 |
| Readings at the Dusty Bookshelf Acrylic on 20 x 16" wood panel There is a small and quaint college town called Manhattan in Northeast Kansas. It is a lovely town and the home of Kansas State University (K-State). I visited this town about two years ago for the first time. You would think that growing up in Wichita and Manhattan being only two hours away that I would have been there before. I had no reason to go I suppose because the grand Kansas City is in the same direction, but more east and that is where I usually preferred to go. However two years ago, the "new dog-owner"/artist/photographer in me felt pulled in the direction of Manhattan so that I could shoot some photos of the area. Not only is there the quaint town and beautiful college campus, but Tuttle Creek Lake is also located there...a great place to walk the dog and shoot some pictures. While I was in town, I walked into a wonderful and very warm bookstore called The Dusty Bookshelf. We used to have a Dusty Bookshelf in our downtown, but they closed. I had no idea there was another in Manhattan until I visited that day. So much character in this store! So I asked the retailer if I could take pictures and this is my painting inspired by those photos. Being there made me miss the bookstore in Wichita...they had a black and white cat that lived in the store. Talk about ambiance. Maybe I should have painted a cat into the scene somewhere...perhaps on top of one of the shelves. .  |
Monday, March 18, 2013
Readings at The Dusty Bookshelf
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Lisa this is just wonderful!!!I love everything about this piece! Nice work!
ReplyDeleteI did have to read that a couple of times...Manhattan? Kansas? wha? I love the painting that you did from the bookshop. It has a decided mysterious tone...even without the cat!
ReplyDeleteI love books! ♦ & would love a room in my house with shelves • shelves • and more shelves of books and antiquities! Wonderful painting .. bravo!!
ReplyDeleteYour banner is great!!
There isn't anything like a good bookstore is there? And a wonderful painting also. Good for you for trying out a new area. You never know what you might find:)
ReplyDeleteFantastic painting, Lisa! This book store looks like a place one would never want to leave!!
ReplyDeleteMy first thought was, what a great title, and then when I opened it I thought - what a great painting!
ReplyDeleteI love the texture and the details like the clock, chandelier, border and pattern on the carpet. My goodness... and all those books. You captured a wonderful environment, my dear Miss Lisa. I would certainly want to stay.
I love the warmth and casualness of this piece, Lisa....there is an opulence to the chandelier and the rug...the red walls....but, it is so inviting and unpretentious....it invites you to stay a while :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, i love the colors! Hugs :)
ReplyDeleteSo many little details on this painting!!!
ReplyDeleteYou've done a great work Lisa, it's inviting!
I like a lot strolling in bookstores.
Fantastic painting! I love the rich colors and the details! I would love to see a picture of the cat ;o)
ReplyDeleteFabulous, Lisa.....all those books! And the casual postures of your figures, all wonderful!
ReplyDeletesimply amazing...the details, the richness of the colors, the personalities of the characters shining through...just love it!
ReplyDeleteNice moody piece of a space at the bookstore. xox
ReplyDeleteLOVE IT!!! So much to see!!!
ReplyDeleteSo good to know that there are still bookstores like this. Most of them have been driven away by Barnes and Noble then Amazon. Your painting depicts what I have seen so many times in the bookstore my family visited when the kids were little. They did exactly the same thing on the floor. They looked so comfortable. Wonderful painting!
ReplyDeleteThere is just something wonderful about books, and shelves and shelves of them! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm a book lover and this painting is wonderful! When we lived in Colo. Springs they had a bookstore like this...lots of old Persian rugs on the floor and lots of little rooms where you could sit and read.
ReplyDeleteLisa, this has to be one of my favorites!
ReplyDeleteI love everything about it!
D~~~~
I love being surrounded by books Lisa. this is a wonderful painting.
ReplyDeletexo sandra
I just love how you paint about your life experiences. That is so cool. And what a great painting this is. Lots of warmth to it. Don't you just love books stores and Library's. I know I do..
ReplyDeleteHugs~
It sounds like such a lovely little town, Lisa! I love quaint college towns, too. That bookstore is definitely my kind of place, and you've done a wonderful job capturing it in your painting. Very sweet!
ReplyDeletexoxoxo
How Rich! How Lush. I could just step into this.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful painting.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your wonderful comments everyone! I was not able to reply individually this week...I've been on life-overload. I appreciate you all so much!
ReplyDeleteLisa I saw this last week when I was at work but didn't get time to comment as a patient was waiting for me :)
ReplyDeleteI just had to come back and tell you how much I like this! I love book shops and I just feel so at home in this painting. Do you do prints of this one?
Love from the UK!!
ManonX
oh Lisa...how i love WHAT you come up with and your STYLE of looking at our world! i get the best feelings when peering at your work, it covers so many wondrous emotions and such a great FEEL, every single time! xo
ReplyDeleteWow you are so prolific, you definitely put me to shame! This book shop looks amazing I love that they have a chandelier. I think I would look at a book shop and think that would be really hard to paint but your loose brush strokes have described the spines beautifully.
ReplyDeleteI have just purchased some gold leaf inspired by one of your earlier posts, I am not sure what I am going to do with it yet but hopefully I will have some fun when I get some time.
I too am a lover of book shops and your paintings... love the colours and details in this one! Lovely work Lisa
ReplyDeleteNow Lisa, you should send a photo of your painting to the bookshop. The owner may just like what s/he sees and want to purchase it for the bookshop walls!
ReplyDeleteI really miss our lovely old bookshop in Nanaimo. Chapters just isn't the same. :(
xo Carole