3 comments about The Art of Lorenzo Sperlonga.

1. If you like erotic pin-up, sci-fi, or fantasy art dealing with realistic images of beautiful women, (and a great rendition of Spiderman and Vlad, the infamous impaler) this is the book for you. Not only are the paintings photo-realistic in many instances, but they are imaginative in their settings. There are many great artists of this genre to pick from, but this book is a little different in that Lorezno Sperlonga shows you he is not trapped in any box. There is something for every kind of pin-up art lover in this sleek volume of his work. For real art fans, Lorenzo lets you see his progression over a period of years and he is nothing if not improving with every brush stroke. I love this rather unassuming artist and the work he has put together here. I highly recommend this collection to any fan of erotic fantasy art. And by the way, not every painting is a nude rendition and yet even those that are not have great impact. There is even an endearing painting of a raccoon on the last page where he thanks all of the people who have helped him along the way. A must have!!



2. In the world of erotic/pinup art, Lorenzo Sperlonga is a true master. In a field loaded with some extremely talented artists, Sperlonga is one of the very best, drawing and painting some of the most beautiful women ever put on paper. This 104 page, full color collection from SQP collects some of the greatest works from the Italian artist. Sperlonga was "discovered" by Kevin Eastman, publisher of Heavy Metal and co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Eastman was blown away by the lush, detailed, photo-realistic quality of Sperlonga's work. What I love about him is how diversified he is, being able to cross-genres from standard pin-up-style art, to fantasy, sci-fi, and horror with relative ease. He infuses his works with eroticism and an enticing wit.
   
   Take a piece called "Angel Baby" showing a rather beleaguered blonde angel, sitting at a table drinking Jack Daniels with a cigarette burning in an ash tray. It's a fantastic piece providing tremendous fodder for conversation regarding its interpretation. "Come out and Play" features identical twin sisters, armed with aluminum baseball bats, ready for action...and I doubt it's baseball they're in the mood for. "Welcome to Hell" features scream queen, and Eastman's wife Julie Strain (damn but that man is lucky" along with the Porcelain Twins, as the official door greeters in Hell. This was taken from a Heavy Metal cover.
   
   "The Mirror" is a tricky, creative painting as a topless woman dries herself off after a shower, and yet in the mirror, you only see the towel, seemingly hanging in mid air, as the woman casts no reflection herself. Sperlonga takes a stab at pop culture with "Hannibal's Revenge" showing Jodie Foster as Agent Starling, clad in a straight jacket and locked in a padded cell.
   
   One of my favorite paintings in the entire collection is "The Mummy" showing a gorgeous mummy who has just returned to life. The use of light and shadow in this piece is just flawless. The way the light shimmers off the walls is mesmerizing. Lizzy Strain (half-sister to Julie) models for "Lizzy Goes to London" standing with an assault rifle in front of the Union Jack, flipping the bird. Buxom Anna Nicole Smith poses in a see through top, sitting on a pool table, in a painting entitled "Saloon Kitty."
   
   The book provides a sketch, pencil and ink section and Lorenzo takes you through the creative process from rough draft to completed paintings. A comprehensive index gives a thumbnail of each piece including the name, medium and model name. Contrary to the other review, I will tell you that the book is printed on high quality, slick, glossy paper and is just a beautiful book. My highest recommendation for the Art of Lorenzo Sperlonga!
   
   Reviewed by Tim Janson



3. I like Sperlonga a lot, and this is a very nice selection of his work. However, this is a magazine and not a paperback. The cover and pages are very thin. SQP has just not put together a book with quality paper. If you can find the hardback on the web it is better though pricey.

2 comments about Collector's Guide to Feather Edge Ware: Identification & Values.

1. This is a case of further entrenchment of misinformation combined with a shoddy job of making a book. While this book presents an abundance of images of shell-edged wares, they should not be called "feather edge" as that is an 18th-century rim pattern (and so explained within the book). But the images vary widely in quality with no attempt either in the photography stage or in color separation to balance the color, making the images unreliable as a visual reference.
   There is no evidence of peer review or of any attempt at editing the text.



2. The author of this book obviously doesn't understand pottery and the terminology that goes along with it.Another example of people writing books without any real basis of knowledge and publishers who don't care what people write.

No comments about Imari: Japanese Porcelain for European Palaces the Freda and Ralph Lupin Collection.

1 comments about History of Decorative Tiles.

1. This book is an excellent overview of the history of tile art. I a particularly interested in Islamic tile art, and the chapter in here is informative and contains excellent illustrations. In fact, the whole book is laden with beautiful illustrations.

   Also delightful is a 17th century Dutch tile panel depicting the workings of a tile factory.

   For anyone interested in this art form, I can recommend this as an excellent introduction.

3 comments about Painting China & Porcelain.

1. This book has a lot of valuable information in it. I will be using it for a reference as I need help in my china painting. Also nice paintings and designs to go by.



2. Sheila Southwell is a wonderful teacher and also she is a very, very good painter. She is honest in her opinions and very helpful for people who wants paint china/porcelain. And reading her book is also a pleasure! Thank you, Sheila.



3. Shelia gives good directions on how to paint china and she give detailed drawings. She gives colors and how to fire. There are lessons on your brushes and palette. How to mix your paints and also the mediuns to use. how to care for your brushes and how to clean them. Shelia is a wonderful china painter and teacher. This book is a teaching tool. Fran Trittenbach

1 comments about To Touch the Past: The Painted Pottery of the Mimbres People.

1. Owning about a half-dozen books by Brody on this subject - this is among the best for graphics. Some never before seen pottery that is amazing. Great content & excellent reference.

No comments about Haim Steinbach.

No comments about The Isabella Breviary.

1 comments about Carsten Holler >Register<.

1. Great book, great images. Only book available on this artist.

No comments about Mason's Vista Ironstone (Schiffer Book for Collectors).