1 comments about Great Expectations: John Singer Sargent Painting Children.

1. The book of children's paintings by Sargent is sold in many book stores. An excellent book, its list price is $60. Amazon lists it at nearly 50% less. Thus, the sale was not so much for a superior product, as for a far cheaper price.

1 comments about To Paint Her Life: Charlotte Salomon in the Nazi Era.

1. You may have read many memoirs, and biographies about people affected by the Holocaust. However, do not think this is similar to other stories, or be put off by a topic that is upsetting. The journey through this book will be more than rewarding. Mary Felstiner has a deep, historical knowledge of Charlotte Salomon that she relays in a moving, and powerful style. You feel that you intimately know the people she writes about. Salomon's story is not one that is widely known, but it should be. She painted her life story during the Nazi years in the form of an operetta. Her paintings recently on display in the US tell a painful, vivid story of her, her parents, and her lover. This book is about what happened to Charlotte Salomon and her family during the Nazi years, but will also be of great interest to people interested in art, and in the human condition. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

5 comments about Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo.

1. I bought this book after re-watching the movie taken largely from this exhaustive biography. As someone who has read many bios, let me say that this is a refreshing and encouraging alternative to the fawning and excessive grocery store drivel and/or the dull and fact-filled dissertations that describe most biographies. Hayden Herrera manages to combine a staggeringly comprehensive detailing of Kahlo's life with an easy prose that makes for an engaging read. I know far more about this artist than I could've imagined and it is largely first-hand accounts either from the pages of Frida's own diaries and numerous letters or the people who were there. Herrera keeps her personal opinions regarding the events to a minimum and allows the events to speak for themselves. The life of Frida Kahlo needs no additional padding or maudlin tricks to engender a connection to anyone with a heart and soul. When the author does speculate, it comes from someone who has clearly studied her subject thoroughly and backs up her theories with a wealth of compelling evidence and sensible arguments. While her appreciation for Kahlo is obvious, Herrera does not stop short of being critical, questioning Kahlo's motives, and revealing the stark humanity and insecurity that Kahlo tried to obscure with her public persona as the confident, outspoken, provocative enchantress sporting her exotic Tehuana finery.
   However, the best use of Herrera's research and the clear compassion and empathy she has for this incredible woman is when she analyses Frida's paintings. I found myself continuously turning back and forth from the detailed observations and interpretation to the paintings and trying to understand what the author is talking about. It was fascinating reading and a wonderful exploration that shed light into the depths of Frida's intensely personal art.
   Two last notes: First, the version I bought does not sport Salma Hayek on the cover but instead one of Frida's many self-portraits. Apparently the publishers corrected this unfortunate decision based on movie marketing. Second, I was fortunate enough to take in the amazing exhibit of Frida Kahlo at the Philadelphia Museum just a few weeks ago and it was a moving and special day. Seeing the actual frames dripping blood, the size and grandeur of some of the works juxtaposed with the smaller works, and the sheer emotionally gravity of her art was something I'll never forget. Having read much of this biography by that time, I was able to bring that much more to that exhilarating opportunity.
   Frida Kahlo was not just an extraordinary artist but was moreover an extraordinary person. Herrera's heartfelt, deeply researched, and brilliantly written biography allows those of us who never knew her to feel as if we have and to share in the universal quality of her painful work. That alone makes us better people for having experienced it.



2. This is a paintakingly detailed biography, yet rather than making for tedious reading, it flows smoothly from the pages...Hayden Herrera has done an incredible job with the story of Frida Kahlo, the most famous Mexican artist in history.
   
   Written in the late 1970s' (when many of Frida's friends and intimates were still alive to interview), this excellent book combines letters (to and from Kahlo), first person anecdotes and historical records (along with a decent selection of photos and paintings), to create a sweeping portrait of a very, very interesting life.
   
   Everything you ever wanted to know about Frida (and maybe some stuff you didn't), is in this book.
   
   "Frida" is highly recommended to anyone who enjoys Frida's work or just wants to know more about a very interesting, opinionated, talented, brutally honest (especially with herself), yet very vulnerable) woman.



3. I learned about Frida when I took art history in college. I always wanted to know more about her because of her art work. She was so passionate! Although she was considered an abstract artist. Her art was very REAL. You can feel what she feels by looking at her art. This book really helps you understand what happened in her life and attached the painting that went along with that specific period in her life. Very well written.



4. Since her death, Frida Kahlo has become something of an exalted icon, representing for millions of people the alegría of a life fully lived. Hayden Herrera's insightful book both supports the artist's status, and provides devotees who never met Frida the chance to know their idol in depth, to familiarize themselves with her happiness and suffering, to experience her highs and lows.
   
   The book's mixture of intimate biographical details (a thorough chronology and evocative descriptions of events), psychological analysis and art criticism create an intensely vivid picture of Frida Kahlo, the world in which she lived, and the means by which her art conveyed her mind and body's pain. Objectivity is retained throughout; unflattering and negative aspects of Frida's personality are discussed with attention equal to that devoted to the subject's positive traits.
   
   As Hayden Herrera's biography shows, the benefits to Frida of putting brush to easel - with her deliberate, small strokes - were manifold: not only was painting a solace and diversion, it was also a visual expression of the pain resulting from a terrible bus accident in which she was involved when she was 18, miscarriages, and the hurt of her husband Diego Rivera's infidelities. She also used painting as a means of earning money and limiting her financial dependence on Diego after they married for a second time. (While during her lifetime one of Frida's paintings might fetch $200 from a private buyer, nowadays even small-scale works have sold for over $1,000,000 at auction.)
   
   To me, an appealing aspect of Herrera's bio is its lack of pretense (appropriately, as pretension is something Frida disliked in any form): you won't find any flowery, purple prose here, nor do the author's analyses and assertions smack of arrogance. It is quite apparent that Hayden Herrera knows her subject top to bottom, but I never felt as if facts and dates were crammed into the text superfluously, simply as proof that she knew them.
   
   If it happens at all, it will be many years before Hayden Herrera's "Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo" is replaced as the definitive biography on the subject. Having read it cover to cover three times, I can't imagine a better-written or more stimulating study of this truly unique, truly gifted person.



5. An inspiring Biography of famous Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. It was comprehensive, read like a documentary and at some points was long and boring with gory details. Frida was such an interesting person it was worth the struggle to get to the end. I now understand her and her works so much better. I think she was an odd and eccentric person that was gifted with natural artistic talent. I recommend looking at her paintings at the same time you listen to the audio since the audio is so descriptive almost like a narrative from a museum. It doesn't make sense unless you see the works at the same time. I found them on a website dedicated to her. There is nothing like her art, she is truly original!

4 comments about Art School: A Complete Painters Course.

1. This book is great even if you are experienced or just starting..I call this book my painting bible.



2. Fabulous book, written especially for beginners who know very little about painting, but also has EXCELLENT pointers for those who are good painters, but love those extra tips.
   
   I've got this one at the top of my shelf and I've underlined, bookmarked pages, etc. It really is an excellent read, but most of all, it has really easy-to-follow instructions and doesn't leave you confused.
   
   If you're just learning to paint, then you really have to get this book. You just have to. It is written SIMPLY and is EASY to read and the book is really thick and hardback and will last a really long time. Well worth the money and something you can use as a reference too.



3. This is a great, comprehensive painting guide for anyone who is interested in getting into oil, acrylics or watercolor painting. It shows all the basics needed including the materials available and needed and it also shows (at least to me) some advanced techniques. Great for any beginner and maybe even intermediate painter. The only complaint I have to make is that I would have liked that the book covered other kinds of painting too, such as glass painting, but I guess it makes sence that they didn't really get into that since it seems to me that it is a classic kind ot painting school.



4. I am very pleased with the work I have created using this book. I had a lot of questions about watercolor and oil painting. Most of the other books I purchased and studied left a lot of the beginner things out....like how to actually mix colors well. The format is wonderful as well, you can go from one exercise to the next a really get some techniques under your belt. The approach to demystifying the products needed for each media was fantastic. You are shown what each product is for and when you might use it. The instuctions in the book include clear step by step pictures...so you don't start feeling lost halfway through the exercise. The best part? There is no rigid rules, the dialogue is personal and encouraging. You flip through it and start itching to paint!

5 comments about Painting Glowing Colors in Watercolor.

1. Beautiful book. Detailed help in learning to underpaint - showing all colours used. Great exercises to copy to learn the technique. Inspiring.



2. An absolutely beautifully illustrated and written book. Did I learn anything? Well, yes, I did learn quite a bit on color and setting up my pallette. But to actually paint...not yet as I am a beginner. I think this is a great book to hold onto when one becomes more advanced especially in learning how to use the fabulous colors Penny uses to get the great effects in her paintings. I highly recommend it.



3. Although this book is a little too far advanced for the beginning watercolorist, it is full of good instruction for the beginner. Penny uses a lot of different colors. I suggest the beginner study Penny's palette and choose only 1-2 colors in each range. Later more colors can be added. Overall the book is good instruction.



4. Although I loved the paintings and the transparency, even I who have been painting watercolors for more than 10 years found the number of paints used are too many and, in trying to do them, found the demonstrations too complicated. I remember an instructor saying that 3 colors to mix was enough. I wouldn't recommend the book to a beginner.



5. I received this book for my birthday. It is one of the best watercolor instruction books I have. She gives very good instructions on how to paint with glowing colors. She has several other instructions and suggestions on composition, drawing etc. This book was carefully thought out and the illustrations are wonderful.

1 comments about Sister Wendy's Grand Tour: Discovering Europe's Great Art.

1. In a world where so many things compete for one's attention, the world of fine art is often overlooked for more contemporary and, as we often see it, more relevant media. This book opened up a whole new world for me as I read it, on an eight hour flight home to my native Britain from the US. I've since taken several art history courses and read a great deal more. Sister Wendy has had her critics in the art world, invariably from those elitists who would use art as a means to promote themselves, and perhaps don't wish to see any kind of knowledge or familiarity of great art trickle down to the person in the street. Sister Wendy, far from popularizing art in the trendy sense, individualizes it, not by personalizing it, but by humanizing it. While some of her interpretations may not always coincide with the the received criticism, she does something far more important and far more indicative of the true Christian nature of the woman; she humanizes it for us and thereby makes it accessible. What once looked like a painting of some people from the past on a balcony is now a comment on ourselves and our society, as relevant today as when it was painted, and that is the great truth Sister Wendy gave me: that art is not something to be afraid of but, like the great literature and music of the ages, with which many of us are infinitely more familiar, art is as important and as rich a source of the human experience, its moments and its continuity, as is any novel or symphony. I used to think that it was only given to a few people to really understand art, and that "I must not have a very visual mind" but I failed to see what is, in retrospect, quite stunningly obvious. Art was always, after all, meant to be seen, and with a little work to understand the references in a work, which viewers of the time would have often have immediately understood, and by not being afraid of it or thinking it obscure, one can find every bit as much satisfaction and humanity in a work of art as one can in literature. For me literature was always my habit, now, thanks to Sister Wendy, I have an art habit (all accusations of a very poor nun pun there are denied in the strongest possible terms). To be honest, I wasn't even all that interested in art. I knew nothing about it and didn't try to find out with any seriousness of intent, mostly because I thought it was all too terribly serious in itself and the arty people I knew all took themselves way too seriously. So, to her critics, I say, Sister Wendy has done more than anyone or anything I have encountered to truly bring art to the people, where it is meant to be. She does not jealously guard her knowledge of art, only to be shared with an elite few but, in true Christian spirit, is spreading an appreciation of it to those who might not otherwise care all that much, and gently opening up whole new amazing worlds for them. I thoroughly recommend this book to everyone.

No comments about The Materials and Techniques of Painting.

No comments about The Norman Rockwell Treasury.

3 comments about The Simple Art of Chinese Brush Painting.

1. Qu Lei Lei is an excellent teacher. He offers clear, illustrated directions for each project. You are then left with the tools to expand on your own. The whole process is enjoyable.



2. I am very happy with this book. Thankyou for sending it so promptly.



3. I have a rather extensive library of Chinese Brush painting books, and would only say a few are "must have", and this book truly falls into that category. The author does try to keep matters simple, and does a great job of making simple outstanding paintings. But besides the nice paintings, he shows several creative ways to use Chinese brush paintings, such as on fans, and lanterns, and on pine screens. Finally, he shows various poems of Chinese Calligraphy which appear to be rather easy to inscribe one's painting. I still have probably not done the book the justice it deserves.

2 comments about Garden of Paris Sketchbook.

1. A lovely collection of art on the gardens around Paris, printed on high quality paper. The book displays your favourite gardens but does introduce you to a series off gardens that would otherwise go unnoticed by the casual tourist. Highly recommended for the quality of the art work and the informal conversational tone of the writing



2. This book is by far one of the very best art sketch books, like the other sketch books from Editions Didier Millet, it is printed on watercolor paper, the colors are bright and vivid. The drawings have just the right detail, and the text exciting to read. I learned about Paris, about drawing, and adding colors to my own works of art after seeing this book. This book is a must for a traveler, or just the person who wants insight to travel destinations. The pictures are so skillfully drawn and painted by Fabrice Moireau, they will fill your imagination with dreams of being in each scene. This book is a real treasure and keepsake. I think it would make a wonderful and impressive gift as well.