3 comments about Mary Engelbreit's Happy To You: Perpetual Birthday Calendar.

1. I purchased this and two other calendars for the holidays. This was by far my favorite with it's homey illustrations and the size was just right--not too long and skinny but still easy to write in.



2. Did not like this product too much.
   Was not happy with size or placement of cartoons.



3. Mary Engelbriet never disappoints! Drawings are beautiful and the paper is high quality to last many, many years of use.

No comments about Flowers in the Mauritshuis.

2 comments about Geometrical Quilts.

1. The concept of designing quilts around mathematical formulae sets this apart from the run of normal quilting books. But don't be scared - the book contains clear, well thought-out and detailed instructions for each example. It's hard to choose my favourite. Highly recommended!



2. This book is great for math lovers and math-phobics alike! The explanations are so clear that I can't imagine anyone not being successful with making the quilts (or a larger quilt). This is one of the few that doesn't end with "quilt as desired" -- instead giving suggestions for quilting motifs that work well with the patchwork. All thumbs up!

1 comments about Flight Out of Time: A Dada Diary (Documents of Twentieth Century Art).

1. Long before the beat movement or the hippies comes such a beautiful work from one of the most honest and daring individuals to ever live and then be forgotten in this world. The title says it best. Hugo Ball is probably the most important guide (in my life). You should read this and see if any of it rubs off on you.

No comments about Contemporary Folk Art: Treasures from the Smithsonian American Art Museum (Treasures from the Smithsonian American Art Museum Series).

2 comments about Degenerate Art.

1. If the Barron/Guenther book were only about the pictures, it would still rate five stars. It has to catalog "degenerate art" (a weak translation of "entartete Kunst", but the one that has become standard) better than most of its competitors.

   But Barron and Guenther were not content to stop with a catalog. Even without the pictures, this book would rate five stars. Guenther for one writes about having viewed this exhibit as a 17-year-old, giving true historical context for the gallery.

   From an essay on music (which tackles the sticky wicket of Wilhelm Furtwaengler) to an explanation of the structure of the Nazi art and culture hierarchy, "Degenerate Art" provides literate and precise insight to the cultural philosophy of the Third Reich. It remains as objective as you can be about that era, refusing to stoop to shouting "rabid Nazi idiots" -- Barron and Guenther allow their readers to come to that conclusion all on their own.

   The unsolved riddle, however, is one we have yet to resolve for ourselves. Witness Rudy G., and the dung-laden Virgin. How can art and government live side by side? One is empty without the other, but how do we define fine lines?

   Barron and Guenther's book does not answer that question, but it certainly gives both sides of the debate a ton of ammunition.




2. by now it's presumably common knowledge that the nazi's had very firm ideas on art. Other than pictures of heroic nazis, grandiose mountain views and happy peasants, all modern art was considered degenerate, especially if it was painted by a jew. It's not enough just to know this, however, one wants to see what the fuss was all about. This book brings the reader reproductions of the censured works in question and provides excellent essays that discuss the painters, their work and what happened to them under the nazis. This is a work which is essentially an excellent idea. It's a fascinating period for anyone interested in the role of the state in the production of art. What is perhaps even more fascinating is that the "modern" art which was the main target of the nazis, is so often the subject, to this day, of layperson's attacks on art. Think of the classic cliche remark, "oh, my three year old could have done that". This link raises many questions about the link between the fascist outlook and many commonly held views. We are appalled by the nazis and yet their views on art are not neccessarily radical in comparison to many commonly held views. What does that mean about our political leanings? what does that have to say about democracy? Can people truly handle freedom? Or at heart do they want somebody just to step in and take care of things for them? Why is it that people find it so hard to deal with the strange, disturbing and indeed, occasionally absurd images that artists come up with when they are truly are free to express their visions? I have nothing bad to say about this book on any technical level. The essays are uniformly brilliant and useful and the art speaks for itself. the book serves not only as an excellent resource for all those interested in art history, but as a beautiful and necessary tribute to the memory of so many persecuted artists. It reminds us of the importance of artistic freedom, particularly when the results are not to our liking, or are unsettling, or disturbing. It also happens to serve as a useful primer and introduction to a lot of the great art of that time period. I salute the authors and highly recommend this book.

5 comments about Chronicle of Western Fashion.

1. The reader can immediately appreciate the layout of the book, with its full-color renditions filling each page (about 8 figures per page). There are, however, a few problems. While the colors and textile patterns are decent, the shapes are consistently off. All the figures have, more or less, the same shape, which is inaccurate. Corsets and varying understructures affect the shape of costumes in real life, but in this book it is unclear. The men and women look about the same, with the same bulky waistlines, wide necks, and longish boxy torsos.
   
   While decently researched, the illustrator's talents fall short, and the costumes are, ultimately, inaccurate. The waistlines are fairly consistently off (often too low), the skirts have the same basic shape: a roundish lumpy farthingale, regardless of period, so that the 18th century panniers or the odd Elizabethan wheel farthingale, or the many mid-19th century dresses ALL look the same.
   
   If you are looking for colorful drawings your average semi-pro costume designer might make, regardless of accuracy, then this book is for you. It is, after all, fun to flip through and is somewhat close to styles it represents, but its many inaccuracies (generous) because I do like flipping through colorful pictures and enjoy playing "find the historical error" with the figures, but if you are new to historical costume and want to know what things really looked like in the past, this book is not for you.
   
   Moral of the story: Beware the many inaccuracies--this book is full of them!



2. As a member of a Middle Ages recreation group, I found some fantastic images that inspire me to create the garb they're showing. Unfortunately, Mr. Peacock doesn't provide a full bibliography of his sources so it is difficult to get a true feel for the context of the clothes. I emailed the publisher for more information, and they have yet to return my email...2 months later.
   
   I would definately recommend this book for anyone trying to get a good overview of garb and costume, but only if they do not care about being able to document exactly where the pattern and pieces come from.



3. I agree with one reviewer that you don't get a sense of fashion for one prolonged period. For example, you get several pictures of what a Russian lady would wear in 1876, but not the men, and sometimes not what they would wear in other time periods. However, I still reccommend this book because of its color pictures, the way the fashion starts as far back as the 11th century up through the 21st, and how the garmet details are explained.
   I'm writing a book where vampires are prominent and they all still wear clothes from their time frame, so this book was a huge help. At least I was able to write the correct names of the garments, especially the women and know what they would be wearing over the centuries. I reccommend this book if what you need is simple, like just a general sense of what a woman and man was wearing in the 1730's etc., and what the clothes were called. It's not that in depth, but is still very useful. If you can find it cheap (used) it's worth it and check you library for it too, that's where I first saw this, in my local library.



4. I BORROWED THIS BOOK FROM A COWORKER AND NEARLY CRIED WHEN I GAVE IT BACK. THE ILLUSTRATIONS ARE SUPERMAGNIFICENT, AS WELL AS THE INFORMATION REGARDING THE HISTORY OF EACH INDIVIDUAL STYLE. SO METICULOUS WERE THE ILLUSTRATIONS, THAT I WAS ABLE TO SKETCH SEVERAL OF THE RENDERINGS, MYSELF. THIS BOOK... TRULY AWE-INSPIRING AND MOST DEFINATELY PRICELESS!!!



5. Like it's been said, a good book to refer back to from time to time... if nothing else

No comments about No Rules street photography.

5 comments about Animal Essence the Art of Joe Weatherly.

1. Joe Weatherly is one of those artists who not only loves to draw and paint, but he also has a passion for teaching. I was lucky to find a mentor and friend through his Animal Drawing classes and demonstrations. I remember having his class one "Rainy" Friday at the SF Zoo, and he showed me his sketchbook. I was blown away by his quick and correct eye. The confidence in his anatomy work showed years of experience and dedication. Now to be able to own a copy of his sketchbook is a real treat. Animal Essence: The Art of Joe Weatherly, is one of my favorite books in my private collection of art books. And will remain there for years to come.



2. Another great book by Joe! The thing that I love about this book is that it is very realistic in an the artists range. He includes actual pages from his sketchbook, showing how every artist, no matter how skilled, has drawings that do and don't work. This makes his level of skill feel so much more attainable for the aspiring artist. He has beautiful paintings and renderings in addition to his energy-filled sketches, depicting his wide range and extreme capabilities with the subject. Animal Essence goes one step farther than The Weatherly Guide to Drawing Animals, in that he goes beyond anatomical studies into the realm of story, color, and mood. Both books work beautifully together in not only introducing the reader to animal art work but also as a teaching tool for those who aspire to achieve great skill in this area. It is a beautiful book and I would recommend it to anyone, artist or not.



3. I love this book. I am an Illustration Student at the Academy of Art in San Francisco and I ALWAYS use this book for any animal reference I need. It is very useful to have this book because of the scope of animals in it. Whether I need farm animals or exotic jungle cats, I can go to this book and get the most comprehensive anatomical reference I have come across.



4. I've known Joe for years and this time, he went over the top with his gorgeous book, "Animal Essence". This book is full of rich and beautiful illustrations done with pencil, ink, washes, oils, and other mixed media. It is sized perfectly for toting along as a reference book on location or it makes a wonderful table top display. This book is an excellent field study book, practical and applicable to the approach for drawing animals on location. His personal experiences in the South American jungles explodes across the pages where one can appreciate the animals, flora and fauna of his adventures and experience in particular the big cats. Additionally, he has lots of animals from Africa such as zebra, lions, elephants, and giraffe. It is a full color book lush with wonderful illustrations, gestures, and full colored paintings and everything in between. It is well worth the price. I recommend this book to my students for a level of professionalism and working exposure to illustrating animals that I have not found in other material since Rein Poortvliet. Way to go Joe!



5. Joe Weatherly has proved to be a master at animal drawing. This book shows his great talent in many different mediums from oil painting to simple pencil drawings. Joe really brings out the emotion and captures the animals beauty in all of his drawings. There are great tips along the way to help the aspiring artist to work on their own skills and techniques. This is an excellent book.

1 comments about Design Secrets: Advertising: 50 Real-Life Projects Uncovered.

1. I'm in my senior year of advertising and this book helps me understand and analyze deeply some incredibly smart ad campaigns. From Absolut Vodka to Volkswagen, these campaigns (some quite know, others should be for their witty strategy) will help anyone who wants to understand different concepts of different products. A definite two thumbs up! About the structure, its layout is very organized, the images and the content is great (I love the original sketches for the print ads and the storyboards) and the fact that it's hardcovered makes it even better.