3 comments about Woodcarving: Tools, Materials & Equipment, Volume 2.

1. This book, along with volume 1, are well written and very easy to read. There's plenty of pictures so everything is clear. This book is half the size of volume 1 but the same price but it has a lot of good stuff in there that is important for every wood carver to know.



2. Very comprehensive set about carving tools equipment etc.
   Both books together really gives you all you will need to know to get started and going the rest of your life...
   Chris Pye is very thorough in his writing with high attention to detail, as can be witnessed in his other books also.



3. THIS BOOK IS A TRUUE MUST HAVE. I DID NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE CARVING PART OF WOODWORKING. BEING THIS MY SECOND BOOK I TRULY KNEW WHAT TO GO AFTER, WHAT I WANTED AND HOW TO GET THE BEST OF IT. WILL HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS READ AND VOLUME ONE ALSO BEOFRE TRYING ANYBODY ELSE'S BOOKS.

1 comments about Louise Bourgeois: The Secret of the Cells.

1. Of the many Bourgeois books I've seen this has the best illustrations of some of her most compelling work. Most publishers have focused more on her history and little on her current work. Installation work really must be seen to be experienced but the photography of this book captures the colors and emotions held within each cell. I highly recomend it.

3 comments about Authentic Art Deco Jewelry Designs.

1. This is a great Art Deco Jewelry reference book, the only "flaw" is that the book is printed only in black and white, otherwise, it would be impeccable!



2. If you want to learn how to draw jewelry in graphite/charcoal/ink, this is an excellent book because the illustrations look like they were done in that medium. The jewelry is in monochrome (black & white). The geometric designs are beautiful and highly imaginative. The illustrations look semi-realistic. The contents include brooches, clasps, pins, studs, rings, bracelets, watches, watchbands, necklaces, pendants, buckles, buttons, clips, belts, mirrors, rings, chains, charms and more.



3. good for student review but not for the designer of serious modern jewelery

2 comments about Carving Facial Expressions.

1. I hope someday, I can carve wood like this guy!! He's amazing!! Clearly, the best book on learning facial expressions. A+++. Starting w/a diagram of the facial muscles, & how each one works, down to the different kinds of facial expressions doing all sorts of faces. This book is a MUST for any wood carvers, beginners or pros alike.



2. This is a good book for helping one carve facial expressions however it has a very limited number of examples and expressions to offer. The book is worth it for someone who is very much interested in carving, but for more information on facial expression try Artist's Complete Guide to Facial Expression.

3 comments about Zuni Fetishes and Carvings: The Compete Guide, One-Volume Expanded Edition.

1. The book is very informative, compact and well illustrated.
   It invites one to visit the Zuni Culture as a whole!



2. Contains a great deal of information about the Zuni carvers and their carvings, but does not get quite far enough.



3. Zuni fetish carvings are fascinating and addicting. This new book by Kent McManis, who owns Grey Dog Trading Company, combines two earlier books into an expanded version with even more pictures of the carvings.
   
   I didn't see much new information in this expanded edition but it does have more photos than the earlier volumes combined. If you have the two earlier books, you probably don't need this new one unless you just like to look at pictures of the fetish carvings.

1 comments about One Hundred Years of Collectible Jewelry: 1850-1950.

1. Lillian Baker's "100 Years of Collectible Jewelry" might help you to find your way, but only barely. The small opening section, with a brief history of jewelry, may be helpful to the novice...but is by no means complete or even truly interesting to the seasoned collector. It will give you an overview of jewelry styles and some of the historic events that prompted them, but will leave you wanting more. (Much more.) The photographs in the book are clear, but very small; not wildly exciting nor representative of all periods and jewelry styles. However Ms. Baker does go into areas not generally covered...hair combs, hat pins and beaded purse are investigated although in a flash in the pan sort of way. Possibly the major advantage of the book is the Glossary of Terms. If you are brand spanking new to collecting jewelry, this may be the most helpful and informative portion of the book. Overall I would recommend the book for it's reasonable price and easy to chew small bites of information, but if you are interested in a compelling, in-depth view of the history of jewelry, this book is not for you.

1 comments about Eva Hesse: Sculpture.

1. Eva Hesse was one of those rare creative spirits who took the unsettled, unhappy, tragic, and difficult aspects of her life and used the underpinnings of uncertainty to forge a wholly unique and superbly creative body of work. "Oh...more absurdity!" she would exclaim, reviewing her latest creation. One hears in that comment an undertone of glee, that she has unleashed another unheard-of creation upon the world. Her use of uncoventional materials is also a provocative element of her work, and she knew that...saying "art doesn't last...life doesn't last..." and this was before her terrible diagnosis of brain cancer in her early 30's. As with the early death of Mozart, here we have an instance of a powerfully creative spirit cut off in her prime. Who knows what powerful masterpieces she would have created had she lived on...(she would have been 70 this year...not unreasonably old...)
   This book is a superb combination of photographic documentation, subtle and well-thought-out essays and careful production (layout, color plates, binding...all are top-notch!) Of special interest are the reproductions and essays about the yearbooks/scrapbooks compiled by her father, detailing her growth and life in the early stages, including photographs, documents, graphs, etc. Works of art in themselves! All art-lovers of any stripe should consider this excellent volume for inclusion in their library.

1 comments about The Language of Sculpture, With 155 Illustrations.

1. This probably is a great textbook, at least it certainly reads like one. I was more interested in getting inspired about sculpture and this was too stilted toward very abstract sculpture for my taste.

5 comments about Engagement & Wedding Rings: The Definitive Buying Guide for People in Love.

1. This is a great reference book if all you know about engagement rings is what the four "c's" stand for. The tables were the most helpful references and it is written so you can reference areas you want most to learn about. There is more than enough information, including a lot of history and information on other stones other than diamonds. It even gave me a dollar range to expect, which was the biggest unknown for me.



2. Excellent book. A must for anyone purchasing an engagement or wedding ring.



3. I purchased this book along with the book Diamond Ring buying guide by Renee Newman. This book only contained B/W diagram drawings and described the 'flaw's that diamonds have. Hello? dianmonds are not B/W diagram drawings, that little dot on the drawing tells me nothing!
   The book seems to ramble and drone on and on about diamonds, like a good old high school history book. Of all the 14 pages of color photos, there are 6 pages dedicated to 'designer rings' and the rest are just photos of different styles of jewelery. What does a yellow diamond look like? What about a diamond that was cut incorrectly? A simple line drawing does not help at all.
   I found Newman's book much more detailed and well written than this book. Newman has many photos, practically the entire book is made up of color photos of diamonds and flawed diamonds (so you know that to look for).
   If you have a lot of time on your hands and don't mind a boring book, then buy this book, other wise Newman has condensed this 300 page book into just a mere 150 pages or so into hers.



4. This book was really helpful in making me feel comfortable shopping for a ring for my girlfriend.

   I also used howtoproposemarriage. com to come up with a proposal that knocked her socks off.




5. After reading quite a few books in this category; I found Matlins book informative but not practical in the real world. The book was in my opinion too generalized and wasn't what I needed, i.e. expert advise on how to buy a top quality diamond from a reputable jeweler at the best price. If you want to learn about the history of the diamond the book might pass but won't tell you what you need to know if your out shopping for one.

No comments about A Concise History Of American Painting And Sculpture: Revised Edition.