Painted this morning - starting little 8x10 stretched canvases. After lunch and a shower I was at loose ends. I'd promised myself (promised the Kid, really) that as a reward for completing the base paint on the bowls last week, I'd go to the Mall of Georgia. There are two bookstores there, an art supply store, several office and computer supply stores, etc. I love to hang out in the coffee shop of a big bookstore, looking through a stack of books and magazines.
But I didn't really feel like going. It looked as if it would be pouring rain all afternoon, and the drive to the Mall was unappealing. So - should I work instead? It didn't take long to decide that would be a mistake. I really did work steadily all last week, usually putting on two coats a day, going back after supper when need be. To go back on my promise of a reward would be setting myself up for a big problem later. (I discovered that early on, as a production blacksmith. If I told myself I'd make six plant hangers and then take a break, I'd better do that. If I made six and then said "Oh, you could push a bit and make two more" I'd pay for it later. No one likes to work with someone who doesn't follow through on what they say!
So what would be fun? I could go out and get some coffee ice cream and eat it. Or a dark chocolate candy bar. I looked at my fun list. (Yes, ok, it's embarassing but yes, I have a fun list. Otherwise I get into these moods when I just can't think of anything fun. I'm an only child, brought up to be a serious achiever, blah blah blah.) What popped into my mind is that it would be fun to write that email I've been wanting to write to Semir Zeki, the author of Inner Vision: An Exploration of Art and the Brain.
I'd ordered a copy through inter-library loan, and read it immediately, in several evenings. Zeki is a neurobiologist who sees some possible relationships between recent discoveries about the brain and vision, and visual art. I found the book fascinating and provocative. After I finished it, I made a quick net (or mind map) of questions I'd like to ask him, and explorations of my own that he might find of interest. But I hadn't taken the time to write the email.
Suddenly I realized that this would actually be fun. It would give me the kind of intellectual stimulation I look for in a bookstore. So I wrote the email.
As I wrote, I dug out a related book, Leonard Shlain's Art & Physics. Also I made a few visits to amazon.com to get links to other books. All this made me realize that I have some great books right here that I haven't taken time to read - my own Big Bookstore. Of course I made myself a great cup of decaf too. Yes, here at the Stonebank Farm bookstore/cafe....
It really was fun to write the email. And it was fun to learn that it was fun. Now for some ice cream....
3:43:28 PM 
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