The Daily Book of Art: 365 readings that teach, inspire & entertain [Hardcover]

Colin Gilbert (Author), Dylan Gilbert (Author), Elizabeth T Gilbert (Author), Gabriel Guzman (Author), Rebecca J Razo (Author), Sharon Robinson (Author), Amy Runyen (Author), David Schmidt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2009

In today's fast-paced world, creative people are as eager as ever to pursue their artistic passions, but many of them simply don't have enough time. Catering to this modern dilemma, we've concocted the perfect remedy for over-burdened artists. The Daily Book of Art includes a year's worth of brief daily readings and lessons about the visual arts that entertain as they inform. Ten exciting categories of discussion rotate throughout the course of a year, giving readers a well-rounded experience in the art world. From color psychology and aesthetic philosophy to the proverbial argument over whether elephants really can paint, art-starved readers will encounter a broad range of inspiring subjects. The book also features a ribbon bookmark so readers can keep their place throughout the year. The ten categories of discussion include Art 101, Philosophy of Art, Art Through the Ages, Profiles in Art, A Picture’s Worth 200 Words, Art from the Inside Out, Art Around the World, Artistic Oddities, Unexpected Art Forms, and Step-by-Step Exercises.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Colin Gilbert of Laguna Niguel, California, is a freelance writer and photographer with a degree in philosophy; Dylan Gilbert is a freelance writer, musician, and art aficionado. He lives in Los Angeles, California; Elizabeth T. Gilbert, of Laguna Niguel, California, is a writer, editor, and in-house artist for Walter Foster Publishing; Gabriel Guzman of Montreal, Canada, is a martial artist and computer programmer with a penchant for art in everyday life; Rebecca J. Razo is a writer, editor, and poet with a degree in English and a background in 20th-century British literature; Amy Runyen of Los Angeles, California, is an art instructor with a master’s degree in fine art. Sharon B. Robinson, of Long Beach, California, is a freelance writer and independent curator who works in the Curatorial Department at the Orange County Museum of Art. She has a master’s degree in art history; David J. Schmidt of San Diego, California, is a freelance journalist, translator, and extensive traveler with an insatiable thirst for art and culture.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 376 pages
• Publisher: Walter Foster (October 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600581315
• ISBN-13: 978-1600581311
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #121,713 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, January 3, 2010

By 

Susan Bleiweiss "Sue b" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Daily Book of Art: 365 readings that teach, inspire & entertain (Hardcover)

Wanting to broaden my knowledge of not only history of art but the subject in general I went in search of Art books and I came across this book. I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, it's a rather small book so I figured there couldn't be much in depth coverage of anything since the subjects are limited to just a single page but there's actually quite a bit of information in here.

Each page of this book contains a writing that falls into one of the following categories:
Art 101 with Elizabeth T Gilbert
Philosophy of Art with Colin Gilbert
Art Through the Ages with Amy Runyen
Profiles in ARt with Rebecca J. Razo
A pictures worth 200 words with Dylan Gilbert
Art From the inside out with Sharon Robinson
Art Around the World with Sharon Robinson
Unexpected Art Forms with David J Schmidt
Artistic Oddities with Gabriel Guzman
Step by Step Exercises

Of course with such a small amount of space for each subject there's no in depth coverage or discussion of any of the subjects. However, you get some nice highlights and entertaining discussions that will make you stop and think and may inspire you to go in search of other resources for more information. At the very least some of these writings will prompt some lively discussion. You'll also get a chance to flex your artistic skills in the form of drawing and sketching using the Step by Step exercises that appear at each 10 day interval in the book.

Sprinkled throughout the book you'll find Questions to Ponder, Fun Facts and Try This boxes along with some beautiful photographs and illustrations. This is a really well done book that is a must have for anyone wanting to get acquainted with or broaden their overall knowledge of the art world.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very informative art book, February 17, 2010

By 

calid "calid" (california) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Daily Book of Art: 365 readings that teach, inspire & entertain (Hardcover)

What a great book! Each page offers interesting information regarding art, whether it be about artists, museums, techniques or even interactive exercises in drawing. I'm not through reading it yet, but what I have read is really interesting. I have learned so many things, I feel like I have taken an expensive college class without the high cost. I'd like to see more subjects included in other Daily Books (hopefully this will be a series...hint hint publisher), such as music (which I would love to learn more about also) and religions of the world. I bet there are 365 different religions that we could learn about. It's nice to see a collaboration of numerous writers/artists in one book, it gives you so many different perspectives. Anyway, enjoyed THIS book a lot and am looking forward to other books along this line.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Daily Art Book, September 29, 2009

By 

Janet Fecke (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Daily Book of Art: 365 readings that teach, inspire & entertain (Hardcover)

Excellent book , well written , beautiful illustrations, fun facts, I ordered another for a Christmas gift within
hours of receiving my copy ! Contains short snippets about a wide variety art, could be used as a springboard for discussions. Also contains some instructions for attempting your own drawings.