Review: Portrait of a Lady
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 7, 2014
Portrait Art is instructional, but also billed as part memoir and that's the part that spoke to my heart the most. Her history is inspiring and written with such a lovely style that you are left with no doubt this woman is an artist in every shape of the word.The author comes from a long line of creative people and it's obvious she has talent in her DNA. But she's the first to say you won't get far without hard work and long hours of practice. I don't want to give away any spoilers, so I'll be brief in reference, but I adored reading about her experience at eleven years old. With perseverance and dedication, she convinced an award-winning author to let her into his class. And he never taught children. She was spunky, and I imagine that attribute has a great deal to do with her success. Go-getters finish first.The book alternates between pertinent tips for the beginning artist, lessons to practice, real life examples of her own masterpieces, samples of her fiction, and a most entertaining timeline of her life as a creator. I enjoyed the beautiful paintings depicting her beloved children, grandchildren, husband, and pets. These are displayed as examples for students and not in gallery form. Kathryn Shell is many things, but as a teacher she seems to be no-nonsense, yet most interested in your success. She writes "Creativity is a passion within us all" and I believe that wholeheartedly. How sad is it that some never tap into theirs?I recommend this book for anyone who loves an intimate memoir, who wants to be inspired (I've been practicing my circles all day), and who enjoys perfect prose. Five stars, I Loved It.