Arts

Joan Baez turns art upside down at Kepler's

Perspective can be an important part of paintings and drawings, but what about a total change of perspective? After turning the establishment on its head for years with her music, writing and other forms of activism, Joan Baez has taken on a unique approach with some of her most recent art.

Musician, author, activist and artist Joan Baez shares her new book "Am I Pretty When I Fly? An Album of Upside Down Drawings" on April 28 at Kepler's Books. Archive photo.

In her new book "Am I Pretty When I Fly? An Album of Upside Down Drawings," published April 4, Baez employs a pretty big shift from the traditional approach to beginning a work of art: she starts all her drawings upside down, according to her publisher's website.

This freeing process inspired Baez to create loose, whimsical, mostly black-and-white sketches that in the book are paired with musings and quips on relationships, politics and more. Though at first, these drawings may not seem to have a lot in common with the detailed, realistic paintings that she's better known for as an artist, Baez's energy shines through in all her art.

She discusses "Am I Pretty When I Fly?" at Kepler's Books on April 28. Though the in-person event sold out shortly after it was announced, Kepler's offers a virtual option to catch her appearance, as well as a waitlist for the in-person event.

April 28, 7 p.m. at Kepler's Books, 1010 El Camino Real #100, Menlo Park and virtually. Tickets are $45 for virtual and $60 for in person (waitlisted); both virtual and in person tickets include a copy of "Am I Pretty When I Fly?" For more information, visit keplers.org.

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Heather Zimmerman
Heather Zimmerman has been with Embarcadero Media since 2019. She writes and edits arts stories, compiles the Weekend Express newsletter, curates the community calendar, helps edit stories for the Voice and The Almanac and assists with assembling the Express newsletters for those publications. Read more >>

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Joan Baez turns art upside down at Kepler's

by / Palo Alto Weekly

Uploaded: Fri, Apr 28, 2023, 10:59 am

Perspective can be an important part of paintings and drawings, but what about a total change of perspective? After turning the establishment on its head for years with her music, writing and other forms of activism, Joan Baez has taken on a unique approach with some of her most recent art.

In her new book "Am I Pretty When I Fly? An Album of Upside Down Drawings," published April 4, Baez employs a pretty big shift from the traditional approach to beginning a work of art: she starts all her drawings upside down, according to her publisher's website.

This freeing process inspired Baez to create loose, whimsical, mostly black-and-white sketches that in the book are paired with musings and quips on relationships, politics and more. Though at first, these drawings may not seem to have a lot in common with the detailed, realistic paintings that she's better known for as an artist, Baez's energy shines through in all her art.

She discusses "Am I Pretty When I Fly?" at Kepler's Books on April 28. Though the in-person event sold out shortly after it was announced, Kepler's offers a virtual option to catch her appearance, as well as a waitlist for the in-person event.

April 28, 7 p.m. at Kepler's Books, 1010 El Camino Real #100, Menlo Park and virtually. Tickets are $45 for virtual and $60 for in person (waitlisted); both virtual and in person tickets include a copy of "Am I Pretty When I Fly?" For more information, visit keplers.org.

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