Something else about my vacation

One of the people I met on vacation recently was a guy who works in publishing. A while back he was the editor for a well-known art book. Long story short: He wants me to consider writing an art-related book.He, of course, was already thinking in commercial terms: he had suggestions on what kind of book would sell.

The thing is, I've thought for a long time that writing a book is something I ultimately want to do, but I've hesitated to even start. Part of my reluctance - or maybe it's better to say "my timidity" - stems from the length of a book. I don't have any problem contemplating months and months of tedious writing and re-writing. Anyone who has seen some of my pictures should recognize that I can commit myself to a grinding, slow process of bringing something out of nothing. The problem is that I would have no idea how big the book would end up; with a picture, I know it can't exceed the dimensions of the sheet of paper I'm using. I wouldn't know whether I'd consider a book "done" at 100 pages or wake up one morning to realize I was 1,000 pages in and no end in sight.

The other concern I have is really the one that a publisher would consider an obstacle: I wouldn't care if any book I'd write was one that anyone would ever buy. After the years I've spent painting pictures that few people will ever see, let alone deem worthy of purchase, I'm conditioned to making stuff that suits my needs. I can't paint honestly if I have to worry about there being a market for my pictures. The same would have to be true of anything I would write.

I paint pictures that either make me happy or satisfy me on some level, but often I make the pictures just for the learning experience. I'm finally getting to the point where I have confidence in how I handle paint and how I can take a blank sheet of paper and produce a picture that I'll find rewarding, and the great thing about it is that I don't have to ask anyone how to improve what I do because I really don't care if anyone has suggestions for how I can make better pictures. How could I possibly alter course and let an editor tell me what needs to be changed in something I'd write? I truly have no idea.

So, for now, the publishing guy and the idea of writing a book remain on a back burner.

But, speaking of art books, if you've never read Matthew Collings' book This is Modern Art, I highly recommend it. It's hugely entertaining, hilarious at times, and really uniquely enjoyable. Trust me, there are no tiresome disquisitions in the book. Apparently it was written as a companion for a BBC series on art that aired a few years back. I haven't read any of Collings' other books, but I've seen his paintings and I've watched one of his documentaries, and I'll look forward to reading more of his work in the future.