Sketchbook: A Memoir of the 30s & The Northwest School

by William Cumming

William Cumming began as a self-taught artist who grew up in Tukwila, a small town outside Seattle. In 1937, at the age of twenty, he met Morris Graves, who was at that time working in Seattle for the Federal Art project of the Works Progress Administration. Through Graves he soon became part of the circle of friends who came to be known as the Northwest School of artists: Mark Tobey, then nearing fifty, the patriarchal leader of the group; Kenneth Callahan and his wife Margaret, a writer and critic who became Cumming's particular mentor; Guy Anderson, Lubin Petric, and others. He has taught for many years at the Art Institute of Seattle and Cornish College of the Arts.

Genres: Art

239 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the descriptions and sentences in these collected reminiscences are to die for, and some will have you rolling your eyes and cringing. A stronger editor for this piece was probably needed, but it would be of no surprise, giving Cumming's own description of himself, if such an editor found persuading the author to make changes an impossible task.
Still, there are some fascinating bits of social and art history in here, especially for those with an interest in the PNW or Seattle in particular.

[Scott Lindberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting historical look at Seattle’s artistic past. But the author falls into the trap of overly and overwhelmingly flowery language. An economy of words would have been greatly appreciated by me, the reader.

[jared Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book that gives an inside look at some of the Northwest artists from 1930's dubbed the "mystics". In this book, Bill Cumming, the youngest member of the "group" reminisces about some of his memories of the period. He writes surprisingly well at some points, some of the phrasing is so well crafted it feels like it took a lifetime to perfect the flow. I can imagine him writing some parts over and over throughout the years. I especially liked what he had to say about northwest color palettes.

Recommended for people interested in art from our corner of the country.

[Marianne Mersereau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant! I was privileged to know this author.