4 comments about Weather Shamanism: Harmonizing Our Connection with the Elements.

1. This book is full of fascinating information, both for people who know about shamanism, and those who are just learning what it is. Gives a wonderful perspective on something we tend to take for granted (weather!), and opened my mind to a new way of thinking about our world, and how we might experience it. Very well written, too.



2. I picked up a copy of Weather Shamanism, a book I've wanted to read since I first heard about it last year. I just finished it off, and I'm rather pleased with the result.
   
   I was a bit concerned that this would be a text on how to control the weather, a modern-day mix of spirituality and human-centric overpowering. However, I was pleasantly presented with a book full of concern for the impact we've already had on the atmosphere and the Earth, how this has affected the weather, and how further manipulation is not the answer. Nor is the power placed entirely in our hands; the authors focus on working with the spirits of the weather-not ordering them about, but aligning ourselves with them, and learning to see the bigger picture even when our immediate needs may not be being met.
   
   The bulk of this book is theoretical in nature. It is not a "how-to" book with a bunch of exercises and rituals and prayers. I was quite thankful there wasn't some dictionary of weather spirits, talking about the personality of cloud spirits or the favorite offerings of rain spirits-the authors stres building your own relationships with the weather spirits, which I very much support. Also the authors seem to go on the basic assumption that the reader will already have a decent understanding of shamanism, particularly core shamanism which is the foundation of their own practice. Therefore, this is not a shamanism 101 text.
   
   I think my only complaint is that there's too much theory; while the authors do a good job of explaining things like respect and power, animistic perspectives, and the nature of certain weather spirits in particular, as well as share a lot of anecdotes (their own and others'), they could have gotten their points across effectively in a lot less space. Really, it's only the last few dozen pages where there's any explanation of practical applications beyond anecdotes. My favorite chapter was probably the second to last, the one on healing with weather. And yet, there was so much more they could have described. The book spends a lot of time setting up the stage, for a comparatively brief "performance". While I don't expect a bunch of precrafted rituals, it felt at times like they were making the same general points again and again in different words. I would have liked more specific information on practical applications and considerations.
   
   Still, this is a very worthy text, especially for being the first of its kind, and I would definitely recommend it-I am most assuredly hanging onto my copy, because I learned quite a bit that woke me up to the reality of weather spirits, and since I started reading it I've been much more aware of them in my everyday life. Thank you to the authors for providing this text.



3. If you are like me and you are secretly or blatantly in love with the weather, then you will adore this book. Nan Moss writes with clarity and passion about her knowledge and experience of the various weather beings, angels, spirits and helpers. She brings you into intimate contact with them and then shows you how to go there for yourself. By the time you have finished reading this book, you will be asking yourself: How can I lightly touch, interact with and learn from these divine forces? And you will realize all the answers are in the book and inside you.
   
   Here are some random chapter headings to show you what you have to look forward to:
   
   "What is Weather? Emotion, Reciprocity and Change."
   Nan Moss: "The climate and the weather have been master teachers of the principle of change in our world."
   
   "The Sacred Nature of Storm."
   Nan Moss: "We have it in our power to cultivate a perspective that is spacious."
   
   "Healing With Weather."
   Nan Moss: " . . honoring the weather brings balance and well-being."
   
   Exciting and intriguing, don't you think?
   
   This book is also filled with other people's stories and experiences. You will receive quite a variety of perspectives and methods, but in the end it will come down to your own perspective and method. However, I will bet that even if you are not on a shamanic path, the next time you are confronted with a graphic weather system, from achingly joyful blue skies to dense and determined pouring rain, you will find yourself out there dancing to it with your understanding, your acceptance and your love. Watch, now! See if you don't get a response back!



4. This book is very down to earth and easy to understand with thought provocing facts about the spirits of weather and our connection to Nature. After reading this book, you will never look at a cloud or a storm in the same way.

5 comments about Mastering Color.

1. I liked Ms. McMurry's approach with how she both wrote the book and what she decided to share in regards to her knowledge with oils. I would really give this book 4 and a half stars because in order to be a five star it would have to include even more info, however the book is well-printed, the examples excellent and it includes lots of photographic information along with the written descriptions. One of the better oil painting books out there. I wasn't disappointed.



2. Vicki has written an exceptional instructional book on color. She is well informed and has a flair about her which shines throughout this book. She is a true artist and is willing to share it with all of us. You will learn about her supplies and many of her tips to be a better informed painter and artist. Thank you, Vicki
   
   Eleanor



3. I am really pleased that I have purchased this book, as it has given me an insight as to what colors to use in my paintings. I have been painting for years and I now feel more confident in choosing color range - thank you Mastering Color. The book is also very well explained.



4. I though it would be very deep into color theory, on how to get accurate
   tonal and saturation value, but in fact it's very light, and doesnt really add anything new that havent been written in others books about color theory. The presentation is impeccable which make it a nice book to own. But if I had seen this book in a librairy before buying it, I would not have bought it.



5. great book-like the explaination on all the color schemes. very easy to understand and refer to when doing color studies.

5 comments about Creating Nature in Watercolor: An Artist's Guide.

1. I found this newest Cathy Johnson book to be every bit as informative and entertaining as her many previous books. The artist's love of nature shines gloriously within these pages. Not only does she give clear and easily understood instructions to 'capture nature', she also inspires you! This book is both working text and entertainment.



2. Having used 2 of Ms. Johnson's books before ("Creating
   Textures in Watercolor" and "Watercolor Pencil Magic-sadly
   out of print") I had great hopes for this new volume, and it
   does not disappoint. More than a collection of pretty
   watercolor studies to be admired -though it is full of
   them! - this book breaks down the process and tells you
   how to get the result you're looking for. Ms. Johnson even
   gives tips on the practicalities of capturing the
   uncooperative moving creatures of nature on paper! I have found something valuable on every page.



3. Cathy Johnson's newest book, Creating Nature in Watercolor, is a most delightful read and it's filled with tips and techniques on appreciating nature and capturing your interpretation of that observation in watercolor. Whether you want to learn how to document botanical samples in a journal or compose an extensive landscape on a full sheet of watercolor paper, this book is a must have! Cathy has a teaching style that encourages everyone to jump right in and have fun learning. This book contains short exercises as well as step-by-step lessons for painting landscapes. A beginner will find this book to be a tremendous start off point and a professional will find many useful tips and notes to help them progress in their treatment of nature and landscapes.



4. Cathy Johnson's newest book is a work of art in itself. The inside page design is simply beautiful. The illustrations by Ms. Johnson are very inspiring. And her tone is one of gentle encouragement ("yes, you can do this too"). I just received my copy recently and have already spent hours savoring it. Many of Ms. Johnson's books seem deceptively simple. One could quickly glance over her notes and paintings and then set the book on the shelf. The real value comes from taking her books, page by page, and actually DOING the exercises she provides. Pay attention to her teaching, follow her examples, and wonderful things will happen with your artwork. Creating Nature in Watercolor is a wonderful book and I am thankful that the artist took the time to create it.



5. I have just recieved Cathy Johnson's new book, "Creating Nature in Watercolor, an Artists Guide." I sat down and read it through, and found it felt like an beautifully illustrated letter from a good friend, who is encouraging me to join her in her love of nature and creating. The art work is superb of course, as I expected, since I already own several of her books, and recently took one of her wonderful Online Classes...and she has been drawing and painting for her whole life...but I also found much more in it than artwork. She not only shares many, many, many valuable techniques and tips...but they seem unique to her charming way of helping us out with some of the little things that become big things when you dont know how to deal with them. And she adds so many details and makes them all so interesting!
   Her 'personal relationship' with nature pulls the reader and artist into a close connection with creation and creating.
   It is a book for everyone...beginning and professional artists as well as all who appreciate nature.
   For me this is her best book....so far...:)

2 comments about Watercolor Painting For Dummies (For Dummies (Sports & Hobbies)).

1. Wow! Most art books are like the ones you remember from college--sky high prices and nothing but print. Art books need pictures, and this one has plenty of them in color--no guessing as to the artist's tecnique. You can use it as a reference, or start from scratch. It gives you sources for everything you need. A must have for any artist's library.



2. Watercolor Painting for Dummies is a great book for both beginners and artist who just need to brush (no pun intended) up on the fundamentals of w/c painting. If you're looking for a book to give you all the information you need because you are just beginning, this is it. This book is chock full of everything you need to know and everything they teach in art class.
   Another good thing about this book is you don't have to start from the first chapter and read from there (unless you are a beginner).
   And there are several projects you can paint "along" with.
   This is a good book to have and refer back to again and again.

5 comments about Richard Diebenkorn in New Mexico.

1. Of the few scholarly books written on Deibenkorn's prolific production, this volume offers a new insight into the relationships of his previous developmental and matured California works. His clearly defined non-objective landscapes hold the seeds of the objective period to follow and an even more defined structural forecast of his late period of geometric compositions. Diebenkorn's use of color in New Mexico brings together both a broad stroke vision of the native landscape and an alternate coloration of local floral and costume. This author views the Albequerque series as his deepest expression of color beyond the sand, stone and dry botanical forms of cactus and sage as a predominating foilage. The light-hearted color canvases are of very special interest.
   
   Of all artists of the twentieth century, few, if any, have explored the diversity of color intricately entwined within the composition structure so much as Diebenkorn.
   
   Ray W. Clarke
   Cleveland and Palm Beach



2. This book is something of a revelation for anyone who has an interest in American painting, but isn't an artist, academic or serious collector. Richard Diebenkorn, for me, has always been a great West Coast, landscape/colorist painter, known most recently for the Ocean Park series that became a kind of hallmark for him. "Richard Diebenkorn in New Mexico" shows an entirely different phase of his remarkable professional life; one that saw him fully committed to the dominant abstract expressionist school of the time and painting with quite a different pallette of colors than that he would come to be known for some 20-30 years later. This book is a wonderful collection of paintings, drawings and sculpture that provide examples of how the then-student Diebenkorn developed his craft over a two-plus year period in the 1950s. This is a major pleasure to read, peruse and discuss as well as a wonderful addition to any art library.



3. This book provides an enlightening look at Diebenkorn's early biomorphic landscape drawings and paintings. It's full of quality images and incisive analysis, and gives a thoughtful overview of his formative break-through years.



4. This book accompanies an exhibition of Diebenkorn's works painted in New Mexico in the early 1950's. Wonderful illustrations make it a valuable addition to the literature on the artist. Now, you really have to be an all-out Diebenkorn fan to consider that these early works measure up to what was being painted at the same time in New York by the likes of Pollock, De Kooning, Rothko, Kline and Guston. Diebenkorn became great when he started the Ocean Park series in the 1970's, but here, he only reveals himself as a good colorist. The merit of this catalogue lies, in my opinion, in the high quality of the illustrations, albeit of minor works, and in the sensible text written by a leading authority on the artist.



5. This excellent collection represents the works produced by Richard Diebenkorn during his tenure at the University of New Mexico from 1950-52, comprising some of his most exciting abstract images. The companion exhibit at the Harwood Museum in Taos, New Mexico once again confirms Diebenkorn's stature as one of the most influential and important abstract painters of our time.

5 comments about Drawing and Painting Fantasy Landscapes and Cityscapes.

1. A lucid and comprehensive guide to the fundamentals of modern fantasy art-making. There are several featured pieces throughout the book which take the reader step-by-step through the artist's creative process, something I found to be enormously instructive. This book won't make anyone a great artist (no book will) but it will certainly help focus and hone one's techniques, as well as introduce some possibilities one may not have considered before.
   
   I'd recommend for anyone from beginner to advanced skill level: beyond that you probably no longer need a book...



2. I got this book on a whim because it was a 2 for 1 deal with the "Fantasy Illustrator's Technique book" and I didn't have any expectations for it. I found myself refering to this book a great deal, more than the original book I bought. I used it for techniques on getting depth/distance to paintings, lighting, and for inspiration from pictures of different fantasy landscapes. It had mostly oils and digital art in it. I wish it had more on acrylic techniques, such as specifics on glazing or textures, but oh well, it's been a great buy, and I would recommend it for the mid to advanced level amature artist with fantasy interests.



3. I dabble in fantasy art, being much better at looking at it than actually creating the stuff myself. I did enjoy this work. While I will never be as good as the work displayed in this book, I use books such as this for inspiration and motivation. This work is well done. It gives some good, basic tips in developing this particular genre of art. It would be difficult to say if this work is good for beginners or if it is only for the advanced student. We all have our own level. I personally found it helpful, interesting and quite motivating. If nothing else, it is fun to thumb through and just look at the wonderful pictures.



4. For some one like me, who would love to learn how to draw amazing looking and well detailed citys and Landscapes. this book is very helpful, in telling the reader were to start and what the best media to use would be.
   
   in all its a book i would recoment to any one out there who whants to learn how to draw fabules Scapes.



5. This book makes me want to get my drawing supplies out and start fantasizing. A real stimulus with beautiful illustrations.

5 comments about The Art of Painting Animals on Rocks.

1. I purchased this book for my father who loves to do painting and other art work as hobbies. The pictures and the descriptions are very good. I recommend this book.



2. It is realy an art. I guess practice is what makes this rocks look beautiful.
   You must love to paint, plus you need talent. At the end the time and effort is worthy. Get this book if you really feel a passion por painting animals in rocks.



3. Fast shipping. Book smells like mildew.
   Lots of good fun with this book.



4. Love this author. This book is outstanding. Can not wait to get started.



5. I enjoyed this work from the moment I opened it. This book is not only "pretty," it is actually useful. The illustrations are perfect and uncomplicated. The text is easy to follow. Even someone with minimum artistic tallent, such as myself, can actually creat something quite pretty and eye catching. The author offers step by step instructions which even includes how to choose your rock. She gives examples of quite simple projects (like lady bugs), to more complex projects. I simply cannot see how you could go wrong owning and using this one. It has given me a lot of pleasure. Highly recommend this one!

5 comments about The Elements of Color.

1. as Tellez noted previously, this isn't an easy read. fortunately, the reward is worth the effort. Itten does not dumb down his perspectives for the sake of the reader, rather he puts it all on paper for the devoted color theorist to decipher.
   that said, it is for the most part approachable and relatively short reading. I re-read this book every couple of years to keep my busy mind fresh and focused when working with this most essential component of my work.



2. The information in this book is interesting, but the color in the color wheels and all color samples are very pale and washed off. Very disappointing.
   
   If you need to use the color wheels or scales as references, this book will not be helpful.



3. I purchased this book because I wanted to understand colors, color schemes and theory(ies) better in order to apply to my necklace designs. It's a good book to have in your library, but it won't answer all the questions you may have about some applications. Itten's other books however cover pretty much everything; try The Art of Color, for example, if you'd like learn more about color effects on moods/feelings.



4. It's been difficult to give a balanced critique. On one hand, "Elements of Color" has a wealth of information, but on the other, it takes serious committment to fully understand and comprehensively apply the information Itten presents. There is much valuable data, but it's interspersed with almost stereotypic, outmoded "Teutonic" concepts; e.g. assigning "Blond Types" springtime, bright, vivid colored topics, while "Dark Types" should be assigned "Night, Burial and dark room" topics. There is much valuable, technical information, but it is like digging through hard stone to find the gold; overwrought and culturally centered, judgemental statements are very common ("red expresses intermediate degrees between the infernal and sublime"... what's this?!?!). Other statements seem value-laden, i.e., "sentimental blue", "angelic pink", "blue reigns supreme"... Some excuse may be found in realizing the concepts in this treatise may have been developed before the Post Modernist Age, which accepts cultural and ethnic diversity, that accepts art and the use of color as being open to various interpretations, that color is certainly relative and greatly subjective, that many statements about color are only opinions... and that there is no absolute truth as to what color is "right" or "wrong". Unless the reader is studious and very serious about trying to unearth the information contained in this book, he or she is much better served by studing Albers or others. Too bad there is no editing, no index, and no glossary. What would Itten think of the book, "Chromophobia"? ... Pablo Tellez



5. Itten, himself is one of the greatest color theorist of our century, and the masterful mind behind the Bauhaus School.
   
   In this book Itten describes his color theory and the facts of his famous "Color Star", which is one of the most strongest tools for color harmony for designers and alike.
   
   Most color books have samples of color harmonies you choose from when you design, or talk about complementary colors, but cant tell you why u use such combinations or so.
   
   If you have an analytical approach to design, rather than just copying what others do, you will love this book. You will begin to understand the language of colors.
   
   Have u ever heard of "the Seven Color Contrast", if not then it is time for you to get familiar about it.
   
   This book is an evaluation of Ittens masterpiece "Art of Color". The chapter on subjective experience of color is very limited in this book.
   
   If you are willing to invest more on color matters buy "Art of Color"
   
   If you are happy to stay with the basics then this book is adequate for your purposes.

5 comments about Painting the Impressionist Landscape: Lessons in Interpreting Light and Color.

1. I found this book a valuable addition to my library. As an Artist it proved to be a wonderful learning tool, with detailed explainations, examples, and a number of practical step by step learning project. It has added great depth to my paintings. I would recommend it to both experienced artist and beginners. Beautiful colour photos!!!



2. This is an excellent book for learning color theory. You can tell she loves teaching because she doesn't hold back. She is really trying to help you learn the concepts. She paints in an impressionist style, but her methods would work no matter what your style is.



3. It just didn't motivate me like I wanted it to.... so I sold it. But, it does have some good steps to getting that impressionistic look. I suggest trying out the book by Susan Sarback, Capturing Radiant Color in Oils (Paperback)
   ISBN: 1581800614. I've been on her website, and she has some remarkable paintings as well.



4. This discussed painting in a way I needed to hear. It was easy to work with and inspired ideas for me to try. Great book



5. I learned so much from this book. I started painting about 3 years ago and I just painted a little bit more realistically and now I can actually paint in a more impressionist way! Very informing... satisfied + customer

4 comments about Vibrant Flowers in Watercolor.

1. Excellent book I could not put it down once I started to read it, it's so full of life, how too, step by step, techniques, all sorts of helpfull things. Highly reccommended.



2. EXCELLENT BOOK. VERY HELPFUL. USEFUL EXERCISES THAT ARE HELPING ME GAIN A HIGHER LEVEL OF PROFICIENCY IN THE ART OF WATERCOLORS. CLEAR AND CONCISE INSTRUCTUIONS COUPLED WITH ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES.



3. This gorgeous watercolor book is filled with equistive colored flowers. It has instructions as to the layering technique on how to achieve these glorious paintings. It is not your ususal run of the mill watercolor book. This is sophisticated stuff. Much of her painting involves using glass as part the picture, crystal and otherwise. You just cannot believe the results. Glorious flowers and complex backgrounds. I would not recommend this book for the beginner watercolorist. I would say you have to have some experiance in washes, values and color theory. But, for the more advanced, it is a wonderful resource.



4. Soon Y Warren is one of the best watercolorists of our times. I was privileged to take a workshop from this humble woman who manages to produce some of the most richly colored, impacting paintings of our day. While many books just give you enough actual information to be discouraged, Soon's book is generous with her techniques. If you are not even an artist, buy it to have many photos of her stunning watercolors with their intricate crystal, vivid florals, and lush fabrics. I learned that a garage sale dinner plate works as well as a porcelain palette, that her "magic" red is "RED" well applied, that inexpensive Silver Black Velvet brushes will match a kolinsky in the right hands, and that 5 colors will paint just about anything.