Art Board Books

Graham has acquired a lot of thoughtful presents over the year. If you asked him what his favorites might be, he’d probably cite the soggy corner of that sweet tasting Amazon box or the Styrofoam packing blocks that made such a satisfying squeak against his teeth. But some of MY favorite things that he’s received are books. And he’s collected quite a few great ones. While sifting through the big pile he’d recently flung off the shelf, I noticed that he owns several art-themed board books that, while perhaps are not the best written of the bunch, contain amazing works of art I am so happy his curious eyes and growing brain are already being exposed to.

Whether you have a child of your own or are searching for a gift for someone else’s kid, these books are sure to please adult reader and baby listener/looker alike:

Counting with Wayne Thiebaud is one that I have already given to a few new moms, and was so excited to find under the Christmas tree from our friends Nick & Janie. It’s chock full of pretty pastel paintings of food (one of my favorite subjects as a kid) and is written in a lovely lilting rhyme.

So Many Stars is more free-form, as it’s really more about stringing Andy Warhol’s simple illustrations together than following any sort of narrative. But it’s pretty cool that many of the images have never been published before. This one was a birthday present from his Mimi. 

Magritte’s Imagination is page after page of the Surrealists’ paintings paired with fanciful possibilities that will spark a reader's budding wonderment. Our friends Victor and Andrea sent this one from Brooklyn with love. 

Charley Harper 123s features 10 of my favorite illustrator’s graphic drawings of animals, fish, and bugs. (With a couple of vague, redundant “creatures crawling” on page 5 and then different “creatures frolicking” on page 9---but all is forgiven knowing that the book was put together after the artist’s death and that they were just working with what already existed.)  It is one of Graham's most-read/chewed on.  

Matisse Dance for Joy is a book of the artist’s bright collages set to a song of disjointed sentences calling the reader to action. It's nice! I just kind of wish it rhymed.

Something else I like to do is write the name of whomever gave the book to us inside. Then every time Graham chooses a book from his little library, he is reminded of the someone who picked it out just for him. 

- Cathleen 

Being Really American

Sometimes you fantasize that people who are really up-there and
rich and living it up have something you don't have, that their things must be better than your things because they have more money than you. But they drink the same Cokes and eat the same hot dogs and wear the same ILGWU clothes and see the same TV shows and the same movies. Rich people can't see a sillier version of Truth or Consequences, or a scarier version of The Exorcist. You can get just as revolted as they can—you can have the same nightmares. All of this is really American. 

- Andy Warhol

Photo via Twisted Sifter.

This is my absolute favorite Andy Warhol quote and I think of it often throughout my day and life.
 It instantly came to my mind when I viewed the following photo of a Ski Chalet for sale in Cananda for 15 million dollars.
In the bathroom you can see a pedestal sink, not just any pedestal sink but Kohler's Memoirs Sink. It's a very nice sink, beautiful proportions, nice clean lines. I know several people who have this sink in their home. This sink crosses economic lines.
You might be rich enough to own a $15 million dollar ski chalet or middle income and own a $300,000 home, but at the end of the day we're all washing our hands in the same pedestal sink. 

- Grace

PS- If you want to know more about Andy Warhol I highly suggest this book and this book. 

Week of the Arts Special Edition : Wise Words from Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol, one of Grace's favorite artists, said some pretty smart stuff about art in his day. But this is one of the best quotes I've read. From anyone. Ever. 

- Cathleen