Look at Art with New Eyes

How to Read a Painting introduces readers to the Pre-Raphaelites and teaches how to read a painting through guided looking, symbolism, and visual analysis—so anyone can approach masterpieces with confidence and curiosity.

In this informative guide, social historian and art educator Mae Sharifi (history_mae) leads readers through an engaging, step-by-step method for understanding Pre-Raphaelite paintings. Using interactive prompts before expert commentary, she helps readers slow down, notice more, and build their own interpretations—no prior art history required.

Blending accessible storytelling with solid context, Sharifi demystifies key works by Millais, Hunt, Rossetti, Waterhouse, and more. Each chapter connects iconography, composition, color, light, and narrative to what you see on the canvas—so you can decode symbolism, spot visual clues, and recognize technique the way a curator does. Designed for museums, book clubs, and solo reading, How to Read a Painting is a practical companion for anyone who’s ever wondered how to unlock art.

Inside, you’ll find:

• A simple “look first, learn next” framework that builds confidence in how to read a painting and discuss what you see
• Guided walkthroughs of iconic Pre-Raphaelite works, linking symbolism, storytelling, and technique to historical context
• Transferable visual analysis tools you can use on any painting—from the Renaissance to Modernism

If you liked The Elements of Art, Art: Explained, or How to Enjoy Art, then you’ll love How to Read a Painting.

Mindful Drawing for Calm and Flow

Mindful Drawing by Sanna Florence helps everyday creators release perfectionism, de‑stress, and rekindle a reliable creative habit through simple, meditative drawing exercises.

Your creativity isn’t “missing”; it’s waiting. In a noisy, productivity-obsessed world, this visually rich guide shows how pen, paper, and a few calming patterns can quiet self‑doubt, reduce anxiety, and bring you back to yourself—no art experience required.

Gentle guidance from a trusted online creator. Drawing on a global community Sanna has inspired with soothing tutorials, Mindful Drawing blends approachable instruction, mindful prompts, and step‑by‑step projects to build confidence, flow, and joy in the process—not the outcome.

Inside, you’ll find:

• Calming, pattern‑based exercises that ease stress and spark flow
• Step‑by‑step projects that grow skills without pressure or perfectionism
• Mindfulness prompts and color tips to sustain a daily drawing ritual

If you liked Sketch by Sketch, Draw Yourself Calm, or Mindful Sketching, then you’ll love Mindful Drawing.

Named one of The Progressive magazine's Favorite Books of the Year

An inside look at the organizers and artists on the front lines of political mobilization and social change

“Ken [Grossinger] is one of the smartest strategists I know.” —John Sweeney, AFL-CIO president, 1995–2009

An artist’s mural of George Floyd becomes an emblem of a renewed movement for racial equality. A documentary film injects fuel into a popular mobilization to oust a Central American dictator. Freedom songs course through the American civil rights movement.

When artists and organizers combine forces, new forms of political mobilization follow—which shape lasting social change. And yet few people appreciate how much deliberate strategy often propels this vital social change work. Behind the scenes, artists, organizers, political activists, and philanthropists have worked together to hone powerful strategies for achieving the world we want and the world we need.

In Art Works, noted movement leader Ken Grossinger chronicles these efforts for the first time, distilling lessons and insights from grassroots leaders and luminaries such as Ai Weiwei, Courtland Cox, Jackson Browne, Shepard Fairey, Jane Fonda, Elizabeth Alexander, Bill McKibben, JR, Jose Antonio Vargas, and more. Drawing from historical and present-day examples—including Black Lives Matter, Standing Rock, the Hip Hop Caucus, the Legacy Museum, and the Art for Justice Fund—Grossinger offers a rich tapestry of tactics and successes that speak directly to the challenges and needs of today’s activists and of these political times.