Carolyn Schlam is an award-winning American painter, sculptor, and author, born and raised in New York City. She studied painting with Norman Raeben, youngest son of the Yiddish writer Sholem Aleichem, in Carnegie Hall Studios and glassmaking at Urban Glass in Brooklyn. She is the author of The Joy of Art: How to Look at, Appreciate, and Talk About Art; The Creative Path: A View from the Studio on the Making of Art; The Zen of Art: With Notes on the Art of Life; and various illustrated books for children. Visit her at www.carolynschlam.com.
"Praise for More Joy of Art “A practical guide to making sense of pictures, designed to enhance the experiences of all avid art gallery visitors. This book nurtures our innate intelligence of seeing by stimulating levels of attention normally dormant in everyday life. We are encouraged to exercise our full range of attention, from focusing on the formal pictorial elements of line, shape, tone, colour, and texture, before attending to how combinations of visual elements afford insights to those perennial themes of truth, emotion, beauty (unencumbered by Kant), and taste (unbothered by Bourdieu). This approach is demonstrated through the author’s friendly, accessible writing style applied to the analysis of work by a refreshing range of contemporary artists."" ––Dr. Howard Riley, Professor Emeritus, Swansea College of Art, University of Wales Trinity Saint David ""Appreciating art is a wonderful journey that can be enriching and deeply personal. It can also feel daunting at times. In her sequel to The Joy of Art, Carolyn Schlam offers more tools to enhance the exploration of a work of art and help us make a personal connection to it. Her engaging, approachable style combines historical context and visual cues, teaches us to notice details and discover hidden elements, and encourages us to trust our emotional responses. When you peruse More Joy of Art: Keys to Appreciating Art, you will join a passionate artist and see art with fresh eyes––and it’s well worth the trip! ––Anne W. Lee, former research director at Vose Galleries, Boston; co-author of Encaustic Art in the 21st Century; Artistry in Fiber: Wall Art (I), Sculpture (II), and Wearable Art (III) Praise for The Joy of Art “One way to really know someone’s true character is to visit a museum and look at art with them. With Carolyn Schlam’s The Joy of Art in hand, you will be led through a joyous discovery of art through the centuries as seen through the eyes and insights of an artist and educator who accumulatively reveals the literal and the mysterious building blocks that make art a viewing pleasure for the eyes and the soul.” ––Jimmy Wright, artist, National Academician, and president of the Pastel Society of America "