When I was younger I belonged to the Great Books Program in middle school which deposited a love of skilled authorship that I still own and pursue today.  It had been some time since I had participated in a group discussion of a work, and so when I saw that our local Books a Million was hosting Sunflowers as its February 2012 Book Club Meeting, I dashed on over to Amazon to get my .01 cent used copy.

Sheramy Bundrick’s done a fabulous job re-imagining the love life of Vincent based on historical accounts of his long-term relationship with a village prostitute.  While the two main characters display unconventional attitudes of acceptance and tolerance towards one another, theirs is a courtship set in modern dialogue, exchange and practices.  I found a particular section of the story where the two are penning love letters completely unbelievable.  And, although the author is an art historian who has well researched her work, I suspect she is not a working artist herself.  Descriptive passages about paintings are somewhat lackluster and absent of any true emotive or visual verbiage.  I got the most excited about the use of color during a section describing train seats.

This caused me, once I finished the book, to utilize the very fine chronological listing provided of Van Gogh’s works between 1888 and 1890 because I felt to a degree that after reading Sunflowers, I had been transported in my perception of the artist and his human frailty and relational issues.  To a degree, the work felt like a chick-flick’s hot romance novel.  At the same time, where the complexity of Vincent’s state of mind, travels, emotions and finances are concerned, the book was compelling.

Nearly every artist I know suffers from a degree of self-image doubt, lack of self-confidence, delay in timely sales, inability to co-manage personal and artistic pursuits, and a degree of moodiness related to their perceived successes in works.  To read of Vincent’s shared experiences in these common ailments was a relief, as was to read of his compassion and relentless (insatiable) pursuit of drawing, sketching, painting, and mostly dreaming.

Van Gogh is currently being exhibited at Philadelphia’s Museum of Art through May 6, 2012.  While I wish I could attend, I know doing so after reading Sunflowers would have altered completely my reference and appreciation for his canvases.  As one reviewer already noted, “Forever Van Gogh.”

Shauna Lee Lange is a full-service arts advisory firm and design studio located in Port Charlotte, Southwest Florida.  We are dedicated to helping women and girls live more creatively artful and authentic lives through coaching & teaching,  craft workspace design & organization, and art marketing & branding.  The Artist Shauna Lee Lange exhibits nationally in paper and book arts in art journaling, visual diaries, and sketchbooks.  Her works center on personal geographies and women’s transformative issues through the use of vintage ephemera, collage, and mixed media components.  Come on over and be a part of our International Linkedin Arts Network Creative Art Consultants.  More art IS more love.