4 comments about Chuck Close: Work.

1. Excellent reproductions and very informative text. A good resource book for artists and students. Worth the cost to have this one in your collection.



2. This really does not need to be that long. I am a huge fan of Chuck Close and have been so for years now. My personal library reflects this, with four other books and catalogs spanning his career. These books get brought out on a semi-consistent basis, as they all have something important to say about this mans art.
   
   "Chuck Close: WORK" is a definitive piece that fills in any small holes about the story of this artist that might be obscured in some out of print catalog, as well as talking heavily about his process. If you are in the market for a book that gives the full Chuck Close biography while supplementing itself with beautiful illustrations and plenty of dialog about his process, do not hesitate to purchase this book.



3. Christopher Finch has done a wonderful job of revealing both Chuck Close the man and the artist. This one of the best art retrospectives I have ever actually 'read' and enjoyed.
   
   I too had a chance to hear both artist and author speak this week. While Chuck did say this is the definitive book on his work one can hope that he still has many productive years left to continue to awe and amaze his many admirers.



4. This book is large! And it has excellent reproductions and bio of the life of this magical man. Chuck Close has made a career,while battling disabilities that would have stopped lesser men.Christopher Finch noted art writer,assists Close in making this book autobiographical and personal,like the unpretentious Mr. Close.
   The author and the artist together guide you through the evolution of Chuck Close noted modern portrait artist. You follow from air brush, to finger painting,collage disc painting, to the new color geometric masterpieces.
   Chuck personally supervised color choices in the lay-out and it is truly impressive. 95 percent of his major work is here. Self portraits,friends , his wife etc. are all vividly executed. Seeing Chuck in action shows the scale of the major works!The works are huge,and the pictures show the studio environment he works in.
   I was fortunate to attend his lecture,with both men ,and it Chuck says this is the definitive book!

3 comments about Capturing the Moment in Oils.

1. I first saw this book in the library and was so impressed with it that I just had to purchase a copy for myself. David Curtis has a truly wonderful ability to paint beach scenes with such startling clarity that I enjoy looking at them all so much. His work with oils is brilliant and this book has to be in any painter's collection.



2. Capturing the Moment in Oils....by David Curtis is a lush, lovely book depicting the painter's beautifully executed oils. Certainly he knows his stuff when it comes to painting, but this book, unlike his previous one, is woefully short on showing the painting process and long on descriptions of place and thinking. I was truly disappointed that there weren't demonstrations and sequential photos of at least a few of the paintings in progress. Buyers should know that this is more of a coffee table book than a treatise for the artist.



3. I admire Mr. Curtis mastery of outdoor painting, and it wasn't long before I decided to get this book. Strong compositional sense and an incredible ability to convey the light and mood of the subject in a realistic yet painterly manner would define his style. He paints "on the spot" but may occasionally complete a painting in the studio, while still retaining a spontaneous quality.
   
   With the title "Capturing the Moment in Oils" one would expect a book about alla prima painting and indeed, the instruction has a lot to do with different plein-air settings and the "one-hit" brushstroke approach (with no subsequent modification) that Curtis shares with other Masters like Richard Schmid. The downside is that the author doesn't go much into detail about the fundamentals (values, edges, color...well, mileage is important too) that are needed to get this "one-hit brushstroke" right. And you must be warned: this book has little information about how a beginner can get started, nor does it feature any picture of the artist materials or him while painting. Just his paintings, mostly landscapes and seascapes ones, which IMO gives the book a nice sober look. It's quite short of step-by-steps too. If you rely on the product description from the publisher, you may be in for a surprise.
   
   The text still has a lot of useful and interesting insights; it features a nice discussion about how to start a painting and it even deals with glazing, which the artist considers as an additional tool to succeed in achieving the results you're aiming for. I do enjoy benefiting from Curtis expert guidance and read about his own ways of approaching things; you just need to know that the instruction is not as focused and thorough as it could have been...no big deal; still very useful as I said before. Overall, this is a good practical guide about David Curtis equipment and how he uses it in the course of a painting. In fact, this book reminds me a lot of his watercolor book, which I also recommend nonetheless for its gorgeous gallery of moody watercolors.
   
   To sum up, I would say that the Art generously displayed in this book is masterful and highly inspirational but if you are completely new to painting, you may need a more thorough basic instruction. Anyway, the book is very pleasant to flip through and is worth buying solely for the artwork. It is a great addition to the serious landscape painter library.

5 comments about A Celebration of Light: Painting the Textures of Light in Watercolor.

1. I purchased this book hoping for a clearer description on how to capture light in watercolor paintings. This book met all my expectations. I keep it in the classroom and studio for my students to use as a reference. Jane Freeman has easily understandable step-by-step demonstrations, goes through the process of how to paint reflections, glass, lace and beautiful light patterns. She has included a wealth of information for all levels of painters. An added bonus is the addition of paintings and comments from numerous watercolorists whose paintings are seen in many competitions. I recommend this book to anyone who teaches the art of watercolor and encourage them to expose their students to it. It is a wonderful addition to an artist's library.



2. A Celebration of Light is a wonderful book.. From detailed paintings to color applications the information found in this book is valuable to any artist wishing to develop a better technique. It is a bible of information to keep next to you as you are painting. Jane has demonstrated how to use light to create a better painting. From application to lifting this book is a must to every artist using watercolor



3. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn the techniques that this artist has perfected over the years. Jane Freeman leads the reader step by step from the beginning of a painting until it is finished. She tells you how to paint such things as reflections and lace plus she she even gives you tips on mixing colors and finding time to do the art. This is at the top of the list as one of my favorite art books.
   Elinor Sethman



4. A Celebration of Light is a wonderful book - there are so many many infos in this book which you should not miss. Jane Freeman shares her technique, shows her colours and how to use and mix them, how to work the best with your reference photos, gives tips about composition and she also shows many paintings in step-by-step-demonstrations. She has a great knowledge about watercolor and this book is a very valuable addition to each library.



5. A Celebration of Light is an exceptional informational book. The paintings are really great. It inspires you to go beyond your abilities and capture that evasive quality that turns an ordinary painting into one that captures your attention.

5 comments about Stencil Graffiti (Street Graphics / Street Art).

1. it's a cheap book, and it's got cheap information. nothing much to it. i would probably spend a bit more and buy a book that's more in depth with the culture and such of graffiti art. but if you must, like me buy this book to be a part of your growing art book collection, then by all means, no one is stopping you.



2. I like this book. It's a thin book. It's not too much stuff in the book but I think it's a nice book to have in your collection just to have something different. Since I'm not too much into stencil graffiti, this book is just right to have it in my collection. I like it. It has great work of art in it.



3. Its a great book, but Stencil Pirates is better.



4. This book is being reviewed quite heavily these days and after reviewing it myself, I can only conclude that this is because of the Publishers' credentials in publishing books on street art. I found that this book fell short on my expectations, even though much of the material was interesting. While it was enlightening to read the brief articles on the history of stencil graffiti, and how stenciling started back to 22,000 in cave paintings, the book quickly lost steam. Many of the artists featured here are well known, however there are many photos featuring industrial uses of stencils which neither are graffiti art, stencil graffiti or art in any type of form. This really detracted form what I assumed the book was featuring. Most of the interesting features were on European artists such as the "bananensprayer" in Cologne, Germany, or Bansky who mixed political satire with his various works. Although many stencil artists are features from all over Europe, and the United States as well as a whole page spread of works from Morocco, I really missed the interviews which should have accompanied these images. While I would not purchase the book for my personal collection, many of the photos showcased the dizzying array of effects which were possible to achieve with something as simple as a stencil.



5. I have my own website dealing with Sticker Art/Stencils. I found this bbok through a friends website and it wanted me to make moore awesome stencil. I can't believe how detailed some of these stencils are with 5 or more colors on one stencil. Our favorite stencil artist is Bansky....

No comments about Modernity and Modernism: French Painting in the Nineteenth Century (Modern Art Practices and Debates).

4 comments about Point Zero: Creativity Without Limits.

1. Este libro nos ayuda a regresar al origen del poder de la creatividad con una sencillez inigualable y liberadora. Yo soy pintora y me ha ayudado a liberarme de conceptos preestablecidos acerca de lo que DEBE ser o no el arte, y por supuesto me ayudo a encontrar mi postura de felicidad al elaborar mi trabajo haciendolo libre de espectativas de otros.



2. Point Zero is a wonderfully clear and insightful explanation of the creative process and how to tap into it. Creative blocks are defined and undone with a simple questioning process which applieas to the joy of painting and living. Cassou's stories from her own experiences of paintting for process for hours on end and her spiritual unfoldment from that process are inspiring. Highly recommended for artist and non-artist alke, those who are seeking an opening in their creative process.



3. I love this book!!! It seemed exactly what was needed to help me open up myself and create. I've always wanted to paint or simply put color on paper but something always stopped me. This book carefully outlined and explained the demons that were in my way, and after some practice, I could find myself safely stepping into the unknown and expressing myself. "Point Zero" also made me feel safer to understand myself and face some challenging issues inside. Mostly, this book - with its interesting writing and short chapters that held my attention - gave me permission to go to places I have not before. I am very grateful to Michelle Cassou for sharing her teaching and experience with me.



4. Impassioned by her own life-long painting journey, Michele Cassou invites us to use our creativity to connect with our deepest selves. In her most recent book, Point Zero: Creativity Without Limits, she implores, inspires, provokes, and cajoles us to look directly at our creative blocks and to use the blocks themselves as catalysts to break their hold on us. As always, Cassou turns away from "end product", focusing instead on the mysterious act of creating itself. "In creativity, only the process matters - not as a trophy to add to your mantelpiece, but as an exercise of strength and clarity, as an opening to insights and revelations." The charming drawings, diverse quotations, and glorious color pages of paintings add dimension to her written voice. Ultimately, it is Cassou's enthusiasm and passion that delight me again and again. Dynamic reading for anyone who feels the call to create! (Workshops with Michele offer a direct, fascinating experience of her written words -- contact pointzeropainting.com.)

4 comments about Picasso.

1. I've been reading Richardson's Picasso biography, and he refers so frequently to the Steins that I had to buy this book. I found it absolutely charming, witty, and typical Gertrude Stein. Her prose runs in circles, and she's consistently self-focused. She views herself as a pioneering art doyenne and one of the few who truly understood the art movements in Paris in the early part of the 20th century. But her affection for Picasso is undeniable, and that's what makes this book so wonderful to read.
   
   Picasso often felt that Gertrude in fact did *not* get what was going on with cubism and his and Braque's works. But she liked to have artistic company, Picasso liked that she bought so much of his work, so their relationship worked.
   
   This is a quick book to read - contrary to what another review suggests - and makes for a wonderful Saturday afternoon. It helps if you know something of Picasso's history, so read this with a collection of his work on the side.



2. In this epochal gem originally published in London in 1938, Gertrude Stein tells of the arrival and rise of Picasso, and through him, Modernism and the 20th century, filtered through her own performance art. By "filtered" I am not suggesting that it is fiction or distorts its subject; in fact, it's a live action postcard from the epicenter of the man and movement. Not only does it inform with fact, it informs with form.

   Stein says with characteristic self assurance that she alone understood Picasso and compared what he did in art to what she did with words, and there is merit in the comparison. Picasso, influenced by the Spaniards, came to believe that truth existed in the conceptual realm, it did not come from the material world. Whereas proceeding generations accepted what they saw before them as truth and responded realistically, Picasso chose to portray his inner vision on canvas and backed away from using models. Cubism became his way of signifying how he experienced the significance of the still life or human form. A person, a tableau was not perceived as the whole but as parts, some of them standing out more prominently than others. Similarly, Stein orders her information according to emphasis, with her characteristic tic of repetition--remember, this is the person who gave us lines like "A rose is a rose is a rose" and "there is no there, there."

   Stein does not overindulge herself, however, and imparts a generous amount of lucid thought on how Picasso created and from what and whom he drew his influences. She progresses chronologically through his periods-the blue, the rose, the harlequin, Cubist, calligraphic, etc., up to the point she was writing. This plus salient insights into society, war, creative artists and the 20th century in general make the volume quite a deal in a small package.




3. As has been written elsewhere (Try Hemingway's A MOVEABLE FEAST, for instance) Gertrude Stein possessed a tremendous ego. She did not express opinions, she stated facts even when the basis for her facts existed only in her head. She also had the irksome habit of repeating the same information many times, often approaching it from slightly different directions. Again, I am certainly not the first to comment on this peculiarity of her writing. That this book is filled with examples of both of the above does not take away from its excellence in revealing much about Picasso and his art.

   Stein's fame comes more from her position in the intellectual and artistic community of early to mid twentieth century Paris than from her ability as a writer or poet. It was because of this position that she came to know Picasso so well, and it was as an outgrowth of this personal relationship that this book came to be written.

   One area that I found very informative in PICASSO was Stein's analysis of the alternating influences of Picasso's Spanish soul, Paris, and Spain itself, on the various periods of Picasso's artistic development. In this respect, Stein contrasts Spain and France in the following manner: Spain was a sad country with a monotony of coloring while France was the country of Toulouse-Lautrec with vivid colors and images.

   With that as a background, she introduced Picasso, as a young man in Spain, painting realistic works in the late nineteenth century manner. This was followed by his first visit to Paris during which he was influenced by the paintings of Toulouse-Lautrec. (See illustration #3, "In the Cafe") He then returned to Spain in 1902, staying until 1904. During this period, his temperament returned to that of his native Spain and he produced the darker, more somber paintings of his "blue period." This period ended with his return to Paris in 1904. Throughout the balance of PICASSO, Stein traced his painting cycles and the people and experiences that influenced them.

   Picasso revealed to Stein, and she passed on to us, one of the main secrets of his later styles. He saw as a very young child saw, and painted what he saw through those infantile eyes. An infant sees what it sees from very close up and, consequently, only sees one or two of its mother's features at a time. An infant can't focus at a distance and probably couldn't recognize its own mother from across a room. That infant would probably recognize an eye or a nose, or one or two other features. That same child would probably only recognize its mother in profile, and only from one side at that, i.e., left or right profile, but not both. This was the vision that Picasso brought to his art: a recognizable eye, a nose in profile, and these not necessarily connected in any way that makes sense to the eye of an adult viewer. It was one of the geniuses of Picasso that he could utilize this vision in his art, and it was as a gift that Gertrude Stein let us in on the secret.

   I have visited the Picasso museums in Barcelona and Paris, and through their displays, have traced Picasso's evolution as an artist. Neither museum was as instructive relative to Picasso's thought processes as was this small book with its many black and white illustrations. For having providing these insights, I can forgive Gertrude Stein for all her mannerisms and displays of ego.

   Much more information about Picasso and the literary and artistic personages of his era can be gained by reading this book. I do recommend it.




4. Gertrude Stein's fifty-odd page remembrance of Pablo Picasso is brief in page length only. Her convolved writing style challenges the reader to think within the context of Picasso's own creative processes. This is not a quick read, but I was struck by how Stein had her finger on the pulse of Picasso's drive and desire in painting. Her scope is concerned with the Red and Blue Periods and the start of Picasso's role in the invention of Cubism. As much of a literary challenge as it is a close reading of several important Picasso paintings, including Stein's own famous portrait.

5 comments about Dear Theo: The Autobiography of Vincent Van Gogh.

1. It is not as easy a read as Stone's van Gog biography Lust For Life, but for fans, it's a deep book.
   
   Vincent tells of how he went into the fields to paint, and then a rain storm came. He sought meager shelter behind a big tree while it lasted, and then resumed. And because he had started with a low vantage point, he now had to stand on his knees in the mud! He seems to merely mention this to point out why he considers common workman's clothes to be the artist's best friend...
   
   He also tells how he went out to paint the sea, in a storm so strong he could barely stay on his feet. One painting got so full of sand from the beach that he went to a nearby inn and retouched it... and then went back out into the storm to finish it with fresh impressions!
   
   Today, most of us: "Go out with the camera today? Nah, it's a bit nippy, and I just got the Sopranos on DVD..."
   
   Irving Stone edited Dear Theo, and while he may have done a good job generally, I think it was a disservice to the material to not indicate where he cut it. It is just one long text, no dates and no indication where each quote starts or ends.



2. I, like the many reviewers of this book, was enthralled and inspired by this collection of letters when I first read it 25 years ago. I have recommended it to many friends. At the time I would have given it five stars or even more if they were available. Irving Stone writes in his preface "My aim has been to edit the 1670 pages of material down to a swiftly flowing, continuous normal-sized book..." He succeeded but even 25 years ago I was a little disturbed by the complete absence of indications where exactly Mr. Stone had done his cutting, or his editing. Today, in the age of internet we can now do some easy checking. The unabridged letters are on the net and reveal that basically what this Dear Theo is, is another novel written by Irving Stone. There is almost no resemblance to the original letters. The novelist has used his talents and the raw material to create a beautiful saga. Worth reading, but let the reader beware.



3. These letters speak the truth of van Gogh. This book opens a window of knowledge on a man so misunderstood to the world. At 14, I absolutely am in love with this book. "Dear Theo" has ignited a fire in my soul, a burning desire to study art and the men behind the works.



4. Vincent Van Gogh was a great painter, but not a writer. So these letters are of interest in terms of history and painting. The life of Van Gogh is better exposed here than it would have been in a "real" autobiography, because Theo, his younger brother, was the only real friend Vincent ever had. He was his supporter, admirer and listener, and in fact Vincent had an emotional dependence on his brother. People interested in the process of artistic creation and creativity will find this book of enormous value and interest, since Van Gogh speaks a lot about that process in himself, one of the greatest painters of all time. But it is true, as one reviewer said, that these letters include, each and every one, eternal whining and begging from Vincent to his brother. He was, of course, always out of money and, as a genius really disconnected from the common world, unable to make a living by conventional activities. So he depended almost entirely on Theo. I would like to insist in that, although by no means a literary accomplishment, these letters are worth reading, since they expose naked the soul of a great artist and an extremely sensitive man, certainly a tortured and twisted soul.



5. here's your unadulterated chance to see just how screwed up van gogh was. letter after letter after letter sitting on the pity pot writing to his younger brother whining for money, crying for assistance, guilting his brother into supporting his art...his art habit...his art addiction. ya know, after reading this book my perspective on van gogh changed. he struck me as an ultra-martyr (in the icky sense of the word), so big into self-pity. now, having since read a little more of his history - screwy parents, etc. - i have some more compassion for the guy and for why he was so screwed up, but these letters are honestly nothing short of tedious. one after the other, whining for money, then waxing eloquent about his art, which actually struck me often as quite manipulative - like he was justifying his existence and his productivity to theo.

   anyway, i still think van gogh is a wonderful artist, but what a messed up life - can't miss that from these letters. but god, i wish they'd been even more edited. and one other thing - irving stone (the editor) thinks van gogh is one of the world's greatest writers and philosophers of all times, in addition to being the honcho primo artist. well, as for philosopher, sorry irving, no. the guy was miserable and depressed and lonely, and seemed to philosophize in his letters to just keep contact with the world, but his philosophy gets under my skin.

1 comments about Drawing and Painting Plants.

1. The book consist of detailed botanical illustrations of flowers, plants, trees, vines, leaves and mushrooms. I bought this book so I could get an inspiration for my graphic design work and the book almost have it. It shows the details of tree barks and stems, cross section of flowers, roots and bulbs. If only it covered more fruits like berries and strawberries it could have been better. Since I prefer color illustrations, I wasn't so crazy about the pen & ink drawings. I really like the fern illustrations on page 115. Overall, this is a great book.

1 comments about Fabric Painting with Donna Dewberry: 40 Stylish Projects for Your Home & Wardrobe.

1. Fabric Painting with Donna Dewberry is the most amazing book. It is so detailed that I have absolutely no doubts that I can do this with little or no problems. I've never painted on fabric before, but have always admired products I have seen that have been hand-painted. I'm ready to go and feel assured that this book is my secret to success.