Good Reads for a Frigid Winter's Night

I love to read about artists in either fiction or nonfiction, so I thought I'd share a few favorites.

In nonfiction: Sue Roe's The Private Lives of the Impressionists is a group biography of the impressionist circle. If you are a Georgia O'Keeffe fan, try this biography: In Full Bloom, by Hunter Drohojowska-Philp. Both of these are older books, so check the library or used books. Both are excellent.

In historical fiction, many of Tracy Chevalier's books include artists, such as Vermeer in Chevalier's Girl with a Pearl Earring (alternatively, watch the movie with Colin Firth).

Another historical fiction writer who often focuses her novels on artists is Susan Vreeland. Clara and Mr. Tiffany is about the unsung women artists in Tiffany's studios and is a fascinating look at stained glass design and production. The Forest Lover is about Emily Carr, from British Columbia, and one of my all-time favorite artists (I was absolutely gobsmacked when I saw a gallery full of her work). Luncheon of the Boating Party fictionalizes the events behind the famous Renoir painting.



I hope one of these books will warm up your frigid days and inspire you to paint!