What One Man Does When He Sees Someone Reading
Lost in a book.
I am married to the painter Raven Waters. A theme in his work is books, I've noticed, which makes sense since he lives with a writer and since our home is full of books. This week I bring you an “image essay” of some of Raven’s iconic paintings of people reading books.
I say “iconic” because we see this image—someone reading a book—so rarely in public these days, and it’s possible that this sight will become even more rare. Of course people read on devices constantly, but a person sitting in public lost in a book strikes a deep note of nostalgia in us. We remember a different time or a different place, maybe childhood or the university, when this was more common.
Book-reading in public douses us with wistfulness as well. Something in us longs to be the person disappeared into a story—into another world—half in, half out of this world.
Raven mostly paints from photographs, hence the headline, what one man does when he sees someone reading. He takes a photo. Then he returns to his studio and turns it into a painting.
You can find Raven’s whimsical and soulful paintings at his website.
Let Me Know
When is the last time you read in public? Where were you? Do you remember what you were reading? If not in public, where are you normally when you read? When’s the last time you saw someone reading in public? If you’re an author, have you ever seen someone else reading your work in public?
These are fantastic! I used to read in public a lot more than I do now...this is a sign to change that!
I love Raven's work! Say thank you to him for these wonderful paintings. Of course my house is filled with books, but so is the back seat of my car. As my daddy would say, "might need 'em."