The Artistic Life

recommended by Romas Viesulas

Living the life of an artist for many centuries centered on apprenticeships in the form of ateliers. These workshops were the vocational standard for artists in Europe and elsewhere since at least the Middle Ages, and reached their apogee in the 19th century. Juliette Aristides has carried this tradition into the 21st century with her own writings and artistic expression. Here are five of her books for anyone seeking the live the artistic life.

  • 1

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    The Inner Life of the Artist: Conversations from the Atelier
    by Juliette Aristides

    The latest in a series of books by Juliette Aristides, ’The Inner Life of the Artist’ is a new departure. Like her other books relating to atelier practice, this is a very handsome volume, richly illustrated and expertly bound. Where earlier books deal principally with studio technique - observation, composition, execution - her most recent reads like a collection of meditations, ‘conversations from the atelier’ as she titles it. How to cultivate an artistic mindset? How do art and making art affect the mind, body and spirit? How can we tap into our inner lives so as to better communicate the things in our world that move us, in a way that will be revealing to others, and to ourselves? These are some of the philosophical musings that make this book an essential reference in the library of every student of art and beauty.

  • 2

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    Classical Drawing Atelier: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Studio Practice
    by Juliette Aristides

    "Drawing is highly effective in helping us slow down and see things in a new way. The minute you pick up a pencil and try to depict something, everything halts. You find yourself marvelling at small details and realising that you may never have looked at anything this closely before. Learning to draw is often called learning to see, because it’s our eye that is sharpened before our hand. Observational drawing and painting can turn the most uneventful life into a place of breath-taking significance and beauty." - Juliette Aristides

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    Classical Painting Atelier: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Studio Practice
    by Juliette Aristides

    To progress from sketching and drawing to working in paint can be an intimidating step. For anyone interested in making this painterly passage, 'Classical Painting Atelier' presents not only a step-by-step guide to adopting an atelier approach, but also serves as a reference book full of inspiring entries featuring the work of accomplished painters in the realist tradition.

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    Beginning Drawing Atelier: An Instructional Sketchbook
    by Juliette Aristides

    Advice for anyone looking to develop their creative vision is often to carry a sketchbook, and draw every day. But draw what? And how exactly? This beautiful book acts at once as a sketchbook, an instructional manual and an inspirational pictoral reference to help anyone - accomplished artist and absolute beginner alike - make a drawing practice their daily reality.

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    Figure Drawing Atelier: An Instructional Sketchbook
    by Juliette Aristides

    The human figure is central to Western visual and artistic expression. It is also one of the most challenging subjects to convey with grace and conviction. This handsome volume is a celebration of the figurative tradition in art, replete with contemporary references by practitioners today who are at the height of their expressive powers, Juliette Aristides included. They take you along, chapter by chapter, in an exploration of techniques and approaches that will plunge you headfirst into a personal appreciation of the human form in art.

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