1 comments about Winslow Homer: An American Vision.

1. The works of Winslow Homer are already well familiar to any interested in American art: they captured the American Civil War and, later, scenes of early America as a whole, presenting a range of styles and themes - so it's surprising to note this book is the first in-depth critical survey written in the last decade. Here all his major paintings appear along with a number of etchings and woodcuts to compliment a blend of biography and critical art survey. Full-page color prints not only analyze the works; they offer insights into the public's reaction to scenes, settings, and perspectives. A powerful, recommended pick.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

1 comments about Paintings in the Musee d'Orsay.

1. The concept of this book is very good: minimum text - maximum pictures. All art monographs should follow the same principle.
   The book is split into the chapters dealing with dominant artistic trends of the time, and subchapters dedicated to the most important artists within each trend/movement.
   The brief introductory essays are well written and help understand background behind the movements or artistic groups whose most representative works are displayed on the subsequent pages.
   
   If one hasn't seen d'Orsay's magnificent collection in person, they'll be amazed by this lavishly illustrated monograph.
   In most cases there is one plate per page, sometimes two and very seldom three. However, what I don't understand is 2 inches wide margin around the reproductions (???) Why? Why they were not printed at least an inch larger at all sides?
   
   Besides, though even the best repros can't do justice to the original, many pictures could have been much better. Don't get me wrong - majority of reproductions is of good quality, but there are those (I'd say one third of the total number) which are considerably lighter than the originals and/or have rather compressed values - Manet's Olympia being the most obvious example. (I've visited d'Orsay two months ago and the paintings are still vivid in my memory).
   
   However, these remarks shouldn't stop you from purchasing the book, since monsieur Lemoine in this monograph included works of many great but usually neglected artists, those which one can very rarely (or never) see in the books on art of the 19th century. There are enough books on Impressionists to fill all the world's garbage landfills many times over (and thousands upon thousands more are printed every year), yet it is so hard to find one monograph on the likes of Cabanel, Delaunay, Fromentin, Bonnat, Laurens, Carriere, Levy-Dhurmer, Hammershoi etc etc.

5 comments about Harley Brown's Eternal Truths for Every Artist.

1. Mr. Brown's Eternal Truths is the kind of book I have picked up again and again. Not so much for the artistic advice, as for the cheerful inspiration that fills every page. It inspires me to actually head to my art table and begin painting, which is much more than most books. And, most especially, Mr. Brown approaches everything (his paintings, his advice, his life) with humor and joy. A lesson to us all.



2. This book is an amazing compendium of technique infused with insights that will inspire artists to rethink what, why and how they paint. Set up casually with plain talk, it belies the great book design and wonderful artwork. I highly recommend this book to all artists who aspire to do better!



3. Fantastic book, and highly recommended for anyone wanting to get inside the "meat" of an art instructional manual. Harley has a wonderful sense of humor, and an easy way of explaining his procedures. I have read it through cover to cover, and use it to reference repeatedly.
   Next purchase, is Harley's newest book.



4. Brown's book is excellent for intermediate or advanced artists. I think beginners will find it confusing and beyond them (Brown presumes some drawing and painting abilities are in place). His book will help you "bust loose" and get to the next level. His advice and side-comments are entertaining, anti-establishment, anti-artsy-baloney and generally right on! Enjoy.



5. I wish this book had been called, "Eternal Truths for Every Artist Who Works in Two Dimensions." It's about flat art. A very few points are relevant to sculpture, but not many. Could easily have saved the money I spent on this and have NOT earned the purchase price back in increased sales yet.

2 comments about The Thomas Kinkade Story: A 20-Year Chronology of the Artist.

1. This work is the equivalent of a chocolate sundae for the eyes.....you BET it is popular.....but unless you consider fast food to be fine dining...lets dispense with the superlatives accorded these artbits. As a more "healthy visual feast"I suggest as a starting point the work of Gustav Baumann or Christopher Burkett(photographer extraodinaire!) if you enjoy beauty in the landscape as your subject of contemplation.After seeing their work you may be embarrassed at your admiration for this stuff.Come on people....get OUT more!!



2. Have you ever heard anyone scoff at Kinkade's work, because it is "too commercial" ? There are many who disdain work that is embraced by "the common man", and work that is reproduced for a mass market. So be it, but I do not agree with this elitist viewpoint, and think that in many years to come, Kinkade's work will be far more valued than some of what is "fashionable" in art circles today.
   This is a magnificent coffee table book, with thick glossy pages and excellent color reproduction, and a well written text by Rick Barnett. I pored over this volume with a magnifying glass, examining the details, the brushwork, and the evolution of Kinkade's work over the years.

   Part I, "The Early Years": Born in 1958, Kinkade was drawing before he could walk, and his first mentor was the Bay Area artist of renown Glenn Wessels, who in 1974 moved to Thom's Placerville, California neighborhood. Later while studying at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, he painted "The Prince of Peace", which he saw in a vision, and it is a powerful piece.

   Part II, "20 Years of Published Work":
   "The Early Works, 1984-1989". Many of these pieces are massive scenic vistas and city street sceenes, and my one and only complaint of this book is that it does not give the dimensions of the original paintings.
   "The Artist is Recognized, 1989-1993". On page 55, is a piece I find startling, "New York, Snow on Seventh Avenue, 1932", painted in 1989; with its extraordinary perspective, and skyscrapers bathed in the light of the setting sun, it captures the feeling of another era and there is a palpable sense of movement in it...and it is a painting I could look at for years and never tire of.
   In 1990, during a family trip to England, the cottage paintings were born. The one that I find incredibly lovely is "Spring at Stonegate". The graceful slope of the roof, and the dappled sunlight are beautiful.

   "Chasing the Horizon, 1993-1997". The Kinkade family moved to the South Bay area of San Francisco, and the plein air paintings took flight. My favorite of this genre is "Wailea Pool, Maui" (1996), with broad free strokes, the wind is ruffling the palm trees, and the clouds seem to be dancing.
   There also seems to be a heightened idealism emerging during these years, which becomes even more evident in "The Golden Era, 1997-2000", where the landscapes take on a misty, eerie light. In the world of "Cobblestone Bridge" (2000), Kinkade says "man and nature live in God's perfect balance".

   "Light of Freedom, 2000-2004". Inspired by a dream, Kinkade painted "The Light of Freedom" in 2002 as a tribute to 9/11, and from 2001, "San Francisco, Lombard Street", with an entire vista of the city, is a marvel; another treasure is "Desert Sunset" (2002), with its red sky and magical twinkling lights in the distance.
   Motivated by his faith, and dreams and visions, Kinkade's gentle world of peace and light is sure to shine for many generations.

1 comments about Edward Hopper's New York.

1. With an informed and informative text by New York resident, writer and art historian Avis Berman, Edward Hopper's New York showcases more than 50 color and b/w paintings, etchings and drawings focusing exclusively on famed artist's Edward Hopper's New York City inspired artwork. Many of the artworks have a paragraph of commentary exclusive to them, but the overall narrative tour continues from cover to cover. Realistic in its artistic style, with a slightly softer than life texture to the paintings that is just about the only thing that prevents one from mistaking them for photographs, Edward Hopper's New York is a unique tour of the city itself.

5 comments about Paint By Number Kit: Everything You Need to Re-Create 8 Vintage Masterpieces.

1. This is a very cute kit with a good variety of subjects from the Eiffel tower to a rocket in space. The guide included was great at showing what colors are needed for each portrait and what colors you will need to mix. I do think that the quality of the brush could be better and the portraits were a bit smaller than I would have liked. I had to squint quite a lot for some pictures to make sure the right paint got in the right spot but I really had fun with this kit and would buy it again.



2. I rather enjoyed this kit. I liked that I had so many projects and they didn't take too long to do. My only concern is that some of the colors did not mix up like they were supposed to so the finished product was shaded differently.



3. Much to my chagrin, I had to return this item as I could not possibly see the numbers to know what colors to use. I was devasted.



4. I didn't have a problem with the printing I thought that was fine but the paintings are only about 4"x6" while I was expecting about 12"x20".



5. This would be a great paint by number kit if one could see the outlines of the picture on each board. It is so light you can hardly see the picture and the numbers for painting the masterpieces are completely unreadable. If anyone else has run across this please let Amazon know so they can fix this problem as I love paint by number kits.
   I have run across this same problem with the Workman paint by number calendars also and quit buying them.
   I will have to send this kit back as it is unusable.

5 comments about Oil Painting Techniques: Learn How to Master Oil Painting Working Techniques to Create Your Own Successful Paintings (Artist's Painting Library).

1. I'm pretty much a complete novice in any form of art, so this book was quite helpful to me. There are several parts I found useful-- how to hold and handle the brush to achieve different effects, comparisons of student paintings to similar professional works, separating 'value' from 'intensity,' etc. I can imagine this book being a waste of time for people who've been in relatively good art classes or who've already done enough painting to have learned all of this already, but if you would consider yourself to be an amateur, it can't hurt to give it a go.



2. I was rather disappointed with this book and do not recommend it. The only techniques in this book was useless bits of information like a simple color chart, how to hold a paintbrush, and what you should have in your paint-box. There were no techniques on how to oil paint. The book consisted of paintings by different artists being critiqued. The book should be titled something like, "Let's try to talk up eleven artists, ten if we subtract the writer". With the exception of a few pieces by Ken Davies, the art work in the book is very amateur looking itself. I guess that is why they put them into a book and tried to talk them up. It really deserves minus 2 stars.



3. I have not painted in over 30 years, and hoped that this would bring me up to speed. It didn't. Probably the least useful book on painting on my bookshelf. I'm not sure what this book is supposed to do for the reader. It didn't help me in the least.



4. I don't have much to go on, but I quickly browsed this book in an art store and found it quite good as far as simplicity and "what the beginning artist should have." I would recommend it to the beginner without reservation.



5. Is it possible to give negative stars?

   I'm so embarassed about buying this book.

   My stupidity is the only explanation...

   It's not about techniques. It wasn't even written by the artists. It's a running commentary on paintings. The average number of "intermediate" steps per painting is about 4-5. Each "step" is actually a different painting started from scratch, so there's no way to compare what changed between steps cause it all did. So much was skipped between enormous amounts of work they felt guilty and tried to make up for it with such sage advice as "Mr. Jones prefers to thin his paint with 1/3 damar, 1/3 turpentine, 1/3 linseed oil". Or "when sketching during sharp-focused-realism be precise". Or "shadows made it look 3 dimensional" I'm exaggerating but I think you get the point.

4 comments about Marlene Dumas (Contemporary Artists).

1. Marlene Dumas is a fabulous contemporary artist, straight forward...no tricks, no formulas..like in the old days.
   
   Its a beautiful book is excellent condition



2. This book is one of my favourites. In Marlene Dumas, I found an artist that I totally relate to. I find her philosophy on her art practice refreshing and have enjoyed reading her own opinions. I am currently studying art at University, and she definitely is an artist that has gone against the mainstream of traditional drawing and painting techniques.
   
   The layout of the book is easy to read, with many coloured pictures of her work.



3. This is what I look for in an art book, many large good quality reproductions of the work with a minimum of pretentious text. Let me look at the images first and decide what I think about them, then I can go read what the artist or some critic/historian thinks, not the other way around, as far too many books do.

   I like the fact that Dumas does what she feels at the time she does it, so there is a lot of variety in this book, it is not the same piece over and over again. She is not like a lot of artist, simply becoming clichés of themselves at the 1st signs of success, she continues to experiment and try different things, which she is criticized for, however, I think that criticism is short sited. There is something fresh, loose and free about her work that I admire. Granted I don't like her work as much as when I first viewed it a few years ago (reflecting my own development as an artist) but it is still one of my favorite books and I would recommend it to anyone interested in contemporary art.

   My only critic comes from my own bias, in that I find some of her content overly simplified clichés of women's issues and feminist theory. .........And I'm annoyed by the fact that If I, as a male artist, created some of the images she's created, I'd be lynched by NOW(or some other WWB-Whiny Women's Brigade as I've coined them) as being a misogynist pig.




4. I had seen a self-portrait done by Marlene Dumas in an art book and it blew me away. I did not know who she was or her main specialty. I knew I had to see more of her body of work... I quickly found this Phaedon publication, crossed my fingers and ordered it. When it finally arrived...I poured over it. It is now a few months later and I am still pouring over it. I particularly like the interviews and personal input Helene has had into the publication – this is her book and her philosophies – she puts herself out there for you to see her and to "get inside her head". The layout is very contemporary which adds to the presentation of her imagery. The reproductions of her work are plentiful and I am impressed with the range of her work through her different "periods". The text is concise and confronting in its subject matter, ranging from her life in apartheid Africa to the freedom of Amsterdam. This book is a must for art students and art lovers alike. It holds the key to an modern artist and, as an art student, has inspired me. I am looking forward to seeing more publications about her current work. I definitely give this book 5 stars – plus 5 stars for a major contemporary artist.

3 comments about Oil Painting: Develop Your Natural Ability.

1. Reading and doing the lessons in Sovek's book is like having a year of art school. I know, because I went to art school.
   Check that, reading and doing the lessons in Sovek's book is BETTER than a year in art school. I am not kidding.



2. I have purchased many oil painting books which unfortunately are long on theory but short on sound practical advice. Charles Sovek's book guides the beginner through many structured projects in which the essential building blocks of good painting technique are mastered. No book I have come across offers this instruction in such a clear concise manner. Living in a country which offers few oil painting courses, this book more than makes up for the lack of live classes. I highly recommend this book to budding oil painters.



3. i ve learnt an approach to painting which is practical and has caused great improvement. if the exercises are followed as laid out in the book there is a lot to be gaine

2 comments about An Artist's Way Of Seeing.

1. Excellent book if you want to learn about the unique visual thought process that many artists share. This is not a "how-to paint" book... it is a "how to think" like an artist book- in my opinion. The artwork centers on the author-artist's own work executed in watercolors. I really enjoyed the book... I think that most intermediate painters and creative persons will find some points of inspiration within the book. And if Mrs. Whyte reads this review- your works that feature the older ladies are my favorites.



2. "I like to arrive early in the morning at the pond so that I can watch the lotus flowers open before noon." ~ Mary Whyte
   
   Mary Whyte's art has been exhibited by art galleries and has been collected by museums. She is also the author of Watercolor for the Serious Beginner and has illustrated children's books. I think the reason people love her art is because of the spiritual elements she is able to capture in watercolor. She also adds a magical dimension with color, like she adds blue to the steam from the pan on a stove. The sky burns in a rosy orange as a beautiful woman holds sunflowers.
   
   What I love most about her paintings is the use of blue colors to warm the moments. She also has an expert eye for capturing reflections in water. Her "Moon Over the Meadow" makes you wish you were there, bathed in the blue silvery light.
   
   Mary Whyte's paintings are all beautiful expressions of detailed observation, but where she truly excels is when she paints beautiful women in fields of flowers. They are just stunning.
   
   The beauty of this book is not only the artwork; it is also in the poetic writing and artist comments. Like a diary of experience, Mary Whyte explores landscapes, discusses specific ways she captures moments and is a true teacher in the way she explains how you can create your own watercolor magic. An Artist's Way of Seeing is a true inspiration and rare find!
   
   ~The Rebecca Review