it properly.
Here in America, a quarter of the population now reports that they haven’t read a book in the past year. Though this number has bounced around a bit, it’s definitely adding more and more each year to the total. In truth, the number of adults reading literature hit an all-time low in the past couple of years. It’s not particularly surprising in that we have an insane amount of options today to fill time that was previously used for reading. Passive entertainment in the form of video has taken over and the written word tends to crouch a bit in the corner wondering what to do next. But there’s really nothing that equals a written story that requires a bit of visual imagination to fill in all of the pieces. It’s this same visual imagination that I use to paint and sketch each and every day. While it’s wonderful to have everything shown to us, it’s still rather amazing to let our brains fill in the gaps. For me, I can’t imagine a world without the written word and the chance to dance with each little phrase on a page to create my own version of the story in my mind.
So, I’ll be taking a little moment tonight to dive into some of those stories that have been waiting for me. I’ve found myself easily distracted lately and not taking the time to read those books that I have on my list. To me, life is just a bit of mental exercise and like all good forms of exercise, it’s usually best when you mix things up a bit. And I’m not talking about only fiction, of course, I have a stack of watercolor books on the table that I’ve only lightly browsed so far. There are many secrets waiting within those pages that I’m excited to reveal. What strikes me most is that being a bit more well-rounded is a wonderful goal. To yes, watch those lovely videos on YouTube, but also carve out a bit of time to experience knowledge in other forms. I love all of these methods of getting information, and would never say that reading is the only path. But, I would say it’s a required path to choose along the way to become more creative and filled with inspiration. It’s often that missing ingredient after hours spent in front of a computer screen. So, I’m going to bid you farewell, and spend a few precious moments diving into a good written story while I celebrate Read A Book Day.
Join Us For The September 2018 Art Challenge!
Click Here To Learn More!
About the DoodlewashDa Vinci Paint Co.: Nickel Azo Yellow, Opus (Vivid Pink), Quinacridone Red, Terra Cotta, and Indigo. Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen with sepia ink in an A5 Hahnemühle Watercolour Book. Want to purchase a print of this doodlewash? Send me a note with a link to this post, and I’ll add it to my shop! |
 |
|
I used to have three walls of my bedroom covered floor to ceiling with books like these. Then I discovered an allergy to book molds *sigh*. So these days I must enjoy the old books through paintings like yours and fire up my Kindle when I want a good read. My routine is at least 1/2 hour of reading before going to bed so I read daily. I can’t imagine not doing so!
Excellent!! Love that habit! 😃💕I tried to do so as well, but keep falling out of it. I need to try again! And yay to your bedroom of the past… that sounds awesome!! But, I’m unfortunately with you… the old book smell in overdose makes me faint a bit. But the visual is SO inspiring!
Old books are the best subjects to paint and yours are lovely. I like all the different colors you used. Barnes and Noble is still one of my favorite stores even though books put me to sleep. I must add ….their chicolate chip frappes are wonderful and really go well with one of their books in their little cafes.
Thanks so much, June! 😃💕 hehe… and yay to Barnes and Noble! It’s Philippe and I’s favorite store as well! We haven’t eaten in the cafe yet though… Philippe usually just reads the menu for ideas. Ugh! One day I’ll lure him in there! hehe
Book person here! I finished my 70th book for the year a couple of days ago. I read about 99% of my books on my Kindle. MS has made my hands hurt, so the kindle helps!
Wow!! That’s so awesome!! 😃💕 Yay! That just makes me incredibly happy. It’s so cool to hear that people read that much! Fantastic! And yes, you put me to shame as I think I’ve only read like 25 books this year. 😊
I’ve always been a reader and a book collector. I don’t read electronic books except when traveling. Your old books have the perfect hues! Today’s holiday is a wonderful one to celebrate.
Thanks so much, Sharon! 😃💕Yeah, I have to admit that electronic for travel is a pretty awesome thing. But I still love my bookshelf!
Wonderful old books, Charlie. I love the feel and smell and weight of a book in my hands but have to admit I now read most everything on my Kindle. It’s mostly a space issue …only have room for so many books. Still…love the books I do have.
Thanks, Mary! 😃💕Yeah, I’m the same… I adore my Kindle for the convenience and don’t have room or shelves available to house all the books I read so it’s really a lifesaver! But, I keep just the books that I love most, so it’s a super special thing to have them!
a big amen to this one. Books are a treasure…for sure!
Yay to that! 😃💕 Books are the best. I can’t imagine a world without them. That said, I’m oddly using my podcast to curate posts along with all the quotes people enjoy, so I’ll be publishing a book in November. 😉
Alllright!! Awesome!
Now that’s always a good day to celebrate! I can’t believe how many deprive themselves of the joys of books. So many worlds waiting to be discovered…(K)
I totally agree, Kerfe! 😃💕A world without books would be a sad one indeed. It’s a wonderful escape!
Nice painting…True.. the video has taken over the written word..But reading a good book sitting in my balcony has its own charm…By the way I heard one of your podcasts and it sounded really nice…These days I do like audio books as it allows me to paint and draw simultaneously while listening to the story….
Thanks so much, Anita! 😃💕Yes, there’s nothing better than a good book! Love to imagine things in my mind! And thrilled you enjoyed my podcast! Thanks so much for listening! Hope I can join you in your painting with future episodes! 🙂