3 comments about The Potter's Eye: Art and Tradition in North Carolina Pottery.

1. An absolute gem of a book; clear, comprehensive, and beautifully illustrated.



2. A fine book with essays and some 90 photos with commentary on pieces shown in the NC Art Museum's early 2006 exhibit. But if you are not familiar with pottery and potting be sure to read at least the first dozen or so comments on the individual pottery pieces - some important descriptions and definitions are provided of the various kinds of kilns, pottery designs and styles. Otherwise you may be baffled by the name and term dropping later in the book.
   
   A book I will revisit often. The photographs are superb and the essays are insightful. I especially liked the discussions by potter and exhibit curator Mark Hewitt on the interplay of tradition and contemporary work: "a delightful syncopation of perception and expression, nudging the old world into the present...tradition is a mirror, reflecting who we are and how we measure up. It is the voice of our pottery forebears, encouraging, revealing, holding our feet to the fire. Tradition is one of the voices of the divine."



3. The Potter's Eye by Mark Hewitt and Nancy Sweezy is a must for lover's of North Carolina pottery. Organized in a logical way, the book offers a wonderful review of the stoneware tradition still alive in North Carolina. The book connects the North Carolina tradition of pottery making with traditions in Europe, Asia, and other states in the U. S.
   
   Lavishly photographed with rich details, The Potter's Eye is sure to impress. Perhaps the best part of the book are the interviews included with modern potters: Kim Ellington, Mark Hewitt, Ben Owen III, Pam Owens, Vernon Owens, and David Stuempfle. Legends in their own time.
   
   The Potter's Eye is not a coffee table book. It will become an integral part of your library as soon as you receive it.
   
   Peace

3 comments about My Favorite Model: 43 Outstanding Contemporary Photographers Portray 44 Gorgeous Models.

1. "Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder." This simple precept is explored to its fullest in Goliath's latest anthology of modern day photographers, each of whom were asked to showcase their most prized nudes of their favorite model. An impressive and diverse range of artists are featured including Richard Murrian, Craig Morey, Sabine Schoenberger, Dave Naz, Christine Kessler, Peter Janhans, Peter Gorman, Mark Frank, Andrew Einhorn, John Donegan, Emma Delves-Broughton, Bob Coulter, and many, many others. It's a electrifying collection of glamour and art nudes from an array of photographers and models working at the apex of their power.
   
   Each model is the focus of an individual chapter of exquisite pictures. And she is allowed to express herself through a simple, Playboyesque list of questions such as "Where do you Live?", "How did you become a Model?", "Turn-Ons and Turn-Offs?", "Democrat or Republican?", etc. As with the photographers, there is a diverse assemblage of women here, all of whom are amazingly beautiful and some that are very well known in their own right, like Liz Ashley, Sativa Verte, and Carlotta Champagne to mention a few.
   
   The production quality of the book itself is magnificent. And it's 320 pages gives it the feel of a massive, erotic textbook of sorts. This is a delightful collection of nudes and insights that all will enjoy.



2. This is an absolutely stunning book of photography featuring a wide range of models and styles. From simple nudes to full-on fetish, these photographers showcase everything from bondage to outdoor nudity to the finest in latex attire. I have many favorites here, but what I loved is discovering new photographers and models alongside favorites like Justine Joli, who is absolutely smokin' hot here (as well as literally smoking, turning the act of placing a cigarette in one's mouth into an erotic art form).
   
   The Hikari Kesho set of Karia and friend, featuring mistress and sub play while also slightly mocking it is to be commended as well. Emma Delves-Broughton brings us Valeria, who is, I believe, on the cover of her book Kinky Couture, but here she's also in a cute little blue latex waitress outfit on roller skates, transforming herself into some kind of kinky waitress on wheels. Katja Ehrhardt's photos of the striking Ulorin Vex, with a different hair color in each as she models a black latex headdress and gloves, are arresting in their boldness. They're followed by the lightheartedness of Happy Naked Girls photographer Andrew Einhorn showing off Lorina, a pretty but somewhat plain girl who's holding a camera of her own.
   
   This book features some models who look like typical California blonde beach babes worthy of pinup calendars, to others who'd be perfectly at home in the dirtiest of dungeons. The short interviews with each model give a little glimpse into their personalities, and their websites so we can go ogle more photos; I certainly plan to. What's also wonderful about this collection is that one has the sense that the models are equal participants in the shoots. They stare back boldly, sometimes defiantly. They take up space, and truly pose, instead of just staring back at the camera and waiting for the person behind the lens to work their magic. While this book is meant to, and does, showcase some of the best erotic photographers in the world, it also highlights the importance of the models, who are clearly making statements of their own via their clothing (or lack of it), piercings, hair, and body language. This is a book I plan to revisit often.



3. A breathtaking look into female beauty. The images will definitely fill your dreams. The cover model Carlotta Champagne is stunning, as are her photos inside.

5 comments about Lehner's Encyclopedia of U.S. Marks on Pottery, Porcelain and Clay.

1. The book arrived on time and the condition was as described (new). The secondary packaging could use improvement as the box had broken and opened at the bottom. The primary packaging was excellent and prevented the book from damage when the box broke.



2. This book is a definite 'must have' for anyone dealing in or buying collectible ceramics. I have just started selling glasswares and have come across a lot of different pottery marks. Without a reference book, you cannot determine an items' real worth.
   This book has thousands of different marks and artists' marks! This book is by my side when trying to determine the ceramic items' origin and age.



3. This book is about U.S. marks.
   
   .... So, if you need a piece of U.S.A pottery identified, then this book probably has the mark. (Please note that this book is not about finding markings of European pieces. As stated on the cover, this book is strictly about U.S. marks).
   
   P.S.: This book also includes all the U.S. RESTAURANT-WARE markings. Very helpful if you collect "RESTAURANT-WARE", along with other American pottery and china.



4. This book is prodigious in scope: the pottery marks (with huge varieties within each company) and historical information are both invaluable and interesting. However, the indexing is weak, which leads one to thumbing through pages trying to find an elusive mark. This is such a well-researched, vast collection of marks, however, that laborious searches are rewarded.



5. This book is jam packed with pottery marks, a great value for the price. I had no idea that there were so many. It is extremely informative, giving a brief history, manufacture dates and much more information for each company listed. I would definately recommend this to anyone with an interest in collecting or selling pottery.

3 comments about Painting and Decorating Clay Pots: 117 Step-by-Step Projects for Making People, Animals, and Fantasy Characters on Terra-Cotta Pots.

1. I bought this book because I had seen a few terra cotta designs on the web and wanted more to decorate my home and garden. I did not like this book. The pots are cheesy looking and there is no talent behind them. Some of the supplies needed are so hard to find. If you want to paint cute terra cotta pots use your own imagination and designs. Don't waste your time and money on this book.



2. This is a great book the details are great and it can help you use your imagnation with it as well it is well illustrated I use it offten.



3. I found out about this book when an online newsletter (Family Corner News) featured one of its projects. The project was decorating a flowerpot with seashells, filling it with sand and a fat candle. Really looked nice and just what I needed for my seaside themed bathroom.
   That made me look at the book. It's great to find ways to use all those terra cotta flower pots sitting around in the garage.

No comments about Cape Dorset Prints: A Retrospective: Fifty Years of Printmaking at the Kinngait Studios.

1 comments about Fostoria American Line 2056 (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. This book is wonderful to look at and browse through! It has a great deal of information and MANY full color pictures. It is a delight to be able to see so many well photographed pieces in one volume. The price ranges are listed right with the picture and descriptions, so it is a quick and easy reference. This is a good book for those that are in search of a moderately priced volume for their personal reference, as well as for the dealer.

   Note: the author, Leslie Pina, has many other volumes on glass that may be of interest to you.

2 comments about Fantasy Worlds.

1. Beautifully photographed and well documented book of unusual structures. Got me hooked on the topic of "outsider constructions". Thanks for the inspiration.



2. Fantasy Worlds is worth at least twice its price. It is a showy, large-format hard-cover "coffee table" art photography book worthy of purchase for yourself or as a gift.

   Its 340 pages are crammed with full-page photos of bright and saucy gems of personal architecture. The subject matter consists of the creations of untrained visionaries who are obsessed with the desire to decorate and embellish their dwellings.

   The book features 73 environmental creations -- 37 in Europe, 27 in America and 9 in Asia and Africa. The works vary from famous sites such as the Watts Towers in Los Angeles, the Gaudi creations in Barcelona and the Tiger Balm Gardens in Hong Kong to largely unknown jewels such as Salvation Mountain near Niland in the Salton Sea area of California.

   The text is in English, French and German.

5 comments about 500 Glass Objects: A Celebration of Functional & Sculptural Glass (500 Series).

1. I love this series from Lark! It provides me with lots of inspiration and it is a wonderful tool to learn new artists and their work. I have almost the whole series!



2. This book contains images that are fantastic however it also contains some incredibly poor ones. Certain artists submitted images of really high resolution or the most accurate photographic image - in slide format and the publisher has scanned them in quite inadequately. I was disappointed at the overall quality of this book and its presentation of artwork.



3. I am not really sure what people are hoping to find in this book. Like all of Lark's '500 Series' they are simply inspirational,the are not technical nor are they project based or how to, they are mostly gorgeous eye candy. I am not a glass artist, I am lucky to have a few art glass pieces that I have collected over the years but I bought this book purely to marvel at the shapes, originality and astonishing colours achieved by the wonderful artists whoose work is contained within. Truly luscious pieces each and everyone. Not always functional but certainly inspiring.



4. If you are a contemporary art glass collector, you will love the hundreds of photographs in this book. You might even discover a new artist whose work you covet! As a learning tool, however, this book leaves something to be desired. Other than the names of the artists and their techniques, plus the object dimensions, there is not a lot of information. It would have been nice to have examples and descriptions of how the techniques are accomplished. But then, the author - the daughter of one of the world's foremost glass artists - would have needed more than 396 pages.



5. Having paged through the excellent "400 Polymer Clay Designs" by the same publisher, I was disappointed by 500 Glass Objects. I was looking for a book full of exciting inspiration for fused glass, and I wasn't particularly impressed by the selection. I returned it.

4 comments about I Shock Myself: The Autobiography of Beatrice Wood.

1. Being a potter and a Beato fan, I truly enjoyed the time I spent with this autobiography. I was fascinated by how her life unfolded from her relationships with those in art to her own creation of art. How her world which was largely centered around the men she knew, changed as she found herself in clay.
   I loved how this story unfolded and I was sad when it ended.



2. I am going to be honest and say what this autobiography meant to me.... Starting with her early days as an artist to an actress breaking from her mother's shell. To her associations with Duchamp,Roche,Varese,Reginald Pole,Krishnumarti and other well-known men. And it tells of the struggles she went through in paying the price to learn of life and her amazing stories in India,France..etc; were very interesting to read. I enjoyed her stories with the beloved Arensbergs' for they were very important in her life. Before this book I didn't have knowledge of most of the artists in her life. She has opened new doors! I laughed hysterically at her descriptions of her years with Pole and Steve.She is a riot!

   An amazing woman really. This book will remain with me forever and I will read it again and again. For someone like myself can't beleve there is so much adventure in life. She died this spring at 105,in her heart 32. I would have loved to meet her.All I can do now is remember her and try to learn more about her life and art. I loved her and she is an inspiration to all humanity with her marvelious statements on the facts of life.Afterall,she lived 105 years and paid the price. A definate book to add to a collection for any Beato fan or curious book reader!




3. As a potter, I'd hoped to learn more about her art. However,there were some gems to be found in the text. I really enjoyed the stories about several other famous people in her life. She is brutally honest in her opinions and I like that. On the downside... it was a bit too "socially conscious" in places, for my own taste. Overall, I enjoyed the book and will read more by her. I wrote a personal letter to her, regarding her book and she answered me promptly... twice! Great lady! Wonderful clay-artist! :-) An interesting read, for sure.



4. Highly recommended, artist Beatrice Wood's autobiography, "I Shock Myself" gives the read a glimpse into her illustrious life and art. I could not put this book down

2 comments about Into the Nature: Of Creatures And Wilderness.

1. I bought Into the Nature as a resource book for senior painting students. It has a wide collection of images but very little writing. If you liked Wonderland and Romantic you will probably enjoy this book. It is excellent as it has a wide variety of approaches to a single theme / subject matter. A number of the images are very challenging so don't buy it if you are easily offended. My students loved it and were very inspired by the images.
   So yes I'd recommend it as part of a resource collection but don't purchase it as a be all and end all book.
   lm



2. I'ts really very nice, and thick; It's a big book. Full of interesting photography and illustration.