Writers as artists

We all have our talents, but we have to stand in awe of those who are truly gifted in more than one area. A recent book I ran across highlights 200 authors who are also artists: The Writer’s Brush: Paintings, Drawings, and Sculpture by Writers. The book provides intriguing biographical tidbits in addition to examples of the author's artwork. Below is a small selection of the authors mentioned with links to the titles owned by the library.

Federico Garcia Lorca – the pianist, poet, and playwright also sketched but only had one exhibit in Barcelona in 1929.

Thomas Hardy – was a draftsman for a leading architect early in his life and sketched illustrations for his fiction.

Hermann Hesse – the author has painted over 3,000 pictures, many of which are in the Hermann Hesse Museum in Switzerland. He's quoted as saying, "Not that I considered myself a painter or intended to be one. But painting is marvelous; it makes you happier and more patient. Afterwards you do not have black fingers as with writing, but blue and red ones."

Marianne Moore – the poet was a skilled artist who painted and drew from an early age and continued throughout her life.