Just what we need in our busy, always connected lives. This encourages you to give space to your thoughts and be mindful in the moment.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is highly recommended for any budding artist, whatever their vocation. It was not as in-depth as I was expecting and I feel the premise by Georgina Hooper was all the better for it. What Mindful Thoughts for Artists does is give the reader the scope to step back and to learn how to enjoy, appreciate, as well as reaffirm why they chose to take up their passion. There are 25 reflections on how to begin this reaffirmation such as the Inner Critic and Habit, Routine and Ritual. Each chapter is accompanied by illustrations which are simple but help to complement the messages Georgina Hooper is conveying to the reader. This is a very pleasant read.

I wanted to read this book because I am an aspiring artist and I love incorporating mindfulness with my art. I love oil and acrylic paint. I draw to become a better painter. I also love painting Icons because it is a transforming religious experience. When I saw the book “Mindful Artist” I thought it was a perfect fit for me.

In the introduction, the author says we will learn to express ourselves at the moment, without judgment. This was exactly was I was hoping to get from this book. However, I didn’t think much more was said about how to be more mindful while painting.

It starts with listing the supplies for Japanese brush painting. I already have a full set of acrylics, oils, I can pigment, and specific brushes for each medium. I decided to use my oil and acrylic paints to begin the practice before I invested in the materials.

Virginia provides many beautiful paintings in the book, some with step by step instructions. She refers to her youtube page which has numerous videos on Japanese bush painting. I highly recommend her videos. However, I didn’t notice any videos labeled specifically for mindfulness while painting.

The paintings start with simple leaves, branches, birds, grapes, flower, and then progresses to full landscapes.

I received this galley from NetGalley.

This is a mindful book for artists, offering tips and techniques for being mindful when creating art. It would make a wonderful gift for the artist in your life. The approaches felt relatively common sense but I thought they were delivered in an intelligent and interesting manner.

This book was full of insightful thinking and practical applications for achieveing/using mindfulness in art.
Although this book was not for me, I can definitely see it appealing to other artists.

Beautifully written, self-love inspiring book for artists; Mindful Thoughts for Artists is broken up into sections with titles correlating to various situations. For example, there's a section on re-affirmation. This book would make a beautiful gift for a loved one, great addition to a school library, or even a good reminder to keep around the house. Georgina Hooper filled this work with kind words and encouragement to keep artists motivated. Well worth reading!

I really appreciate what the author was trying to convey in this book, but it unfortunately read like both a history book snd scientific process the majority of the time. It was far too wordy causing me to quickly lose interest. While I found plenty of the discussions to be thought provoking, it just didn’t encourage that free flowing & mindful art that the author spoke about. I’m pretty bummed out since I was really hoping this would be beneficial to my continuing art career.

This book was a gentle reminder of the value of creativity and art, It was a quick enjoyable read. I am an artist and I am always looking for books on the value of Art. I can't say this book provided and **NEW** information but, it offered a 'reset' to stop and contemplate and view the making of Art as a process. I also enjoyed the fact that the book promotes the 'value' of looking at and understanding Art has a deeply enriching experience. The graphics were a tad juvenile but, they worked.

Thank you NetGalley and Leaping Hare Press for the opportunity to review this wonderful book.

jb
seniorbooklounge.blogspot.com

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book wasn't quite what I was expecting. The description mentions reflections, but I thought they would be more in line with inspiring imagery and poetry. Instead this book is broken into sections about inspiration, failure, growth, etc. with what are essentially short essays to support artists.

There is good advice in this book! It is thoughtfully written and the headers are helpful to understand the purpose of each section or piece. I just wish it was more skimmable or designed in a way to break up long chunks of text.

Overall it's a decent read.

This collection of twenty-five reflections provides a framework to reconnect with the beauty and love of your art. It focuses on mindfulness, of connecting with your surroundings and appreciating the beauty around. Wherever you are with your art or a specific creation process, the lessons in these reflections applies. While this book seems intentionally written for visual artists, many of the lessons translate to other art forms as well.

Overall, quite a lovely read, with some good reminders to be mindful, present, and grounded in our artistic practices. I found it inspiring, joyful, and reaffirming.

I received an advance reading copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are all my own.

This book was not what I was expecting.
From the title I was hoping for some kind of poetry or images to be inspired by.
The book gives advice to those who want to be an artist.
Nothing special that I noticed, it started to become more about meditation and having your head in the right place. To focus on yourself and to let your work speak to you.
Mostly things an artist should have felt at some point already but needed a reminder.

A few interesting entries from the table of contents...The Marvel of Mistakes; Learning to See; Painting with the Breath; Beginning & Beginning Again.  Intrigued?  For those who are looking to explore their artistic side in a present and mindful way, this title is a good resource.


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review

This is a lovely book for artists of any kind. It includes 25 wise reflections with mindfulness at the core. Chapters cover such helpful elements as The Inner Critic, The Process Not the Product, Artful Silence, and Painting with the Breath. My art is writing and I found myself growing deeply peaceful as I read, immersed in the tranquil illustrations while finding inspiration for my own creative process. Highly recommended!

Pub Date 01 Sep 2020

Thanks to the author, to Quarto Publishing Group — Leaping Hare Press, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#MindfulThoughtsforArtists #NetGalley