Awarding Book Art

I am always excited each year to learn about the books chosen to receive awards for their artistic content. It is a habit of mind to note each year’s winners as well as runner ups. As a book collector, I have found many treasures studying these award lists.

There are several awards given for book art each year. Some are local, some regional and some international. The following are just a few of the awards that I feel are noteworthy:

The Caldecott Medal

This annual aware given by the Children’s and School Librarians Sections of the American Library Association each year is one of my favorites. If you have an interest in picture books for children that also contain excellent art, this is one award you will want to check out.

The Coretta Scott King Award

The purpose of this book award is for authors and illustrators to encourage through artistic expression the African American experience. This not only includes the graphic arts but also literature.


The Independent Publishers Book Award

This award also known as IPPY award is open for competition worldwide to all members of independent publishing industry who produce books in English for the North American Market. This award is sponsored by Independent Publisher and includes participation of about 2,000 university presses, museums and other small presses each year in the U.S. and Canada.


The Inkwell Arts Award

The Inkwell Arts Award organization promotes and educates the art form of comic book inking. They annual recognize and award the best ink arts and their work. The awards are given for inking, the art of enhancing an illustration through the means of redrawing pencil lines with ink and its related tools.


It is probably no coincidence that many of the top honored books have the same illustrator and author. Talented artists can also be great writers. A very simple method for discovering the best art work in books being produced today would be to look at the awards presented each year for excellence.



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Alexander Calder - Jewelry Maker

As my interest in jewelry making and metal crafting grows, I am finding new artists that have excelled in this area. When I think of Alexander Calder (1898 – 1976), I think about his famous moving sculptures, mobiles. I have learned that Calder worked in many different art forms. He produced oil paintings, drawings, watercolors, gouache and serigraphy. There are permanent sculptures in many cities in the country created by Calder.

You don’t’ see or hear a lot about the jewelry made by Alexander Calder. I recently discovered that he created some of the most beautiful jewelry for specific individuals as gifts or tokens. Calder’s hand-crafted jewelry seems to be very simple in design yet there is something bold and magnificent about each piece. I love that he used the simple basic metals, brass and steel to create masterpieces.

Last month, a few of Calder’s sculptural jewelry pieces were presented for sale in an auction. There were two stunning brass necklaces. Each were estimated to sale for $200,000 to $300,000. Both of the necklaces sold for over $500,000 each. Included also was a brass ring, a steel wire and silver brooch and a brass wire belt buckle up for sale. All the pieces were exceptionally beautifully and well designed. These pieces also realized exceptional sales.

Alexander Calder I believe made a tremendous impact on the world of design. If you have an opportunity to view some of the Alexander Calder’s jewelry, I am sure will agree that this multi-talented artist should be listed among the top jewelry designers.

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Saying Goodbye To Film

There has been a great deal of discussion about the demise of film for taking photographic images. The reality is that digital photography reigns. Film cameras have been on the decline for some time. The film for these cameras is slowly facing an inevitable death. It has been suggested that we will no longer have the availability of film for still cameras in about ten years.

I have to admit that being an amateur photographer I rarely reach for my film cameras today. This is mostly due to the fact the digital is more convenient and it does an adquate job of capturing the image. Today, I have a couple of digital cameras that will perform almost any task that I have a need for. Years ago, as a photo hobbyist, I attempted to reproduce the kind of work created by the great American and European photographers of the 20th century. Today, I am no longer inspired to create great works of art. I am proud of my digital images. They are quick, convenient and easily manipulated.

I think one the saddest parts about filmless photography is that most of the images taken today are not printed on paper. With the rise of use of cell phone pictures most pictures are captured for just short term viewing and in many instances deleted.

I will always enjoy viewing the work of the great photographers that have mastered gelatin silver prints like Robert Frank, Edward Steichen, Walker Evans and Edward Weston. I may still have some Kodachrome hidden away in my closet. Perhaps it’s time to say goodbye to a good old friend.


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Art Fair Time

The month of May marks the beginning some of the most wonderful art related events where I live—Art Fairs. We are fortunate to have three fantastic and art fairs here each year.

The first one, the Broad Ripple Art Fair, begins in May and lasts for 2 days. It attracts over 20,000 visitors each year and is a juried Art Fair. The event takes place in beautiful surroundings and is pretty much a visual art event. There are live bands and gourmet food available at this event.

The second one is in June and is a “street art fair” is reminiscent of art fairs that took place years ago. This is the Talbot Street Art Fair. There will be over 270 artists that will attend this 2 day event. This art fair is also a juried event and is held in the historic Herron Morton Place neighborhood. This fair is free so you always need to be prepared for a large crowd.
The last major art fair in my town is the Penrod Art Fair. If it were possible for me to pick a favorite, this would be it. This fair was created by the Penrod Society. The art fair has been held each year since 1967. The Penrod Society is a non-profit organization that supports the arts and activities in the Indianapolis area. The proceeds from the festival provide grants for the local area and scholarships for young artists. Over 30,000 attend this event and it takes place on the grounds of the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

These events are held rain or shine so don’t let the weather stop you. I hope that many of us who enjoy art will be taking advantage of viewing art in the open air in the coming months.


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Discovering Edward Hopper

I have been an admirer of Edward Hopper for some time. Hopper began as a commercial artist. He was an oil painter as well as a watercolorist. There is a collection of some important Hopper oil paintings residing in the museum in the city where I live. I have had an opportunity to view Hopper’s paintings of mundane subjects up close and in books. His appeal does not surprise me. He did not define or interpret his own work. He left this up to the viewer. His work is full of suspense which I find exciting if not mystifying. The more I study his work, the more I learn and like about this gifted realist.

His continuing popularity does not surprise me. Edward Hopper seems to magically attract new admirers each passing year. There have been and will be many exhibitions and books on the great artist. The Whitney Museum of American Art, Germany and the Netherlands recently presented an exhibition featuring this artist. His work touches us today in the same way it did more than many years ago.

If you have not had an opportunity to view what many believe is the”quintessential painter of modern American life”, you will definitely want to take a close look at Edward Hopper and his work.



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Cutting Art

With all the talk about government budget cuts, I guess it was inevitable that the National Endowment for the Arts program has been mentioned. The NEA has supported the arts since it creation in 1965. Some of the programs the National Endowment for the Arts has sponsored are: Learning in the Arts for Youth and Children, The Arts Education Partnership, and Coming Up Taller Program. Millions have been spent on these programs and others. The current thinking, however, is to place less emphasis on youth art progrms to focus more on community awareness and employment related to the arts. I am in favor of educating our youth about art at an early stage and throughout their early learning years. I know that I would be a different person today if I were not exposed to art at an early age. I always looked forward to my art classes in elementary school. I was fortunate to have had an aunt who loved art. She took art classes at a community college and created beautiful ceramic pieces. I could count on at least one a trip to museum while visiting her on summer vacations. Hopefully the changes and cuts that are ahead for NEA will not significantly impact all the good they currently do for the arts. Let’s not forget the NEA’s mission : “To advance artistic excellence, creativity and innovation for the benefit of individual’s and communities.” www.nellasbooksandcollectibles.ecrater.com

Gauguin - The Printmaker

One of my favorite post impressionist artist is the gifted and talented Paul Gauguin. One of the things that makes this artist so extraordinary is that his live began with a vocation very different than most artists. Gauguin, a middle-class Parisian stock broker, took up painting full time at age 35. Although known for his remarkable paintings, the prints created by this artist are not as well known.

Some of the most significant pieces of work made by Gauguin were the eleven zincographs created for the Catalogue de L’Exposition de Peintures du Groupe Imppresionniste et Synthetiste, or the Volpini Suite. These prints were originally displayed in a café within the expositions devoted to art in Paris in 1889 and were Gauguin’s first attempts at printmaking.

It has been said that Gauguin has transformed art. His use or color and the flattening forms and emotion prevalent in his work have led many to suggest that he is one of the best. Gauguin is considered to be among the founders of modern art.

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