The Painting Pen: Embodying Spiritual Discovery Through Yoga, Brush and Color

With a style reminiscent of Julia Cameron, Novick, a professional painter, former gallery owner and yoga master, presents painting not only as an art form but as a vehicle of spiritual exploration. She's clearly taught before. Chapters flow easily, dotted and crossed with inspired quotations from sages, artists and writers, as well as anecdotes and observations from her own experience. Materials lists are precise enough for beginners but contain plenty of options for more experienced artists. Most impressive of all are the simple descriptions of the yoga exercises, something not easy to accomplish in writing. Only an enclosed CD with yoga instructions could have made this part of the book more perfect. Full-color examples of each of the increasingly more complex painting projects provide students with even more encouragement. This is not a paint-by-numbers guide to God. The spirituality comes from within the artist, as techniques of painting and pose become more developed. Novick's encouraging tone coupled with a penchant for expansive definition—painting to her encompasses everything from oil and soft pastels to actual watercolor and oil paints; spirit includes belief in a higher being whether named as God or not—makes room for a wide audience. (Dec.)