Book Review: Side Effects by Lorin J. Elias

By Caprice Hogg

This book was not what I expected it to be, as I have previously researched the enhanced creativity of individuals who regularly access parts of their right brain. Before reading this book, I did not realize that we all have strong biases towards the right or left in multiple areas of our lives. These biases are exhibited throughout art history, all the way back to cave paintings and Mayan sculptures. The dominant hands are shown, not just in handwriting, but by the tools and objects that are portrayed. Cradled babies in all the Madonna representations show a bias to cradling on the left side. Why is this? It is biological and across species. In portraiture (even in selfies), the left cheek is most often shown. The left side of the face shows emotion, and the right side of the face is more emotionally controlled. If a person wishes to be seen as impassive and wants to hide their emotions, they can choose to show their right cheek in a photo or portrait.

We are also influenced by our assumptions on our perceived source of light. Our mind makes us feel that we look better if the light is coming from the left, and this bias actually informs many of our buying decisions when looking at advertising. There are also clear biases when we perceive and look at art. Arranging objects from left to right will be more aesthetically pleasing to most of the population. Our natural tendencies to normally turn or look to the right impacts many things in our environment, from driving rules to architecture to where signs are posted. The world is mainly designed to take our human biases into consideration, even when we have little or no idea we even have such biases.

Let’s not forget the debate regarding the difference between left- and right-handed individuals. For many years, it was thought that right handed individuals were superior and much of the material world was developed with this in mind. It is not always easy being left-handed in a world that was designed for the majority—right-handed people. Yet, left-handers excel at sports, especially fast-paced ball sports and combat sports. Left-handed gymnastics is viewed as being more beautiful. In the title of the book, the author is not referring to side effects from pharmaceuticals, but rather “the side effects from our lopsided brain.”

“We can leverage our emerging knowledge of these side effects to optimize the images we use for our social media, dating profiles, decisions about seat selection, or even advertising campaigns.” This book can help the reader to become more conscious of our human tendencies that few individuals are aware we have. Knowing our biological tendencies can help us to make better decisions in our life overall. Or perhaps this knowledge can just make our lives easier and more fulfilling?

Book Review: tend by Kate Hargreaves

By Caprice Hogg

This small book of poems is thought provoking, with little moments of time captured in words. The poems were visceral. They evoked all the senses. The reader cannot help but to be transported when they read lines like this: “The shower coaxes the woodsmoke from your hair, macerates all that’s between your toes, softens callouses that forgot the feel of floors”.

I enjoyed sitting down to read this book from cover to cover but also found pleasure in picking it up at odd moments and opening to a random page to just read a poem or two. I have read the poems over and over. Each time my thoughts would skip a beat with a line in a poem that was completely unexpected. A poem about a pumpkin plant growing throughout the summer would end describing the cat’s new litter box. The poems made the synapses in my brain jump. The poet takes us to a different world—she takes us west. She shows examples of seeing life in a different way, a different lifestyle. Here is one of my favorite excerpts from her poem “Plans”:

I’m leaving town to felt shirts out of belly button lint

got big plans for the coast

where snow doesn’t harden

and you can leave keys in your door

making proposals to salt water

I’ll learn to weave long underwear

out of barbershop trimmings

melt acrylic nails down for windowpanes

and pulp utility bills into letter stock

Perhaps the reason these words resonate with me is because I too have moved west. In just a few words, Hargreaves has transported the reader to a wholly fresh life. I like to imagine that life even if I choose not to live it fully. And maybe as I read these poems more, I will be able to create more of that sweet life in my daily life? Isn’t that what poetry and art is all about? This book only has 84 pages and some pages contain only a few words, but they leave the reader wanting more. It felt like taking a trip and it is one I would highly recommend.

Thank you to Book*hug Press for the complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: The Earned Life by Marshall Goldsmith and Mark Reiter

By Caprice Hogg

In this book, the author states that we all have a certain amount of regret, and advises us how to avoid these regrets and live with more motivation, confidence, and aspiration. “Our official policy on regret in these pages is to accept its inevitability but reduce its frequency. Regret is the depressing counterweight to finding fulfillment in a complex world. Our primary theme is achieving a life of fulfillment—what I call an earned life.”

While the advice is very good, I found it difficult to relate to the examples the author used. Goldsmith is a life coach to major CEOs and large management teams. He used many of these influential people as examples to show how they made difficult decisions. Since many of these stories were from extremely wealthy people in elite positions, the decisions they were making were not what many of us encounter in our daily lives. For most people, this is not the realm where we reside and our daily decisions regarding our jobs, finances, and family life are greatly different from these stories. It does, however, give us a look into that world and Goldsmith states that it is helpful to look at your heroes to see how their choices allowed them to succeed. I feel that there is a large discrepancy from that type of lifestyle to perhaps that of a single mom or a teacher who has a fulfilling job but is making a low income.

Still, no matter what our life story is, Goldsmith’s advice is valuable. His recommendations are applicable to each one of us. “We are living an earned life when the choices, risks, and effort we make in each moment align with an overarching purpose in our lives, regardless of the eventual outcome.” At the end of each chapter, there are exercises that help the reader ponder their own life and examine where changes can be made. Some exercises struck a chord with me, and I probed a few deep thoughts that I uncovered as I went through the exercises.

I do not feel that the advice in this book is anything revolutionary, but it is valuable reading it in a new context. “The secret to living an earned life: It is lived at the extremes. You are maximizing what you need to do, minimizing what you deem unnecessary.” This helps us to examine our life and hopefully discontinue being on autopilot with our decisions. He discusses inertia and how sometimes the act of doing nothing at all squashes our successes. Who doesn’t need those types of reminders once in a while? Goldsmith offers step-by-step guidance to follow our dreams by simply reminding us that any step towards our goals is a step in the right direction. Action and avoiding inertia are key.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: The AfterGrief by Hope Edelman

By Caprice Hogg

Hope Edelman’s The AfterGrief will help anyone who has experienced grief or loss. The author did extensive research and interviewed people who have suffered all types of grief. She published their stories along with her own story of loss after her mother passed away from breast cancer when Edelman was only a teenager. While I could not personally relate to many of these stories, it was helpful to read about others and to better understand their process of healing. When some of us are paralyzed by grief, it can helps to know that we are not alone. The book offers ways to not “let go” of your grief, but to find ways of living with it. “Grief can only be supported. It cannot be fixed.” She speaks of the importance of talking about your loss and sharing your story in order for healing to occur.

Edelman differentiates between new grief and after grief and explains that time does indeed change our experience. Very little information has been written about the “after grief”—the period that follows the initial grieving process. This book gives people a way to deal with their pain long after their loss has occurred. The after grief can hit at times that are least expected and our emotions can be overwhelming.

Edelman asks questions such as “how do we allow a major loss in the past to inform us, to guide us, even to inspire us, without letting it consume our identity?” Her answer: “We decentralize it. We wait and watch and allow for other life experiences to accumulate over the long arc. We actively search for meaning.” This book gives hope to those who are suffering. 

Grief does not go away. It does not heal itself, but with time and effort, it can be less of a burden. Our grief can eventually turn into something beautiful, something precious. It takes tremendous effort, but it can be done. Meaning can be found, and while the loss will always be present, there are ways that we can honour those who have passed on by turning our pain into something that brings value to our lives. It can be a difficult process to revisit those memories and especially our most painful moments, but the result will allow us to experience joy and happiness in our life again. This part of the process can only happen in time, and it cannot be rushed.

I highly recommend The AfterGrief to anyone who has experienced loss or trauma. It helps to put the pain we feel into a new perspective. It gives the reader a sense that we are not alone in our pain, and it also gives us hope. There are techniques we can do to help ourselves get through grief and look forward to feeling joy again.

Thank you, Penguin Random House Canada, for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: One Madder Woman by Dede Crane

By Caprice Hogg

The thrill of this book is that it transports the reader to the middle of 19th century Paris to spend time with Impressionist painters like Monet, Degas, Manet, Cezanne, and more, specifically Berthe Morisot, the first known female Impressionist painter at the time. This historical novel depicts their lives before these painters become “Impressionists”  and gives us an in-depth look at a thriving Paris and its society during this time. The novel centers on the life of Berthe and the challenges she faced for being a female painter in a society that frowned greatly on women who focused on their career rather than marriage and having children. 

The writing portrayed the love story between Berthe and famous painter Edouard Manet. Manet was married to another woman and his career was a flamboyant one. Manet loved and adored Berthe but also respected her artistic talent in her own right and persuaded the art community to accept her work as equal to the men’s paintings. 

It was the description of their affair that also gives the reader a glimpse of Montmartre during its height of popularity. The author’s vivid descriptions transport the reader into a time we will never know.

Berthe and her sister Edma had a deep and complicated relationship. Edma was also a painter who put her paintbrush aside to start a family as was expected of all young women of that era. Neither sister could understand the choices of the other. 

While I found this book fascinating and it kept my interest, at one point, the story lost my attention when it went into a detailed account of the war in France during this time.  The war had a large impact on the whole country and certainly affected the painters, as well as all other French citizens, but I was much more interested in learning about the art rather than the politics. While this was an important part of history, I was happy when the story returned to more art-related topics.

It was fascinating to read about being a woman painter in Paris alongside famous male painters. I have seen many Impressionist paintings and yet I do not recall ever seeing a Morisot painting. Even today, women painters are not as well-known as the men. 

For me, one quote that sums up the life of Berthe Morisot is when she was visiting with her friend Marcello. Marcello said to Berthe “The one salve I’ve found for the pain of living is the making of art. But then you, my friend, already know that.” She leaned in, conspiratorial. “We artists. We are the lucky ones.” This says to me that no matter what, when you are an artist, you cannot help but create, despite what rules and regulations society dictates.

For art history lovers, this book is well worth the read!

Thank you, Freehand Books, for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Banksy by Alessandra Mattanza

By Caprice Hogg

“His dream is a city full of graffiti where graffiti is not illegal, a city where everyone can paint whatever they want, with walls of fresh paint with millions of colors, short sentences, verses of interesting words, messages to read, often political, but at the same time ironic, of love, peace and hope for a better world.”

With these ideals, Banksy has become an iconic figure all over the world. This fascinating book not only gives an in-depth look at Banksy’s paintings but also at his philosophy on art and life. Banksy’s work is very political but shines a light on the elitism of the art world. His medium is the stencil, which results in stunning lines, shapes, and compositions. Yet, graffiti art painted in public spaces is illegal art—unless you are Banksy in which case that graffiti becomes incredibly valuable, and institutions have made money off of his work.

“Street art guarantees each individual the opportunity to reassert himself in the face of privileged art which has long been considered the only “true art” which for generations has been accessible only to a small elite.”

Banksy believes art is for all and that everyone should be able to see and appreciate all art, which is why his work is in public view. 

Banksy likes to “keep it real”. His paintings often portray rats and homeless people; those who are not normally seen. His work takes a political stance on many important issues and truly makes one stop and think. Isn’t that the purpose of art? One of his most controversial paintings was sold at Sotheby’s and the instant the auction hammer struck, the painting began to shred itself. Once again, this is Banksy’s comment on the fickle art industry. 

This book gives readers a look at the Banksy phenomenon—despite his fame, no one actually knows what he looks like. He has a small group of friends that help him maintain his anonymity. His paintings pop up across the world and no one knows where the next one will appear. Part of his allure is the mystery that surrounds him. He is thrilled when a painting pops up and no one is really sure if it is an authentic Banksy painting. The paintings create a stir and get people talking. If the paintings are from other graffiti artists, they are just as important to him as his own work. 

One of the main themes in this book is that art cannot be stopped, as ideas cannot be stopped. Banksy’s paintings show his ideals for pacifism, peace, justice, and freedom. He tries to give a voice to those who are often overlooked.

For any art lovers who want to enjoy looking at good paintings that are thought-provoking, this book is for you. I love how Banksy’s paintings push the boundaries on what is considered “good art” by the fine art establishment. 

Thank you, Penguin Random House Canada, for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Enough Light for the Next Step by Annie Wenger-Nabigon

By Caprice Hogg

This beautifully written memoir describes a love story and demonstrates how two people from dramatically different upbringings, cultures, and spiritual beliefs can come together and share a profoundly happy life. For ten years, Annie was married to her husband Herb when he suddenly passed away. She describes her journey through grief and gives us a personal account of their deep relationship. She left her Mennonite roots in the United States and moved to Northern Ontario to be with her husband. The author gives us a glance into her life with an Oji-Cree man, absorbing his way of life, his spirituality, and his profound teachings. We get a glimpse from the outside, looking in on a world not available to most of us. This gives us a sense of how we can incorporate these ancient Indigenous teachings into our own lives.

I was originally drawn to this book as I have been through my own deep grief. Annie gives her perspective on how to navigate these troubled times when it seems impossible for life to go on without your loved one by your side. She talks openly about grief but also balances the pain of the absence of her husband by sharing the joy that she carries within her from the years they had together. She writes of the Spirit of Indigenous teachings that give strength, encouragement, and hope. She shares the ancient wisdom that she learned from her husband.

The author also gives a personal account of growing up as a young, white Mennonite girl in a strict family. She continues to work on dissolving what she calls “The Suppression of Happiness Disorder”. Her upbringing dramatically differed from her husband’s as he went to residential schools in Canada. While she does not go into great details about the atrocities he experienced, she does tell stories from his childhood and how he grew up with problems of addiction and anger. Herb referred to the negative aspects of his personality as “rascals”, and Annie writes about how he was able to acknowledge and deal with these “rascals”. By using the traditional wisdom of the Anishinaabe, Herb was able to overcome his addictions and spent his life teaching, writing and travelling around the world, sharing his wisdom, and helping others.

This book not only tells the life story of Annie’s incredible journey but also honours and cherishes the life of her husband. It is a wealth of information and knowledge that is respectfully passed on to those who read it and hopefully benefit from the teachings. For me, this one line describes the book perfectly:

“Following Herb’s death, my personal goal of writing about the things Herb had wanted to put in his second book, which we’d been unable to complete, has been a guiding light for me. It has been a way for me to continue the conversation with him and hold closely the treasure of his wisdom.”

Thanks to Latitude 46 Publishing for the complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Plumstuff by Rolli

By Caprice Hogg

Plumstuff is a book of poetry and sketches that kept me coming back for more. From the very first few lines where Rolli writes “If I ever write a book so bland it’s championed by every living critic seize my pen,” his wit and humour made me pause and contemplate my book review before I even started it! The poems in this book cover a wide range of topics, and the book was well laid out. Rolli writes about the critics, about philosophy, opinions, politics and so much more. I would put the book away and then pick it up again another day, open it to a random page and simply read and re-read. It allowed me time and space to ponder.

My favourite poems were the ones with fewer words. In my opinion, the fewer the words, the better the poem was. It gave me the opportunity for my mind to wander, absorb, and feel the emotion in the moment. The less words there were on the page the more I was able to take it in.

This is a book for those who truly love words. The words chosen are descriptive and lyrical and to the point. This shows the talent of the author, because it is no easy feat to bring about emotion with only a few syllables. In good writing and in good art, it is far easier to express oneself in lengthy diatribes; to use words and lines sparingly is an achievement.

The power in the simplicity of in his sketches was similar to his poetry. The fewer lines there were, the stronger the sketch was. The lines allowed the viewer’s mind to fill in the blanks and become a part of what was happening on the page. His compositions were strong, and I enjoyed the change in values from the black lines to the gray lines.

The sketches and poetry complemented each other. After reading and re-reading this book, I cannot imagine one without the other; the sketches are just as important as the poetry and vice versa.

To quote one of Rolli’s poems, “Though no one’s swung by anyone’s opinion the redundant tongue worms on.” As such, in my opinion, this book is for anyone who enjoys poetry or who would like to spend time getting to know poetry. While not every poem spoke to me, these poems will take the reader by the hand and lead them on a journey.

I would like to thank the author Rolli for the complimentary copy of his book “Plumstuff” in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Think Like an Artist, Don't Act Like One by Koos de Wilt

By Caprice Hogg

The title of this book piqued my interest as I hoped to read in-depth insights into how artists think despite poor life choices by said artists. 

Upon my initial read, I felt it was more of an art history book for beginners. It was an easy and entertaining read with only one or two paragraphs next to each work of art. As the book progressed, I found large gaps in information. The book begins with a sculpture from 25 000 B.C, and then we jump to Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1333 B.C. He briefly touches on art throughout the ages, but the large jumps bypassing entire centuries is disturbing. 

De Wilt features several works of art through the Renaissance with well-known artists such as Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Titian. He attempts to not only feature the famous artists but also a small cross-section of lesser-known artists from other countries such as Pieter Jansz from Holland. In actuality, this does the book a disservice as the world of art is simply too large to be undertaken in a book with only 591 small pages. The 18th century is skipped over with only one work of art for the entire century. He goes into impressionism, post-impressionism and almost the entire second half of the book is on post-expressionism and abstract art. It is weighted heavily in certain art movements.  

The author refers to this as “an illustrated book on life lessons in art.”  Yet, I feel no further enlightened towards what the artists thought on life lessons. Rather than quoting from great artists like Picasso or Dali, DeWilt quotes Steve Jobs instead. There was not only one quote from Jobs but two! I also fail to understand how De Wilt knew what the artist was thinking in 25 000 B.C.?

Another information gap is that the author sometimes wrote a description about the painting being shown, and at other times, he wrote a description of the artist’s life without any information about the painting itself. I was disappointed when, next to Van Gogh’s Cafe Terrace at Night, he did not describe why Vincent had painted a yellow horse walking down the street or anything about the cafe or the patrons. The writing was a brief description of VanGogh’s life featuring well-known details that did not give me any further insight into the art or life of VanGogh.  

Another discrepancy in the book is that sometimes a photo of the artist is featured rather than the actual work of the artist. Perhaps this is a copyright issue? Whatever the reason, I would like the art to be more consistent throughout.

I would not recommend this book as it falls short of its premise of giving readers a true picture of what artists truly think, nor does it give an accurate history of art.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with a copy to review. 

Book Review: In the Footsteps of the Group of Seven by Jim and Sue Waddington

Caprice Hogg

This is not your average art history book as Jim and Sue Waddington take the reader on an artistic adventure. Their goal was not only to have a better understanding of the paintings and the artists of the Group of Seven, but they also felt that “Canadians should know some of the sites of their most renowned paintings.” 

            The Group of Seven travelled to remote locations across Canada to paint the rugged and remote lands. These trips resulted in an art movement showcasing a truly Canadian art. Yet, the artists left very few details as to where the paintings actually happened. It was the art that inspired the authors to track down the locations of these paintings that changed the way we see art in Canada. This turned into a 36-year odyssey that took the authors on journeys to lands many Canadians will never see. The trips were not easy as they traversed through rugged and remote locations to find the spot of the painter’s artistic vision.  

            More important than the actual travel was the lengthy process of researching and investigating the elusive painting spots. They tracked mere clues found in letters and other correspondence to narrow down their search. The authors also acknowledge that luck, more often than not, was their greatest ally in finding the scene of the paintings. The result of their efforts produced a beautiful book that not only showcases the artwork of Canada’s greatest painters but then puts those paintings next to a photograph of the actual scene. This parallel allows the viewer to literally stand in the exact locations where the painters stood decades earlier. It is fascinating to see how little the scenes themselves have changed even after so much time has passed. To an artistic eye, seeing the photos of the views next to the paintings gives us a deeper understanding of what the artists found to be important, the details they left out of the paintings, the parts they chose to focus on, and how they simplified the dramatic scene in front of them. All these details are important to better understand the paintings and what their artistic eyes deemed important in a work of art.

            This book transports us to a time when the artists themselves, who are now long dead, stood in these various spots with paintbrushes dripping with oil paint, paintboxes, and spectacular scenery spread out in front of them. These moments in time would live on and become famous because they captured them in paint for future generations. They created something that is revered in art museums across the country. It takes us back to the humble beginnings before the artists were famous and show how their talents and the remarkable Canadian scenery stands through the test of time. 

Book Review: Inward Journey: The Life of Lawren Harris by James King

By Caprice Hogg

To many, the name Lawren Harris brings visions of large paintings of snowcapped mountains and icebergs. In Inward Journey, James King gives an account of the professional and private life of Lawren Harris—a dedicated artist who not only focused his attention on his own work but also on the artists around him. He was instrumental in creating an entire art movement in Canada with a focus on portraying a truly Canadian landscape in art. It was Harris’ intellect, vision, and finances that built the Studio Building in downtown Toronto where the Group of Seven were established. These painters shared in Lawren’s artistic ideals.  It is difficult to imagine the Group of Seven, or Canadian art in general, without the influence of Lawren Harris. This is his public persona. 

The most fascinating part of this book was reading the personal details of Harris and seeing the photographs from his private life. James King gives us a glimpse into the life of the man behind the famous paintings. When you read about Harris painting in his studio while wearing a suit jacket and tie, surrounded by white furnishings and white carpet, with opera music playing so loudly the neighbours could hear, it somehow provides deeper meaning to his large oil canvases. King introduces us to a side of the artist that has rarely been seen.

It was shocking to read that Harris was shunned in 1934 by his hometown of Toronto when he chose to divorce his first wife and marry the love of his life, Bess Housser. Due to this scandalous behaviour, they were both exiled from the city and country to which he had dedicated so much of his life. They fled to the United States and eventually landed in Taos, New Mexico, which resulted in some of the most prolific and creative years in Harris’ life. His time spent there provided him with new insight into painting and spirituality that transformed his art. This move made a dramatic shift from his paintings of the Canadian landscapes of the north to abstracted paintings symbolizing higher consciousness. It was fascinating to see how life events unfolded in his private life took literal shape on his canvases.

When the war hit, Harris and his wife were forced to return to Canada. This time they chose the West Coast—Vancouver. He once again began a new art movement, establishing the Canadian Federation of Artists that is still in existence today. He continued to teach and mentor the younger artists that were around him, such as Jack Shadbolt and Gordon Smith. 

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to have a better understanding of one of Canada’s greatest painters. King’s vivid words paint a portrait of one of Canada’s most revered artists. Harris’ art and ideals have left an incredible legacy for generations of artists and now his life story also inspires.