No comments about Small Paintings That Sell (How to Draw and Paint series #201).

1 comments about Depicting the Colours in Trees and Bushes (Colour Notes Series).

1. Another in the series by Wilcox and company shows you how to depict trees in various settings as well as portraying landscapes. Excellent reference on color choices and mixing. Wilcox shows you how to make over 2000 colors from only 12 tube colors. Learn how to modify your colors to depict trees and other foilege as well as light and shade. A must have in my library along with the other color books in this series.

3 comments about Vincent Van Gogh and the Painters of the Petit Boulevard.

1. if you're intrigued with Van Gogh you'll enjoy this. But I don't recommend it to those who are not interested in the subjexct matter. If you're not into the subject you will find it dry.
   
   I am enthralled with the life of this great artist, so I was into the book. To me it was fascinating.



2. Having read VINCENT VAN GOGH AND THE PAINTERS OF THE PETIT BOULEVARD, I regret I did not get to the exhibt in Saint Louis or Frankfurt where it closed in September 2001. This lovely book was created as an exhibition catalogue, but one does not need to have seen the exhibition to benefit from reading the informative essays or looking at copies of beautiful works by Van Gogh, Gauguin and other memebers of the self-styled "Petit Boulevard" artists group.

   Essays on topics related to the subject are preceded by text written by the editor and exhibit curator, Cornelia Homberg, ("Vincent van Gogh's Avant-Garde Strategies"). Homberg suggests the 'petit boulevard' was both an avant garde artistic movement following the Impressionists and an actual commercial location in Paris at the end of the 19th Century. The Exhibit featured works by members of the avant garde group (Van Gogh, Gauguin, Seurat, Signac, Pissaro, Toulous-Latrec, Anquetin, Bernard and others "petit" artists).

   Homberg challenges the notion that Vincent van Gogh always worked alone and that his art was a "one-off" as other critics have suggested. She says Van Gogh was a member of an artists colony located in the vicinity rue Lepic where he lived with his brother Theo (Montmartre area), that he may have coined the phrase "Petit Boulevard" (he discussed it with Theo in their letters following his removal to Arles), and he saw himself as a leader of this innovative group (which he hoped to bring to Arles as a "brotherhood" of artists).

   In his essay entitled "The Cultural Geography of the Petit Boulevard" Richard Thomas describes the material dimensions of the place and time within which the "petit boulevard" artists worked. He describes the "off-off-Broadway/Bourbon Street" atmosphere of the bohemian artistic community -- a proletarian territory dominated by factories, caberets, taverns, le circque, brothels, and other down scale establishments (Chat Noir, Molin Rouge) where 'decadent iconograpy' was born. He says artists such as Toulouse Latrec, Steinlin, Willith, and others developed commercial prints depicting this mileau.

   In the third essay, Elizabeth Childs describes the escape of Gauguin and Seurat to Pont Aven and Van Gogh to Arles following their Paris adventures. Here the artists hoped to reconnect with the timeless cycles of nature and leave the crass, commercial, class-ridden city behind. Childs says once Gauguin reached Pont Aven, the Celtic Catholic nature of Brittany spurred Gauguin to develop a medieval stain-glass cloisonnist style of art. She contrasts Gauguin's work with Van Gogh's 'rural' art which he based on a love of Japanese prints (by Hiroshege and others) and what he fancied to be Japanese culture, as well as the Barbizon style which included Daumier and Millet. In the last essay, John House discusses landscapes by Van Gogh (who influenced by his Dutch predecessor Rembrandt and the French Millet) as well as other artists of the period including Gauguin.

   The book is filled beautiful reproductions of the paintings and other works included in the Exhibit (prints and photographs of the various items of art, the people involved, and the places they lived and worked). Sadly, one would have to do quite a bit of traveling to recapitulate the Exhibit, and then the synergistic effect would be missing. On the other hand, the book is a solid testament to the art that followed Impressionism. Although I had seen many of the paintings in their home museums (National Gallery, Chicago Art Institute, D'Orsay, Van Gogh Museum, etc.) I had not seen some of the works in private hands, nor the photographs of the period. This book is a valuable addition to my collection.




3. The Impressionist movement never really impressed me until I went and experienced this exhibit. This book is a great companion to the exhibit, going into much greater detail than the audio tour did, but can be equally appreciated (as a stand alone art history text) if you couldn't make it to St. Louis. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for information on some of the lesser known impressionists (those of the Petit Boulevard), as well as information on this brief period in van Gogh's life.

5 comments about Picasso (Taschen Jumbo Series).

1. 
   (A review of the papeback editon)
   
   The two volume book is arranged in seventeen chapters concluding with a considerable Chronology illustrated with numerous black and white pictures, mostly photographs with many of the artist, Notes, a Bibliography which includes exhibition catalogues, and a rather brief (one page) Index of Names.
   
   The opening Chapter reminds us of the stature of the man, and of his prodigious output; briefly summarising his career. The subsequent Chapters chronicle Picasso's progress starting with his childhood efforts, through the Blue and Rose Periods, Cubism, "Guernica" to mention just a few and concluding with "The Legend of the Artist". It is intelligently written, accessible and makes very interesting reading. The illustrations run with the text and are usually within a page or two of the relevant reference.
   
   Produced in two paperback volumes in a cardboard slipcase Taschen's 25 anniversary edition is an impressive effort. It is superbly illustrated throughout with approaching 1,500 images mainly in colour but with a few back and white (usually drawings or photographs). The smallest pictures are just thumbnails, the largest full page and the occasional double page spread, with every size between; but there are plenty of good sized pictures with whole sections of colour plates, it certainly makes an impressive array. Overall the pictures far outweigh the text.
   
   At such good value for money it is hard to be critical of this two volume set, but I fear I have two concerns. Firstly the Index seems wholly inadequate, an Index of Names which amounts to one page; finding a particular painting or anything else might prove difficult. Secondly, while the two volumes come protected in a slipcase, the card covers (paperback edition) to the individual volumes feel very slight; with each approaching 400 pages one feels one has to handle them with great care for fear of damaging the binding. It is however a very worthwhile set, one would be hard pressed to find so many reproductions of Picasso's work elsewhere for the money, and would not hesitate to recommend it.



2. This is a very nice introduction to the works of Picasso. In the early nineties this book was a gift to one of my sons who was a mere child then. It is quite appropriate for young readers as there are many pictures . The parent or teacher can cultivate or nourish a young persons interest in art with these nice reproductions. The early period of Picasso's works, most notably his Cubist period seems to particularly intrigue young artists as they seem to relate to the "disfigured" human anotomy etc. In the case of my son he liked these pictures very much and as a result has a pretty good eye and hand for art that translates into interesting drawings and graphic arts. I believe this is in part a result of his early exposure to this Picasso book. Although the text is ackward at times it can be modified or paraphrased for youngsters. This is good stuff for the budding Picasso in your household and of course the price is right.



3. A very successful introduction to Picasso's work and life! Whether you just want to admire his paintings or try to learn from him, this book is a good choice. Some people don't understand Picasso and are insulted by astronomic prices of his "childish" looking paintings. In this book Ingo F. Walther sheds light on the phenomenon of this genius by presenting all the phases of painter's development that naturally resulted in the spontaneous expressions of his imagery. Or with the artist's words: "When I was as old as these children, I could draw like Raphael. But it took me a lifetime to learn to draw like them!" Thus we can follow Picasso from his youth, blue and rose periods to his invention of cubism and all the way to his late works. In addition there are chapters on his sculptures, posters and ceramics.
   
   The book also gives a rich selection of interesting aspects of Picasso's life. An enormous publicity was haunting him as well as helping him test his brave inventions. Whatever he touched turned to gold. When he finally grew tired of publicity and decided to move from Paris to a provincial village of Ménerbes, he was given a chalet in exchange for a still life.



4. For anyone who is seeking a decent overview of Picasso's work, this is a good bet for the modest price. Granted the writing may seem a bit akward, but it's perfectly readable and not misrepresentative. I admit, I haven't finished reading the book entirely, but there is a fairly concise chapter concerning each stage of his artistic career, and plenty of good color and B&W reproductions that are a good sample of his incredibly large and varied body of work. Anyone who is more than superficially interested in Picasso could never get by on just one book anyway, and this is a very good primer. The best Taschen published art book I have seen.



5. An abundance of full-color plates and numerous black-and-white photographs made this book worth the modest price. The text is awkward. It sounds as if English is not the author's first language and certain elements of carelessness in the writing suggest that the author was more concerned with the manuscript deadline than scholarship. Picasso's own words, appearing as blocked quotes in the margins are not dated, nor sources given. The reader is not able to chronologically trace the change in philosophy reflected in his words. The text also suffers from an inordinate number of typographical errors. Walther's poorly disguised gut reaction of disgust in describing some of Picasso's work may reflect the reaction his early critics felt in viewing some of his paintings. Walther uses words such as "horror," "grotesque," "misshapen," and "ugly," at one point writing, "Picasso wanted to destroy absolutely everything."

No comments about Karen Kilimnik's Fancy Pictures:.

No comments about From Sketch to Painting (Watercolour Tips and Techniques).

5 comments about Asaro: A New Romanticism.

1. This book is OK, reproductions are fine, but a review of a book of this sort ends up being a review of the artist's work. The guy does some nice color studies, kind of analytically. I suspect he works from photos because a lot of the paintings have a traced look (but with, as I said, very studiously scientific color transitions), and the one charcoal drawing from life they print is downright awful (terrible proportions and no volumn). He's obviously imitating Sorolla, a contemporary of Sargent's who is really good, even to the kids on the beach subject matter. Sorolla's scenes look real, Asaro's look artificial, mainly due to the over-saturated candy colors, but there is also a contrived, impersonal quality to the work, as though he is demonstrating color theory. Most painters have a copy of this book on their shelves, though, and Asaro is considered instructive.



2. I opened the first few pages and was really excited about reading the biography part and thought the whole book would be helpful for explaining techniques. The rest were paintings. There was no information on why or what was special about the paintings. So I was a little disappointed. The paintings were exceptional. So anyone who can't visit museums should buy this book.



3. I opened the first few pages and was really excited about reading the biography part and thought the whole book would be helpful for explaining techniques. The rest were paintings. There was no information on why or what was special about the paintings. So I was a little disappointed. The paintings were exceptional. So anyone who can't visit museums should buy this book.



4. The paintings are marvelous. I just wish there were some technical information.



5. This books contains the work of John Asaro, who follows and clearly imitates the technique and style, even the compositions, of the painter Joaquin Sorolla.

   He takes a step forward, using the color technique introduced by Pierre Bonnard both in oils and watercolours, together with interesting construction of tonality using planes instead of the traditional "sfumatto".

   The result is excellent, extremely interesting for those concerned with tonality and colour theory, with good illustrations in size and quality. For sure, those who like Sorolla will find a nice surprise in this book. I highly recommend it.

No comments about Images and Ideas in Seventeenth-Century Spanish Painting (Princeton Essays on the Arts).

5 comments about Transparent Watercolor Wheel.

1. I am not yet all the way through this book because there is so much to absorb. It is really packed with great information on the reactions/interactions of common watercolor paints, both by brand and color groups and characteristics. I've been painting with watercolor for about 5 years and have read a lot of books on this same subject. This author has brought it all together for me. I'd highly recommend it. The pullout color wheel is on my easel for easy reference



2. For the watercolor artist, this is an excellent starting place for basic color properties and their application.



3. This is a wonderful book! And an absolute must-read for all who are truly interested in turning out great watercolors. Before this book, some of watercolors would turn out so great, and others just dull, and I thought it was due to experience and practice. He revealed the secret. And now I have a lot more confidence in what colors to use on my paintings and control over its results.
   
   Jim Kosvanec also has a great writing style that will keep you reading on. After each section, you will be aching to go out there and try it out.
   
   This book is definitely staying in my library.



4. Kosvanec's book title may not capture your attention, but his book certainly caught mine. He is thorough, clear in his presentation and has a firm grasp on watercolour. His watercolour wheel could become a standard and the one issue I have with the book is that this wheel is not a perforated pull-out. This would have made the book better than 5 stars because you could have a wheel hung up for reference and keep the book intact.



5. Ohhh, so that's why that color mix only went to a gray scale instead of black! Kosvanec gives great tips on the juicy wash; now my $300 worth of paints actually have color. Well worth the price. Be sure to read this book; don't just look at the pretty pictures. I'm still laughing about the quote, "If tube greens were people, I'd beat them up."

No comments about The Most Difficult Journey: The Poindexter Collections of American Modernist Painting.