I’m a list maker, a chaotic list maker. Lists on tiny scraps of paper litter my studio/office. There are to-do lists, lists of ideas for new art, lists involving a story idea, lists of various appointments, etc. I always have a list or two or three within reach. This will be the first year I’ve written up a top 10 list for books I’ve read. While I’m at it I’m going to throw together a list of my favorite art pieces I created too!
Top 10 Books Read in 2010
– A List of Books read in 2010, not necessarily new releases for 2010.
1. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
2. The Reapers are the Angels by Alden Bell
3. Sleepless by Charlie Huston
4. Veracity by Laura Bynum
5. Spellwright by Blake Charlton
6. Geist by Philippa Ballantine
7. Raven’s Ladder by Jeffrey Overstreet
8. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
9. Under the Dome by Stephen King
10. City of Dream & Nightmare by Ian Whates
Other facts:
- I read from Jan 1 2010 – Dec 31 2010, 47 books–not bad for the insanely busy life I lead.
- I read a total of 14,301 pages.
- The shortest book I read was The Scarlet Plague by Jack London, at 86 pages.
- The longest book I read was Under the Dome by Stephen King, at 1074 pages.
Classic Post-Apocalypse Fiction Challenge
– A status report on my personal on-going challenge to read classic post-apocalypse fiction.
1. Mary Shelley – The Last Man 1826
2. H.G. Wells – The War of the Worlds 1898
3. Jack London – The Scarlet Plague 1912
4. George R. Stewart – Earth Abides 1949
5. Richard Matheson – I am Legend 1954
6. Nevil Shute – On the Beach 1957 ~ I’m near the end of this one, but reluctant to move forward, knowing how it all ends. 😦
7. Pat Frank – Alas, Babylon 1959
8. Walter M. Miller Jr. – A Canticle for Leibowitz 1959
9. J G Ballard – The Drowned World 1962
10. Phillip K. Dick – Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep 1968 (filmed as Blade Runner)
Other Facts:
- My favorite book from this challenge is still, without a doubt, Earth Abides by George R. Stewart.
- After reading Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, I am itching to read more books by Philip K. Dick.
- The next book I will read from this challenge, if I can ever force myself to finish On the Beach, will be The War of the Worlds.
Art Created in 2010
My top 5 in no particular order.
1. Green Eggs and Spam?!
Created in Photoshop CS4
This was my first big undertaking using Photoshop to create a complex painting. I can’t tell you how many hours of planning and then painting this took, and I did it all with a mouse–no tablet! Green Eggs and Spam?! won the Member’s Choice Award at the EBSQ Annual Spam and Trout Show. 😀
2. Power Source
Created in Apophysis 7x Version 14
I created a lot of fractals this year, you could say it was the Year of Fractals. One even adorns the banner of my blog and website. I’m still a newbie at creating fractals, but love them as much as painting in traditional media. Power Source is my Steampunk fractal and is also the 2nd most fav’d artwork from my deviantART gallery.
3. The Maker
Watercolor, 8 x 10 inches
The Maker was a commission for Colleen at Lavender Lines. What began as a business transaction turned into a friendship. Colleen is one of my best online buds and I feel blessed to have her in my life. When she approached me about creating a Dune inspired artwork I jumped at the opportunity! Dune is one of my all time favorite books.
4. Stoney
Acrylic, 11 x 14 inches
Stoney is another commission I completed this year, this time around for my landlord. This was an emotional painting because of my history with horses and horseback riding, but it was also therapeutic. It is one of my favorites for this reason but also because I’ve never painting a horse in acrylics on canvas. I took a leap of faith and believed I could, and in the end I did.
5. Winter Moon’s Guardian
Watercolor, 6 x 8 inches
This was my last painting of 2010, but also the beginning of a new chapter in my art. My Etsy shop, Nature’s Charms is going to be rebooted in 2011 with a new focus on art and crafts. Some of the changes can already been seen. Later in 2011 I’ll be opening another shop on Etsy for my digital art–be on the look out for Nature’s Dreams!
Amanda Makepeace's Imagination Run Amok 
Wow — I looked at your list of books and feel like I need to read more!!! 😉 And it’s lovely to see your art here — there is such a variety….. not sure which I like best — I’m torn between the fractal and the last one, with the owl.
Have a lovely new year!!
Thank you, Jo! I actually don’t feel like I read all that much, but considering my crazy life I guess it’s a fair amount. 😉
Gee…I liked all the artwork but still think my favorite of these is “Green Eggs and Spam.” Very cute and original.
Hehe, thanks Sherry! I can’t believe I even pulled Green Eggs and Spam?! off while still trying to recover from surgery. LOL It will always be a special memory.
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