Currently Reading: Rothko

This winter my art reading stack was centered around Mark Rothko. He was one of the artist masters we looked at in my Winter Journal class, and though I was familiar with his work, I did not know much about his life or his evolution and practice as an artist. Spending time with these books was inspiring, and not surprisingly, “Rothko-ish” color studies found their way into my art journals again.

Rothko: The Color Field Paintings

This book focuses on Rothko’s iconic color field works; those luminous, atmospheric rectangles that seem to glow from within. Rothko often insisted that his paintings weren’t primarily about color but about deeper human emotions and experiences. Still, it’s hard not to be drawn in by the color itself. The subtle shifts, layered washes, and tension between hues have been inspiring some of my recent journal spreads.

Mark Rothko (Rizzoli) — Christopher Rothko

This book has been the one I’ve spent the most time with lately. Written with insights from Rothko’s son, Christopher Rothko, and his daughter, Kate Rothko, it offers a deeper look at the artist’s thinking and intentions. It spans six periods of his career, showing the progression of his figurative work through to his abstractions.  Many of the reflections and ideas in my recent Rothko-inspired journal explorations have come from time spent with this book.

Mark Rothko: Paintings on Paper

While exploring these books, I found myself increasingly drawn to Rothko’s later works on paper. They are looser, more intimate pieces that feel closer to the scale and spirit of art journaling. That curiosity led me to pick up Mark Rothko: Paintings on Paper, which I’m excited to spend more time with. There’s something about these smaller works that feels especially inspiring for mixed media exploration.

A Rothko-ish Practice

As I’ve been reading, I’ve also been “Rothko-ing” some of my journal pages—playing with layered washes of color and subtle palettes & compositions. Sometimes the pages stay simple; other times I bring in collage, mark-making, or other mixed media materials, so it’s less about recreating Rothko’s paintings and more about using them as a starting point for exploring color, atmosphere, and feeling in my own journals. I share some of these pages in my Winter Journal Flip Through video.

What artists are inspiring you lately?