More Reportage Books on my Shelf - Part Two

More mini-reviews of books I love about visual journalism, reporter artists, sketching and more

I reorganized my bookshelves last summer. I love books but I have too many that don’t spark joy for me. So I'm donating them or selling them or giving them away. I also realized I have many books on reportage and visual journalism. Here's the second of three posts of short book reviews of those precious ones that aren’t going anywhere.

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Baghdad Journal: An Artist in Occupied Iraq
Steve Mumford 

Bagdad Journal is the outstanding culmination of four trips to war-torn Iraq by artist Steve Mumford. In the long tradition of war artists, particularly Winslow Homer's work for Harper's Illustrated Weekly, Mumford documents everyday scenes of Iraq in bold watercolors and drawings. He paints a human side of the war that can be lost in the immediacy of photographic and broadcast images. Not overtly political, Bagdad Journal presents portraits of life from all sides of the polarizing conflict.

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Something Marvelous is about to Happen
James Stevenson

Here is a collection of inventive yet strange writings and drawings from this New Yorker cartoonist.

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Lunenberg Confined
Sharon Fox Cranston 

Sharon Fox Cranston draws empathetic portraits of small (Nova Scotia port) town folk during pandemic times.

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Margrit Mondavi's Sketchbook: Reflections on Wine, Food, Art, Family, Romance and Life
Thomas Keller
Magrit Mondavi loved food and giving dinners in her lavish Napa Valley home. She made beautiful and flamboyant drawings of her dinner menus for her guests.

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New York Reawakens by Rita Sabler New York Reawakens
Rita Sabler 

Reportage artist Rita Sabler captures slice-of-life scenes of New York at a pivotal time…the end of the pandemic lockdown in the summer of 2021. In words and watercolors she shows us images of live music, cityscapes, street life, and people coming together; taking readers on a tour of many iconic locations in the Big Apple. Available at Sketcher Press.

 

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Different & the Same
Melanie Reim

Melanie Reim draws women everywhere she travels, in locations near and far; from sunbathers on beaches on Long Island to flamenco dancers in Spain to garment factory workers in Hong Kong. Her work celebrates women who experience joy, triumph and ritual. Available at Sketcher Press.

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One Drawing a Day
Veronica Lawlor 

You will keep your artistic skills sharp and your imaginations fertile by doing the exercises in Veronica Lawlor’s superlative One Drawing A Day. Each exercise includes suggestions on how to use various mediums and advice on how to approach and execute a drawing, as well as useful tips.

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Dare to Sketch: A Guide to Drawing on the Go
Felix Scheinberger 

Dare to Sketch is both inspirational and instructional. This German artist has written a beginner's guide to sketching that’s gorgeously illustrated with his own unique drawings.

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Sketchbook Reveal
James Hobbs 

In Sketchbook Reveal artist and author James Hobbs elegantly and lovingly sketches the rolling hills of the English countryside and much more. He also includes poignant portraits of his ailing father. Sketchbook Reveal from Sketcher Press gives readers the opportunity to peek into Hobbs’ unique visual diaries.

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Illustrators' Sketchbooks: Inside the Creative Processes of 60 Iconic and Emerging Artists
Martin Salisbury 

Professor Salisbury has curated an inspiring collection that is an ode to the power and possibilities of the sketchbook. It features the journal pages of sixty artists from around the world and across history, including nostalgic favorites like Jean de Brunhoff and Beatrix Potter and contemporary icons like Oliver Jeffers, John Cuneo and more.

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The Best Coast: A Road Trip Atlas: Illustrated Adventures along the West Coasts Historic Highways
Chandler O'Leary

In this beautifully illustrated and informative book Chandler O’Leary takes readers on a journey from San Diego to Washington State, sharing portraits of roadside attractions, hidden histories, and historic highway guides. She inspires us to see, listen, and learn while traveling, creating lasting memories through art and observation. Chandler passed away at the young age of 41 due to sudden and severe pneumonia. Her astonishing body of work lives on as a testament to her passion and living life to the fullest.

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Read Book Shelf Review - Part 1 is here. Part 3 is coming soon.