No comments about Hirado : Prince of Porcelains (Encyclopedia of Japanese Art Series) (Encyclopedia of Japanese Art Series).

No comments about Solid-Colored Dinnerware: Depression to Mid-Century (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

No comments about Five Decades of the Burin: The Wood Engravings of John Depol.

1 comments about How to Paint Shorebirds: A Guide to Materials, Tools, and Technique.

1. I've been using this nice volume for a number of years now. The book is well illustrated and the text quite helpful. I use this work for both drawing and painting various subjects. The examples given here can quite well be used for other species than address in this volume. This is not a simple step by step book for those beginning although I do feel it would be a great help for anyone interested. Some degree of skill is needed in drawing and some in color shading to reap the full benefits from this book.

2 comments about Ash Glazes.

1. I am fairly new to glaze development, though I have read Hopper's "The Ceramic Spectrum", so I ordered this hoping to expand on what I learned from that book. I was quite excited when I recieved it, but quickly began to feel rather disappointed.
   
   Here's a few reasons why: the first thing that bothered me about this book is that it only has a few colour photos - the rest are black and white, and of only medium quality. Secondy, I was also a little irritated when I discovered that the author seems to have very definite opinions about how ash should be used in glazes, and seems to resist usages that don't fit well within his scheme of things. Thirdly, much of the text covers the nominal compositions of various different ashes, and all the while, the author is saying things that basically amount to "You can't ever really tell what's in a specific ash sample without testing it." Finally, most of the photos seem to be of work by a single artist (perhaps the way the author thinks ash glazes *should* look?) ... it would be nice to see a wider variety of work, especially considering the long history of ash as both accidental and intentional glazes and glaze components.
   
   All in all, I would not recommend this book for those who are interested in using ash glazes. To them, I would recommend Robin Hopper's "The Ceramic Spectrum", and say "Try it and see".



2. Robert Tichane shows you the wonderful and unpredictable effects of ash glazes made from various plants. He gives extensive detail on the chemical composition of ashes achieved by using different parts of trees (from root to leaves) and from using leaves of different plants (ranging from beech, oak to vegetables like cabbages and lettuce). This book is suited for a more experienced potter with some knowledge of chemistry and much patience. Still, I found it very inspiring despite not understanding some of his more detailed discussions.

3 comments about Collectors Guide to Made in Japan Ceramics: Identification & Values Book III (Collector's Guide to Made in Japan Ceramics).

1. 
   I collect older (collectible) MADE IN JAPAN items and therefore I have quite a few books on the subject. This book is not complete but quite helpful. Photos are nice.
   
   Many different volumes have been written on this subject. Infact, I own 3 other books on this subject.
   
   When "Made in Japan" collectibles were issued there were sooooo many different items sold, that it would be impossible to include all of them in just one book. The author tried and did a good job though.



2. This was an awesome product for me to have because I have alot of ceramics that have the made in japan labels on them. It is really fun to look them up to see if what you have is worth anything.



3. Made in Japan Ceramics Book 3 continues to give the readers what they want: INFORMATION ! Biscuit Barrels, Figurines, Condiment Sets , Wall Pockets, etc.,etc., with top notch color photos. Carole Bess White has chosen to share her vast knowledge and love of these charming pieces. Thanks Carole. When shall we expect volume #4 ?

No comments about Pucker: Art of Matt Busch.

1 comments about Inferno : The Art of Tomas Giorello.

1. Tomas Giorello has always been one of the half-dozen or so artists whose work I've always looked forward to seeing in the many outstanding Gallery Girls collections from SQ Productions. Giorello simply illustrates some of the most beautiful women ever put on paper. In Inferno, Giorello gets his first collection all to his own that spotlights this amazing talent. Working proficiently in any genre including fantasy, horror, sci-fi and eroticism, Giorello displays an exceptional penciling ability whose work looks fabulous reproduced just from pencils.
   
   I love the diversity and the sense of wonder and adventure of the pieces in Giorello's collection. Each illustration is a story all on its own. Page 6 features a nude female Indian shaman conjuring up a powerful buffalo spirit. Page 11 finds a nude blonde about to be come a sacrifice to some dark God. Note the detail of the glistening amulet on the robed priest and the whispy smoke of the candles. Page 12 depicts a frequent them in this book...gorgeous and scantily clad prehistoric women either riding, killing, or posing with prehistoric beasts, in this case the nude cavewoman is with a pair of sabre-tooth tigers.
   
   Page 29 has what is probably my favorite work of the entire book with two nude warrior women, dressed in thigh-high leather boots and leather gloves and armed to the teeth. There's a great drawing of a Conan-esque barbarian with a huge battle axe and holding his trophy of several horned demon skulls strung at the end of a rope. Another great piece finds a bald, tribal woman, naked and tied to a burning stake as a monstrous snakes writhes around her. Page 61 has a female warrior in some dank, temple ruins surrounded by several decaying mummies.
   
   I'd love to see Giorello's work done in a strip format as he seems to have strong story-telling skills. It's a great collection by a young artist who is yet just 31 years old and still improving his craft all the time. Brilliant!
   
   Reviewed by Tim Janson

No comments about The Master of the College Nurse (The Erotic Print Society's Great British Erotic Art S.).

1 comments about Bridging Time & Space: Essays on Layered Art.

1. In separate, but harmonious, voices, eleven writers describe layered art as an expression of a holistic perspective. Each chapter addresses a theme, illustrated in color with artworks related to: alchemy, the spirit, earth metaphors, cosmic forces, healing, archaic traces and the millennium. Layered art reflects the forward edge of syncretic thinking, the recognition that the universe is held within a matrix of shared consciousness. Everything is connected with everything else.