When did Vincent Van Gogh feel most alive? Why did Juan Gris always pet a dog with his left hand? Inside this book, you'll find the answers to these questions and more in the words of the artists themselves. Art lover Bob Raczka pairs thought-provoking (and sometimes funny) quotes by famous painters with colorful examples of their best work. The result is an enjoyable gallery of observations about the joys and the mysteries of art. From Edgar Degas' The Rehearsal (1878-79) to Georgia O'Keeffe's Evening Star, No. III (1917) to Romare Bearden's Family (1986), you'll discover the works - and the wisdom - of eighteen artistic masters.

Author Biography

Bob Raczka and his wife Amy are the co-creators of three masterpieces: Robert, Carl and Emma. They live in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, with their dog Rufus, who is also a piece of work. As a boy, Bob loved to draw--especially dinosaurs, cars, and airplanes. He also enjoyed making paper airplanes and model rockets. He's a lifelong Cubs fan. Thanks to good grades (and some help from his high school art teachers) he went to college at the University of Illinois, where he majored in art. On a whim, Bob took an advertising copywriting class and loved it. When he graduated, he became an advertising writer. But when his first child, Robert, was born, he rediscovered children's books and thought, "I want to do this." So Bob began sending out manuscripts and collecting rejection letters. Five years later, he sold his first manuscript, a book about art called No One Saw. Little did he know, it would become the first book in his ongoing series, Bob Raczka's Art Adventures.