3 comments about PreFab Now.

1. A Luscious book - with inspirational photos, in both quality and selection. A valuable book for educating those new to this trend in building, so they can abandon old ideas of prefab and look at the hot creative and even green possibilities.



2. PreFab Now
   
   For me, this was a pleasure to look through. The variety of homes covered in the book are extensive; and the photography captured the Pre-Fab installations beautifully. I plan on building a Pre-Fab in the future and I found this book to be a great source of inspiration and visual information.



3. PreFabNow, $26.37 Amazon.com, is a two hundred page square-format book from author James Grayson Trulove. His recent hardbacks include 25 Apartments and Lofts Under 2500 Square Feet, New Sustainable Homes, and The Modern Townhouse. This volume highlights prime examples of striking prefabricated homes on the market today - and examines facets such as cost, durability, and sustainability. The book also includes drawings, plans, renderings, and sumptuous full-page color photography from various architects and photographers.
   
   Resolution: 4 Architecture envisioned the Mountain Retreat that occupies 18 of the first 30 pages appearing after the Contents and Foreword. This 1,800-square-foot home was assembled in a factory before being erected on-site in the Catskills. Once the prefabricated bars were raised, exterior sheathing of cedar board and cementitious panels were applied; a deck for entertaining was also added. My favorite element on this house is the butterfly roof with clerestory windows.
   
   English countryside homes like Cedar House - designed by Hudson Architects - are enviable. This 3,450-square-foot home (utilizing off-site construction) was erected in just one week. Timber-panel floors, roofing, and walls allowed for easy installation; 15,000 untreated cedar shingles complete the exterior. Because the roof structure was lightweight, roof beams were not required - therefore the residence has soaring ceilings and vast open spaces. My favorite feature on this structure is the cantilevered corner window in aluminum-frame.
   
   Flexibility and portability are found in the Portable House from Office of Mobile Design. This California dwelling has ample living and sleeping spaces divided by a kitchen and bath. Once the 12-by-60-foot steel frame is trucked to its site and set on a foundation, the exterior is fitted with metal siding and translucent polycarbonate panels that serve as windows. My favorite detail here is the bamboo flooring, since bamboo is a sustainable hardwood.
   
   Another home designed by Resolution: 4 Architecture is in rural Virginia. The Country Retreat is a 2,600-square-foot house with communal areas on the lower level and private areas on the upper level. Once its prefabricated bars were raised, exteriors of horizontal cedar siding and cement-board accents were applied; a ground-level stone courtyard conceals a swimming pool. My favorite attribute of this retreat is the view from the dining/living area onto the aforementioned courtyard.
   
   Besides the Mountain Retreat, my favorite residence in PreFabNow, is the Red Cabin designed by Alchemy Architects. Perched in the Minnesota woods, a 750-square-foot house with two bedrooms and a galley kitchen evokes the image of a tugboat stranded atop a hill. Configured from two pre-built modules, the home appears spacious due to ground level and rooftop decks. Clad in rough-sawn siding, the house is painted firehouse red to mimic nearby cabins.
   
   Next I'll discuss the X 1 which is part of the X-Line from Hive Modular. This 2,300-square-foot modular home - also located in Minnesota - has 15 foot ceilings in the dining, kitchen, living, master and second bedroom, and study area. Its exterior is covered with maintenance-free fiber-cement and metal siding, and the windows are all black-clad aluminum. I'd say the architects at Hive Modular are fans of the artist Mondrian, based on this prototype.
   
   Of the houses featured here, I especially like the Mod3 Riverview. This green home was designed by Studio 804 of Lawrence, Kansas. All its ceiling, floor and wall cavities are filled with recycled cellulose instead of fiberglass insulation. The exterior is home grown Douglas fir used to reduce fuel consumption associated with shipping materials from overseas. Floor to ceiling windows utilized here also insure ample natural light, reducing the need for artificial light.
   
   While I can't imagine living in a Mobile Dwelling Unit - designed by Lot-Ek - it does possess a certain post-Millennial charm. This unit is built from recycled shipping containers. Its interior and sub-volumes are fabricated from fixtures, plywood, and plastic-coated plywood. When all the sub-volumes are extended, the square footage of the dwelling increases by ten percent. Overall, I'd say this is an excellent coffee table book for anyone that's contemplating buying a prefab home.

5 comments about Naked Happy Girls.

1. Andrew Einhorn did a great nude job in this book. Different from other books you can see the models in their normal life playing with their cats,smoking,dancing etcc but the most important all of them are laughing. I really like the style and the idea of "Happy Naked Girls"



2. This guy is on the Playboy Channel practically every hour. This Naked Happy Girls is just too overexposed. I thought Playboy meant hot models, not a pudgy jew running around NYC with a camera.



3. Einhorn's images make me think of those nature shows, the ones where the photographer goes into wild to shoot his subjects. Like the successful naturalist, Einhorn lets us see these wild, delicate creatures as they appear in their native environment. And, as the title promises, his subjects all look happy.
   
   This thick book devotes a few pages to each of his models. Each section starts with a few sentences about the model - this one smokes cigars, that one likes red wine, another just bought a kitten. I like that. Just a few words celebrate the uniqueness of each woman, a warm contrast to other collections that don't even allow the model a name.
   
   Black and white pictures allow degrees of flexibility that are hard with color photos. I don't mean darkroom tricks, but choices of light and dark or amounts of contrast. This, along with the subtlety of each model's appearance, just blows away the idea of race. Saying that any particular woman is "black" or "Asian" simply is not adequate. They're people, beautiful people who combine in themselves all the best of humanity's many faces. This isn't an arty or erotic collection, but it's a lot of fun.
   
   -- wiredweird



4. I found this book a bit disappointing. Fair enough, the title suggests it is just gonna be `Naked, Happy Girls' and to that end it could hardly be called misleading. However, I guess I'd hoped for a little bit more. A little bit more composure to the photographs (not posed, just not quite so `passing snapshot'), a little bit more interest or theme than can be generated by a collection of photos of naked, happy girls. Spend a few Summers on the beach with lots of naked people and the novelty of naked, happy girls starts to fade and you need something more, it makes it too much like random photos of people just going about their business. Not a misleading title but once you realize that's the sum of the content it seems a bit........ and?
   
   It feels like if this was a collection of your own photos of your own group of friends it would be perfect, but when it's someone else's collection of people not known to the reader it's too much like looking through someone else's personal photo albums.
   
   Notwithstanding, if you'd like a little book of pictures of naked, happy girls this is just that-and naked, happy girls are always a guaranteed spirit lifter!!
   
   Cheers
   
   Lloyd



5. Indeed it is a line up of happy girls without much clothing around. All photographed in a good mood and by a good mooded photographer. These moods reflect well in the photos and it is a pleasure to read the introduction per person and view all photos one by one.
   
   The book certainly shows that silver based black and white photography on film is very well suited for figure studies. With what seems like thousands of shades of grey the girls's skins tones are brougth onto paper very delicately.
   
   Well done!

4 comments about Easy Mosaics for Your Home and Garden.

1. I bought this book, knowing nothing about making stepping stones or working with stained glass. Great book! I have made some beautiful stepping stones (using tumbled stained glass). . . this book gave me the basics and some great ideas. I recommend it for anyone interested in crafts of this type!



2. I checked this book out from the library and, after renewing it once, realized I just needed my own copy. There are details, like suggesting soaking pieces before using them in a mosaic, that I've not seen elsewhere, and I checked out over a dozen mosaic books.
   
   The pictures are clear, directions thorough, and there are several projects I'm interested in trying.
   
   Backyard Mosaics by Connie Sheerin is the other book in this genre I'd recommend, simply because there are many projects that look useful as well as fun.



3. There are lots and lots of great easy ideas. I feel really inspired after just looking through the book! The technique the author uses is different from the one I've always used, but it looks fun and probably a great way for kids and other beginners to start. I'm anxious to try it, and I plan to incoropate a lot of the ideas from the books into my future mosaic projects!!



4. "Easy Mosaics for Your Home and Garden" is inspiring. In a fun and easy to follow style, the book explains in words and pictures how to create a number of beautiful mosaic projects both for indoors and the garden. The instructions are clear and photos very helpful. The author makes mosaic art non-intimidating, by using a non-fussy easy clean-up approach. I have had a lot of fun using the book as a step-by-step guide in making projects with family members-some of whom had never touched an art or craft project before. Each project results in a beautiful or whimsical piece of mosaic art. Definitely a fun guide and great book!

2 comments about Collect Raindrops: The Seasons Gathered.

1. I received the book I ordered in a very banged-up box. There were a few of those air-pillow packing material things, (like giant bubble wrap) but they were all popped. the book had some scratches on the cover, which was unfortunate, because it was a large-cover book of art, and a gift. Collect Raindrops: The Seasons Gathered



2. This was a book I randomly picked up at borders because I thought the cover looked pretty. It sounded too expensive to me at the time, but I keep thinking about it, so I'm biting the bullet and purchasing it so I can pull it out when the thought strikes...

5 comments about The New Erotic Photography.

1. I just received this book today. It is full of erotic images as I expected. What I didn't expect to find was the pubic hair inside the book.



2. This book is so full of great photography from so many talented contributors that anyone can find something to titillate and amuse them. There's no accounting for taste ofcourse but no matter what you crave theres a morcel for each and everyone included in this book. It covers the Mild to Wild territory. From fantastic to grotesque, from beautiful to baffling, from realistic to surreal....well need I say more? A great addition to anyone's collection of erotic photography.



3. This book is amazing. 600 hundred pages of pure beauty. Anyone who is not famaliar with erotic photographers, like myself, this is a wonderful book to start with. The cost of the book will set you back about the cost of a tank of gas. And unlike gas, you will have the book longer than a week. Every artist is a bit different from one another and shine in their own way. A great coffee table book. Except, i would absolutely put it away when the nephews are over, but not my parents. Classy and sexy. Buy this book now.



4. TNEP is a amazingly book very well done, with a interesting text on this subject. The finishing, paper, photo quality are outstanding. I recommend for all who love photography and beautiful women.



5. This is a wonderful book. Full of beautiful photographs of many beautiful women. Makes a great coffee table book.
   Not safe for kids!

5 comments about Handbuilt Ceramics: Pinching * Coiling * Extruding * Molding * Slip Casting * Slab Work( A Lark Ceramics Book).

1. This is a very complex book covering some unconventional ceramic techniques and styles of application for this medium. Lots of information in here that I haven't seen in other books. TONS of beautiful color photos showing various artists' works and a variety of installations, from ornimental to architectural. General basic information on clay formation, glazing formulas, slip-casting, mold relief, kiln operation and firing techniques is included as well. Several illustrative projects included for those who would like to try to replicate some of the design processes described.
   Anyone interested in clay as an art form would definitely enjoy this book!



2. I have only tried pottery once but my husband is experienced - we both think this book is admirably well thought out, concise, useful, but most of all beautiful. Nearly every image she uses for illustration is museum quality work and incredibly inspirational for anybody.
   
   This book is a treat for the eyes and is presented in an easy to follow progression. I dare anybody to not be delighted with this book.



3. As an experienced ceramic artist, it's nice to be reminded, that we are never too old to learn
   In this book Kathy Triplett shares many of her skills, what I also enjoy is seeing the works of some other outstanding ceramic artist
   Honestly, after seeing this book, you will be off to the ceramic supply store, and stocking up on clay & glazes



4. Through setting up, producing simple pieces to attempting more complex projects 'Handbuilt Ceramics' is an excellent guide. There are many examples of simple and basic ceramics pieces for inspiration along with practical advice.Each of the projects has step by step photographs and clear written explanations. I have found it useful and interesting.



5. This is one of the most useful and well-done ceramics books I've found. It strikes a good balance between basic information (i.e., theory) and practical application (in the form of example projects). It has hundreds of good color photos: some of finished work (to stimulate creative ideas), and others showing step-by-step techniques being applied. The text is well-written and full of useful tips.

1 comments about Masters: Porcelain: Major Works by Leading Ceramists (Masters).

1. I am in love with lark 500 books,and this publication is no exception!
   Porcelain is a tricky clay body to work with,I am an amateur...the wide variety of styles,colorations and applications of the techniques are more than one artist could absorb in a lifetime.It's a volume that will last me a lifetime,even if I resort to white earthenware,it is a wonderfilled collection of of some of the most extroardinary examples of sculptures done by contemporary artists.
   Very,very,highly recommended.If you want a library of the best of the best,to your personal tastes,this is a book to have and to own.

5 comments about Urgent 2nd Class: Creating Curious Collage, Dubious Documents, and Other Art from Ephemera.

1. I'm a Nick Bantock fan, through and through, so I enjoy any book that gives me insight into his creativity. If you have any urge to make epistolary art, this book will inspire and delight you. Even if you don't want to make your own postcards, you will enjoy reading what makes him tick.
   
   Another HIGHLY recommended Bantock book (even better than this one, in my opinion) is The Artful Dodger.



2. Bantock is probably best known for his "Griffin & Sabine" saga, consisting of slightly warped three-dimensional collections of fictional correspondence, and it's the sort of art he incorporated into those works that he discusses here. I'm a stamp collector myself with a special interest in heavily engraved 19th century stamps from countries and colonies most people have never heard often featuring obscure subjects. Likewise, as a professional archivist, I also have a fondness for old letters and their postmarked covers, old bureaucratic documents with seals, rubber stamps, and arcane endorsements, and antique maps of places that may no longer exist. All of this is grist to Bantock's mill and the imaginative ways in which he incorporates such elements (sometimes into collages, but not always) are perfectly fascinating. Since this isn't a manual on how to draw or paint with oils, the actual instructions are few; he simply shows you intriguing examples and says, in effect, "Here's one way you can do it." It's more a source for inspiration than a manual. But it's a neat book.



3. I love Nick Bantock. In my eyes he can do no wrong. His art is simply brilliant but like others have mentioned, this is not a real "how to" book. It does give you some things to think about and there are ideas afoot but you won't come away lots of new and exciting skills. That's ok...if you are a NB fan. His creations are worth the price of admission.



4. This book wasn't what I was hoping for in that the ideas and examples are all too similar in final product. I believe that because I am not looking for altered books genre per se, this book is not for me. I would reallly like to sell it back, otherwise I am stuck with it.



5. I enjoyed Urgent 2nd Class because it was put together by Nick Bantock, who charmed me with the Sabine series and the Artful Dodger and others too numerous to mention. His images are multilayered and artful. He does talk about how some images were made (ephemera, Bantock-designed rubber stamps) but he does not show you step by step how to accomplish any particular image. And his ephemera may not be available to the average person. He does by from dealers in Vancouver BC, giving him an advantage over those in small towns.
   This is not a shortcoming, however, if you have other books that show you the construction and layering of stuff. The beauty of Bantock lies in his imagination, his imagination. He does encourage the reader to use their own, and that's a gift.

5 comments about The Many Faces of Mata Ortiz.

1. We just visited Mata Ortiz, and it is great to be able to connect all the faces and stories with the beautiful objects these humble artists create.



2. "The Many Faces of Mata Ortiz" is a treasure trove of information about the treasures that are the Mata Ortiz people and pottery. It is well laid-out, well written, and well...wonderful!! The only thing that would make my copy better are autographs by Juan Quezada himself and every other potter in the book.
   
   Unfortunately for whatever reason, Juan's son Alvaro is not featured in the book. He is indeed an exceptional artist.
   
   I was able to meet Alvaro and Juan Quezada in Nov 2006 in their family gallery in Mata Ortiz and found them and their entire family to be humble friendly and genuinely thrilled that people love their wonderful creations.
   
   If you have not had the opportunity to visit Mata Ortiz, "The Many Faces of Mata Ortiz" will inspire you to go. If you have, it will make you pine for it and it's people.



3. This is a great book for all that are curious about Mata Ortiz pottery and the people who make it. If you want to start collecting, it's a great book to have for a reference source. All artists mentioned in this book are of high caliber, as good, some even better than the Native American potters of the Southwest. At this time, these wares are also less expensive and affordable to most people. Hopefully they will be a good investment for the future.
   
   Susan Moesch



4. A wonderful collection of photographs combined with dialoge about this remote village in Mexico. It describes the journey to get there, then details the lives of the talented people who live there. The photogtaphy is outstanding. A must for any person collecting or thinking of collecting pottery from this village.



5. Almost 40 years ago Juan Quesada from the village of Mata Ortiz in Chihuahua singlehandedly revived Casa Grande style pottery. This book is a beautifully illustrated account of his success, along with the other artists of the village who learned from him. Becoming familiar with these artists should lay to rest the notion held by many Americans that Mexican imports are second class. These paper-thin pots are as beautiful as any you will ever see. This book has color photographs of many of the potters from Mata Ortiz as well as pictures of their pots. There is information on how the pots are made-- they are all built by hand from native materials, painted with brushes made from the artists' children's hair and fired over cow dung.

   The book has a lot of interesting details-- for instance, when the Pope visited Mexico a few years ago, he was given three of these magnificent pots. Another fascinating tidbit is that one of every seven citizens of this village makes these pots. They have gone from doing manual labor to creating works of art.

   Owning this book is the next best thing to owning a Mata Ortiz pot.

No comments about Roy Stuart, Vol.2.