Words + Images

Did you know that snails have teeth?  I didn’t until I started reading The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elizabeth Tova Bailey.  The book recounts the author’s interaction, while bedridden, with a relocated woodland snail.  The language is quiet, beautiful and colorful.    “While the snail slept I explored the terrarium from my bed … the variety of mosses was so satisfying … Their hues ranged from bright grass greens to deep dark greens and from sharp lemon greens to light blue greens.”

As someone who spends a great deal of time snapping photos of plants, it was very helpful stumbling upon Sarah Simblet’s Botany for the Artist.  A beautiful book in and of itself, its contents reminded me to look more closely at the things I photograph and to better understand the different parts that make up a whole.  I found this blog post that actually shows the behind-the-scenes creation of the book in the artist’s studio.

And finally …

A gift from a friend, and what a source of inspiration.  I’ve been carrying it in my backpack so that whenever I am on the bus or needing a moment’s respite at work, out it comes. 

Any other book recommendations you’d like to share?