3 comments about Thomas Eakins.

1. This book is gorgeous! The essays provide a variety of perspectives on Eakins work. A must have for every fan of Eakins paintings.



2. I'm a rower in high school on the west coast, and you don't really hear much about rowing over here, since it's mostly an east coast sport. So when my history teacher started going over Thomas Eakins and showed a clip about him from a documentary with some examples of his rowing paintings, my attention was immediately captures. I decided to do my term paper on him, but I expected it to be a long and tedious process, judging from the book I got from the library (which looked plain, boring, and old), so I put it off 'till the last minute. I just picked up the book an hour ago for the first time and just got online to see if they had any copies of it ..., since it proved to be well-written and interesting (so you don't space out so much in the middle of paragraphs like I tend to), and because it led me to think about things that are important parts of learning and art and life, but nobody ever talks about. This book proved to be insightful and fascinating, and after only one chapter, I'm hooked on the subject! And to think I was dreading reading it!



3. Anecdotes abound in reference to Thomas Eakins American painter, watercolorist, draftsman, photographer, and sculptor. He is remembered for relaxing after painting by working calculus problems, and shocking friends with stories of his nude models.

   A skilled portraitist he painted Walt Whitman. The poet said of his likeness, "I never knew of but one artist, and that's Tom Eakins, who could resist the temptation to see what they think ought to be rather than what is."

   Whitman's opinion aside, Eakins (1844 - 1916) is recognized as one of the premier American artists to appear following the Civil War. He traveled to Paris for training, and later chose to apply Beaux-Arts techniques to distinctly American subjects. His fondness for athletics is found in his noted scenes of sailing, fishing, and boxing.

   He is equally remembered for his then controversial paintings of surgeons at work, and remains a key figure in American art. This beautiful volume is apt affirmation of Eakins the artist.

   - Gail Cooke

3 comments about Renaissance Rivals: Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael, Titian.

1. Goffen has provided a clear, engaging, and refreshing view of Michelangelo and allows for further study and questioning.
   
   I do want to make a remark regaring the review called "Qualified Praise." Goffen does not state that Michelangelo died in 1566. She adheres to the February 17, 1564 date:
   
   "Instead, Vasari paraphrased an anecdote reported by an unknown correspondent, writing within a month of Michelangelo's death on 17 February 1564." (p. 117).



2. Goffen's book is a powerful and thrilling volume of scholarship. Having passed away of breast cancer, the author rests knowing that her words and scholarship will continue to delight and inform many people desiring a new take on the overly discussed pieces of Michelangelo and his "antagonists."
   
   This books is both complex and lucid. Goffen has taken great care to use her language tactfully, but not sparingly. She presents many solid arguments with charged notation. The author leaves her reader swimming and fascinated at the same time. Goffen discusses the works of Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael, and Titian with solid grounding in the social context and network previously left behind by many scholars. Goffen is in fact so well grounded in the social context of her subject's time--and her own time--that "Renaissance Rivals" can certainly be seen as a modern day "Lives of the Artists". However, this text has not been embellished, nor fabricated by anyone desiring to create a legacy. Rather, Goffen's careful text offers argument and explanation for why Michelangelo and his rivals were indeed such great artists.
   
   This masterful work is a pleasure to read and will certainly stand in the pantheon of scholars as an accessible text written by a brilliant author.



3. A sumptiously illustrated book, written in a chatty, somewhat prolix style. Worthy of five stars, but for two significant problems, warranting the subtraction of two stars:
   
   1) Some annoying factual errors, the most significant of which is the author's repeatedly giving Michelangelo's date of death as 1566, rather than 1564.
   
   2) The binding is simply not up to the task of keeping the heavy pages of the book together. My copy has already split in a couple of places, even though it has been handled gently.

5 comments about John Singer Sargent: Portraits of the 1890s.

1. I think we cannot be deceived by a book on Sargent. This is a so so good painter! This book is packed with beautiful big well chosen pictures and great text on Sargent's work. I was really happy to have this one!



2. complete and lots of colour pics. good price: at the sargent exhibition in paris more than twice as expensive! very happy with my purchase.



3. I own the entire series, and I wouldn't part with any one of them. For Sargent fans, this series is a dream come true. I hope they would publish some "poster books" with large reproductions eventually, as that would really complete the series.



4. This is the second in a series of three and it is just as quality as the other two. I read the review of the reader who was disappointed in this book and thus did not order the other two with shear amazement. I really recommend that she look at another copy, all I can figure is that she got a poor copy, which unfortunitely does happen even at the best publishing houses. I am highly discriminatory about poor quality pictures and overall book quality and I can assure you this book is top shelf. I highly recommend it to anyone who has an appreciation for great portrature.



5. I have purchased "Portraits of the 1890s" primarily for the images and I have to say that I am dissapointed. Sargent definitely deserves a monograph with better reproductions. I lost my initial desire to order remaining two books in this series (fortunately, I haven't ordered all three as I intended).
   
   The reproductions never do justice to the originals, but this is too much. The lighter colors are washed out (for instance, one of Sargent's most famous works - portrait of Lady Agnew) and many reproductions have yellowish or reddish cast. There are even images (as in case of portrait of Helen Sears) who are washed out and, in addition, have a yellowish cast.
   
   The values on some other reproductions (portrait of W. Graham Robertson, for instance) are compressed to the point of absurd.
   There are lot of preparatory sketches and drawings in this book, but they are very small - barely larger than a postage stamps. If you're interested in that part of Sargent's oeuvre, I can recommend Dover's book "Sargent Portrait Drawings".
   For truth's sake, I have to say that not all reproductions in this book are bad - half of them are tolerable (I didn't see any who is superb, though).
   Being both - a painter and art history professor my standards on this particular issue may be a bit higher than those of the non artists but, generally speaking, I just don't see the point of printing poor quality reproductions in an artbook or monograph.

1 comments about Japanese Katakana for Beginners: First Steps to Mastering the Japanese Writing System (Tuttle Language Library).

1. This book, together with "Japanese Hiragana for Beginners", has proven itself indispensible in the learning of the Japanese writing system. There is room for practicing both the reading and writing of each character, along with a memory aid for keeping them all straight (although I think in the end, "shi" and "tsu" still look uncannily alike, despite the author's protestations). The two books also teach frequently-used Japanese words, together with reading practice of words and sentences. There is a list of American names written in katakana at the beginning of the book, and lists of other English-derived words in the back. This book comes highly recommended because of the flashcards at the end which you can tear out and use to study.

2 comments about The Watercolor Artist's Bible: An Essential Reference for the Practicing Artist.

1. This book provides the perfect amount of detail mixed with images and examples. I am a beginner in water color and this was the ticket to my paintings evolving from watery messes to cleaner/polished pieces. A very helpful book!



2. My watercolor group chose this book and we all love it!
   Full of great information and inspiration.
   Well worth it.

5 comments about Finding Your Voice: How to Put Personality in Your Writing.

1. This book was, by far, THE most in-depth how-to book that I've ever read on writing. And I've read more than I have fingers. Seriously. I don't work for them. This book raises the bar. I wish the author would write a series on all the other aspects like: plot, setting, and characters. Unlike most books I've read, this one gives specific examples for every topic. Concrete, systematic techniques delivered without that authoritative tone that intimidates the aspiring writer more than instructs him/her. Before reading this, I didn't even realize that my first person manuscript wasn't written in the voice of the viewpoint character. I was using words that would be foreign to "Devin," describing things he wouldn't notice. He wasn't telling his story. I was. I'm soooooo glad I read this book before I gave my manuscript to anyone. I made highlights and typed up notes from this book that I will use repeatedly. This book can be used as a guage of the quality of every other how-to writing book you read. Seriously...



2. I know when I start reading a book, one thing that jumps out at me is if the characters seems "real." Someone who has the skill of writing with a good voice can make the characters come alive on the page, characters you'll remember long after the you close the book.
   Finding Your Voice teaches writers how to use their own voice when writing, not someone else's. The book also helps with the un-learning of old rules, or at least knowing when to break them to make for better writing. Edgerton has a way of teaching writers what they need to know in a entertaining way, so the book is enjoyable to read as well as informative.



3. This book is for aspiring writers not for professional writers. This is an important point, because other reviewers have said this book gives too basic advice. Basic, but paramount.
   
   The basic idea behind this book is that many authors suffer from a terrible affliction. He calls it "the writer's inferiority complex" It results from an overadulation of the published word.
   
   Some might say that it is obvious that one should be original.
   
   The fact is that as aspiring writers we are constanly studying the good stuff, good authors, and we are always studying technique. The result of this is that we have a tremendous and heavy influence to carry on our backs. The danger is real: if we are constantly trying to study the best, we might end up becoming a copy of them. Which, paradoxically, is far from being the best we can.
   
   The solution is simple. Buy this book if you have noticed that you write too much like someone.
   
   If someone tells you that you write too much like someone else... buy this book.
   
   If as you write you begin thinking "oh, maybe I shouldn't write this because MR. X or MADAMME Y wrote in this other way... so, maybe I'm not writing good enough", then you should seriously consider getting this book. So you can overcome your self doubts when you compare yourself to your heroes.
   
   If you have an original voice and are very aware that you are not copying (even by osmosis) someonelse's work, then skip this book.
   
   Here is a quote from the book that I particularly liked:
   
   "The astute artist in any field knows that he or she can't "be everything to everyone," and so cultivates his or her own particular and inimitable style, thereby appealing to some and not to others. That's fine. That's the way it should be".
   
   It certainly is fine... how boring it would be writing like your idols!



4. I picked up a copy of Finding Your Voice out of curiosity. Over the years, I'd come to suspect that the term voice was being misused as a concept of understanding writing. I wondered if this book would enlighten me, or if it would confirm my suspicions. It did both.
   
   In Finding Your Voice, Les Edgerton does a great job of coaching writers on how to bring out their own personality in their writing. He explains why writers often fall short in this effort. He recommends exercises to bring out the writer's personality. He suggests techniques to make fiction-writing more reader friendly. Overall, the book covers a lot of the art and craft of writing style. I suspect Les Edgerton is a very good writing teacher.
   
   But my suspicions regarding voice, as it is often used to describe fiction, were confirmed. One of the problems is that voice refers to different subjects. In a story, each character can have a distinctive voice in dialogue and during introspection. Also, if the writer chooses to utilize an on-stage narrator, that narrator can have a distinctive voice. The problem with voice is when the term is used to describe the writer's style.
   
   Unfortunately, the subject of the writer's voice has morphed into confusing and misleading nonsense. The next-to-last chapter of Finding Your Voice provides examples of the conflicting views of top writers, editors, and agents regarding this subject.
   
   Today's novel-writer would be better served if Les Edgerton would: 1) re-name the book Developing Your Own Writing Style, 2) delete all reference to writer's voice, and 3) expand the text to more fully cover other aspects of style.
   
   Although Finding Your Voice confirmed my suspicions regarding voice, I found plenty of ideas and insight to make the book worth its purchase price, and more.



5. Save your money: Just do a quick web search for finding your voice in writing - any quick list on the subject will contain the same advice found in this book. The book delivers the most basic information and repeats it endlessly.
   
   I also found the author to be annoying. That is a matter of personal opinion but I strongly recommend reading a few excerpts to get a feel for *his* voice before you try to read the whole book.

2 comments about Paint Luxurious Textures in Watercolor.

1. Worth the price. Learned more in short time then any book I own. Materials are the key. Thanks for the easily understood work.



2. I ordered this book after first glance at it in my North Light catalog this month! I have just touched the surface on admiring the first few works of art in the book and am so impressed with the artist's expert use of color, technique and eye for beauty. I look forward to exploring the book in depth and trying some of the demonstrations. This is a wow book, very inspiring and uplifting, one every artist should have for reference! Nice work, Ms. Sheffer!

1 comments about Weekend Furniture Facelifts: 70 Great Ways to Update Your Furnishings (Hamlyn Home & Crafts).

1. What a great little book; good photos and information. If you need a few good ideas this is well worth the money.

No comments about Inventing the Modern Artist: Art and Culture in Gilded Age America.

5 comments about John Singer Sargent : The Early Portraits (Volume One).

1. By all means, buy this book! This is one of the most engrossing art books that I have come across. Each reproduction has crystalline clarity and the accompanying information makes for very interesting reading. You find yourself really interested in all the people depicted.
   This is an excellent combination of art and text, without the book becoming a glorified textbook, but still being useful for research. I purchased the book mainly for the art and I am not disappointed! It's not one of those 'trick' art books that promise lush full color reproductions and actually consist of mostly black and white images. The only black and white included here depicts paintings that are lost. If you love J. S. Sargent's work, this is a great introduction to his earlier work and he only gets better!



2. This book is such a treasure, it is such a wonderful tribute to an American icon. The pictures are just amazing and the text highly informative. It is truly an amazing compelation of his early work. It is the first in a series of three and they are all consistantly good. If you are a fan of Sargent you will definitely what to possess all three. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an appreciation of great art from a one of the masters.



3. This book is for Sargent lovers. His incredible talent oozes in these pages. I can't wait for Vol 2 of this beautiful production of Yale University Press. I got me a magnifying glass and have spent hours looking at the unbelievably grand flesh tones that Sargent commanded. You'll love reading the background data of these portrait commissions during Sargent's career. I would give it six stars if I could. See it to believe it.....if I could only paint like he did or anything barely close. One of my best of collection. Hurry up Yale and give us Vol 2.



4. i bought this book after seeing the sargent show at the met in new york. i have been studing it ever since. mr ormand, ms. kilmurray please hurry. you have brought the works of this great american master to life as no one has done before and i look forward in anticipation to vol 2.



5. i bought this book after seeing the sargent show at the met in new york. i have been studing it ever since. mr ormand, ms. kilmurray please hurry. you have brought the works of this great american master to life as no one has done before and i look forward in anticipation to vol 2.