5 comments about Katie's Sunday Afternoon.

1. We love the Katie books, a great way to introduce your child to art masterpieces while having an adventure in the story!



2. A wonderful story that your 5 year old will love! A fun and engaging story that introduces your child to art (pointillism, in this case).



3. My two-year-old daughter Katie cannot get enough of this book. It comes with us wherever we go, we read it day and night, and she has been wearing her bathing suit for three weeks now because she wants to be 'just like Katie.' There is something extremely magical about this book! Also, I like this story better than some of the others -- Katie is less of a rascal in this one.



4. I read this with my 6 year old. We checked out a book about Seurat at the same time so I could show her the actual paintings. She giggled as we read. It was fun for the art to come alive.



5. This book takes the reader on a journey through a young girls imagination and provides a unique exposure for young children in art appreciation. The end of each book provides information on the artist, materials used to create the art form and the location of the painting. Both of my daughters, age two and five, really enjoyed reading the collection of Katie's adventures. I would recommend buying the hardcover books for long lasting use, because you will be reading it again and again!

No comments about Painting Missouri: The Counties En Plein Air.

3 comments about Design Basics, Multimedia Edition (with ArtExperience CD-ROM).

1. I've used this book as the primary reading source for the past three years in my high school sculpture class. My course introduces students to the process of working in stone, steel and bronze.This text provides a solid foundation for understanding the fundamental elements, attributes and potentials for working in three dimensions. It integrates poignant examples of excellently reproduced visuals into an elementary discussion of the major facets of visual art. My students really enjoy the Multimedia CD-Rom,
   ArtExperience. It's a fun, informative, useful and integral component of my teaching.



2. I am retired junior high school teacher but a beginning student in digital imaging. I purchased this book as a companion book in a "Photoshop" class that I am taking. The book presents a clear introduction to art and design. The sample photographs and artwork cement the concepts in the book. I would recommend this book to any beginning art student or "Photoshop" user. One of the best I have seen.



3. This book is so informative that though I bought it for a class, I am keeping it to refresh myself. It contains the terminology that you need to understand and use to review a piece of art, and clear examples of everything that is explained in it. This will make art and design easier and will help it have more impact on the audience.

5 comments about Goddesses Knowledge Cards: Paintings by Susan Seddon Boulet.

1. I thought these were a great idea. I found them in a used bookstore for $5.
   
   The good: The goddess cards cover a pretty wide range of pantheons. The descriptive text on the back is well-written and high quality. The artwork is imaginative.
   
   The less-than-good: Overall, it seems the artist has one female face that she uses as a template for her art: full lips, long face, peaceful yet somewhat vacant eyes. In a deck like this, I would have desired perhaps some more differences among the goddesses in order to highlight the natures of the deities depicted, especially the more feral or darker aspects, which this deck seems to shy away from. It has a very warm/fuzzy/positive feel, and seems to avoid or gloss over some of the darker archetypes.
   
   After browsing through the deck again, it almost seems like she might have used the same model for many of the pieces. Despite that complaint, this is still a solid product for which i would have paid full price.



2. Susan Seddon Boulet is an inspired artist, which astonishing work make us dive into the deep realm of the unconscious. The images of Godesses touch the archetipal feminine and resonates those possibilities in each of us. I contemplate them as part of my inner work and in my work as an art therapist in Brazil.



3. Boulet was a very gifted artist, whose work is extremely inspiring on a deeply spiritual level. These cards portray her art splendidly, along with wonderful descriptions of the goddesses on the reverse side. The Goddess Knowledge Cards can be used as a divination tool, for daily inspiration and guidance, or simply for the enjoyment of Art. Boulet included many of the lesser-known goddesses in this deck, such as Rhiannon (my personal favorite, as this is also my granddaughter's name). The cards are beautifully printed on heavy, high-gloss cardstock. The artwork is undeniably remarkable. They cards will be appreciated by many.



4. I really enjoy this deck- it provides a way to meditate on the goddesses and gives an image to incorporate into ritual or meditations as well. The little descriptions on the back give enough information to build on, and definitely are written in such a way that doesn't detract from the beautiful images. Love it!



5. I have loved Boulet's art at first sight. I discovered her work at a point in my life where I was aggressively exploring the feminine face of the Divine. The Goddess Knowledge cards are excellent renditions of artworks that grace the annual Goddesses calendar and datebooks. The cards may be used for decorative and educational purposes. A wonderful use is as a tool for seeking cultivating the intuitive wisdom associated with each of the goddesses within one's self. Like I said, I love them.

No comments about Marc Chagall: 1887-1985 (Special Edition).

5 comments about Theories of Modern Art A Source Book by Artists and Critics (California Studies in the History of Art).

1. The beauty of this book is that so many letters, reviews, interviews etc. about/by so many artists are conveniently gathered in one place. On the whole, there isn't anything in here that you can't find elsewhere, such as in biographies of the individual artists. For example the letters contained in the opening section on "Post-Impressionism" from both Cezanne and Van Gogh are included in just about every biography on them.
   
   The over-riding reason for buying this book is that so many are collected together. So, even for an artist that you might not like enough to go out and buy their biography, atleast you get an insight in to their thoughts/motives etc. In some cases this may spark your interest in a previously less favoured artist and appreciate their works from a new perspective.
   
   Chipp covers all the main "isms" of modern art from Post-Impressionism (Cezanne) onwards. Each movement opens with a treatise detailing the main theories/artists/concepts/techniques that made it unique. This is followed by a comprehensive selection of articles/letters/interviews etc. concerning the main players i.e. the section of Expressionism includes writings from Nolde, Kandinsky, Kokoschka, Kirchner, Marc, Klee and Beckmann. One of my favourite pieces is by Stuart Davis. He's responding to a critic's recent review..."in your review you speak of your enthusiasm for my work and call me a "swell American painter". This attitude on your part I heartily approve, but you further state that my style is French and that if Picasso had never lived I would have had to think out a style of my own. Now is that nice Mr. McBride?" and off Davis goes in his defence. Superb.
   
   Rather than reading about these various "isms" via the well meaning but often biased views of a expert art historian, here you get the views from the artists themselves.
   
   For any art historians dealing with the modern art period this book has to be essential. And for general appreciators of art, as well as artists themselves, this book contains a wealth of information, and pays dividends to both intense study or just random browsing.
   
   Since it's first publication in 1968 this book has formed the foundation of any respectable art library. I just checked the bibliography of more recent books on art history - this book is referenced extensively. In my opinion, if anyone is looking for an interesting and enjoyable introduction to the world of "Modern Art" they could do a lot worse than start here. And given the way that any one "ism" owes it's existence to the "isms" that came before it*, this almost reads like a novel.
   
   *Regardless of Dali's utterances about Surrealism being a unique movement, unfounded by anything that came before, just go and have a look at the works of Hieronymous Bosch to see that wasn't the case.
   
   Recommended!



2. I just wanted to respond to the person before me. It sounds like contemporary art is way over your head. Please do not waist our time with long reviews about things you clearly do not understand.



3. Not only educational, but inspiring. I not only learned about each artist and what when on during their time of certain artworks, but I was able to get inside their head. The words of the artist's in their letters were captivating. I was caught up in the reading. I especially enjoyed Matisse and Kandinsky. Kandinsky is very spiritual about his writing and gives a deep explanation of colors. Anyway, it is a great read. It was required for my history course, but I enjoyed it. Not very many in my class could understand what they were reading. I guess you not only need intellect, but sophistication. I liked it!



4. How often had I looked at a painting of Van Gough and wondered what exactly was this great man thinking when he conceived and painted such a picture. Now by reading thru this excellent book, I can claw into the mind of artists themselves.



5. Even if you are not interested in the arts but simply in thought process- I think you will find this book very interesting. You could say this is the history of modern art without pictures (although there are some pictures)- bringing the reader facinating insights into how different types of artists came to their philosophies of art, and of course, the world. Documented through personal letters, manifestos, and articles, the varity of different thoughts and beliefs catapolts just what art can be. To me it shows that art is a never ending universe of ideas- all connecting but all very individual just the same.

4 comments about Dore's Illustrations for "Paradise Lost" (Dover Pictorial Archives).

1. well, this book has my favorite drawings of gustave dore , but the priting quality is really bad , you better get pictures from somewhere. or may be look for another published version may be ...



2. Dore, known perhaps best for his woodcuts of Dante's "Divine Comedy", was not only a fantastic illustrator, but a prolific one as well, producing scores of woodcuts for great literature, including "The Holy Bible" and "Orlando Furioso". Before there were movies, a person could look at these pictures for motion, excitement, and dramatic storytelling.
   This is a necessary companion to "Paradise Lost", a great work in its own right. Dore's illustrations clarifies, vivifies, and expands on the reading experience. The pictures are brilliantly reproduced here at a small cost to the consumer. The book stands alone for great artwork and is worth the minimal price.



3. It is amazing how such complex woodcuts could be done! Some of these are used in books. An example is the book cover illustration of the book "Raising Hell: A Concise History of the Black Arts and Those Who Dared Practice Them" (ISBN: 0399522387).

   If you like to see high standard of woodcuts, get this book.




4. This is with out a doubt the best of Gustave's biblically inspired works. His mastery is proven by creating a visually stunning and poetic world of a time long ago but not forgotten. It's hard to remember what I used to imagine when I thought of the Garden of Eden or the descension of the fallen angels must've been like prior to reading this work.

No comments about Food and Feasting in Art (Guide to Imagery).

5 comments about Spirit Taking Form: Making a Spiritual Practice of Making Art.

1. I am both a sculptor and a consultant in the use of art's transformational power to generate social innovation and general well being. Ms. Azara's book is both a personal joy to read and a professional tool.
   I recommend it to any person interested in discovering or revisiting their own artistic spirit.



2. This is a wonderful book for artist and non artist alike. You do not need to have experience with meditation to follow the guidelines in this book. It has been a delightful experience to follow the exercises here. I would recommend it for anyone who wants to enjoy a thoughtful art making experience.



3. I enjoyed the ideas in the book but found it ultimately not to be very useful. The book consists mainly of guided meditations focused around aspects of creativity. In a CD form it would be useful as an adjunct to actual meditation.
   
   The information about the artist and her process was interesting and the guided meditations could be useful in a different format. My one biggest wish is for a lot more hands-on creative exercises. There were a few, but in a book geared towards creativity and "making", there should be alot more experiential stuff.



4. In her book, Making a Spiritual Practice of Making Art, Nancy Azara writes about her own approach to art making that incorporates meditation and intention. The beautiful prose could be a book of poems. . . but its utility for artmaking is the absolute strength of her writing. One of the significant struggles for me as an artist is to volley each day between doubt and confidence in my work. Through Ms. Azara's book, I realized that there is also an artistry to trusting myself and my own experience. I have learned through her book and feel that it has helped me to make art with greater risk and richness. I recommend this book for everyone.



5. I bought Nancy's book because I enjoy her artwork and was pleased at how it helped me understand her artwork as well as providing a great approach to deal with patients on their issues using a variety of art forms and mediums. Nice examples, and a generally great book!

No comments about Design Evolution: A Handbook of Basic Design Principles Applied in Contemporary Design.