1 comments about Silver Masters of Mexico, Hector Aguilar and the Taller Borda: Hector Aguilar and the Taller Borda.

1. This book is well done. But, it is not a Morrill and Berk book on an overview of Mexican Silver and Taxco. It is more narrow in scope that its title would suggest concentrating in depth on Hector Aguilar and making him much more a personna than Morill and Berk do in their book, where he is dwarfed by Spratling. The photos in this book are of homes and people. The photos there are of silver of the Taller are good but do not again expect the detail to the Morrill and Berk book. This is a supplement and to lovers of Aguilar and those who wish to know more about the man and his life both personal and professional.

4 comments about Whittling and Woodcarving.

1. I have a love hate relationship with this book. My wife's Grandfather left it to me with some tools. It is OLD school & dry (I read it to go to sleep). However, it has a grand breadth of projects and depth of detail. It is a great reference. Don't expect full sized, exciting templates. This was written before the copy machine. Do expect a challenging variety of projects and keen insights. This book is not directly related to my goals as a carver. However, it does challenge me indirectly to become better.



2. I'm a brand new whittler and this guy is a tad dry for me. Or perhaps a little intimidating. All the wood carving stuff is beside my point. Good stuff; I just don't love this book.



3. This book is great for a beginner to learn all the basics of whittling. i was making a wooden chain in no time at all and im ready to go on to the more challenging projects.



4. Written in the thirties this is the whittler's magnum opus. Classic whittling tricks and projects, soap carving, etc. Get this book, a pocket knife and a chunck of white pine. Find a shady tree or a park bench and whittle away. Want to make a pair of operational box jointed wooden pliers?, a ball in a cage?, a wooden chain? Tangerman will walk you through the process step by step. It is easier than it looks. I have a wooden chain with a ball in a cage hanging in the shop for people to casually discover. When they do my stock goes up three or four points right away.

No comments about Making Construction Vehicles for Kids: Complete Plans and Assembly Drawings for Eight Toys that Really Move.

1 comments about A Little Book of Gargoyles.

1. I think Gargoyles have always been a little misunderstood, and this book shows then in all their glory.

   Great pictures!

No comments about Imi Knoebel: Works 1966-2006.

No comments about Water Library.

2 comments about Origami Paper Airplanes.

1. I'm not sure why you'd buy this book if you didn't want to fold airplanes!
   
   It's a great book, suitable for beginners, containing excellent airplanes to throw at your siblings and colleagues. The diagrams are easy to follow and everybody should be able to them



2. We borrowed this book from the library, and my 9-year-old son and I have had a blast folding and flying the airplanes. Most of them have taken off with no problems and have proven to be awesome flyers. One or two models have been a bit of a challenge to fold, but we simply started over and tried again!
   
   The instructions in the book are clear and simple -- simple enough for my 9-year-old to fold on his own, as a matter of fact. I recommend practicing the introductory folds in the front of the book in order to prepare yourself for take-off. For paper, we've been recycling old catalogs and magazines and have some very colorful models flying around our house!
   
   We ended up taking this book to a family reunion with us, and all of the kids had a blast folding and flying their airplanes. It was a great way for long lost cousins to spend some time together and get to know each other again!

2 comments about Henry Moore: Sculpting the Twentieth Century.

1. This book radiates with the beauty of Henry Moore, and helps us to recognize those more recent sculptors such as Donald Wright, who have perhaps surpassed the master.



2. Moore is one of the most beloved sculptors of the 20th century, yet his work has fallen out of favor with the modern critics: this seeks to reassess Moore's crucial contribution to art of the last century, examining his early experiments with primitivism and his later probe into modernist pieces. The focus on his early works in particular provides Moore enthusiasts with a body of works and approaches not seen in many other considerations of his works.

2 comments about Runaway Girl: The Artist Louise Bourgeois (Bccb Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award (Awards)).

1. I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages who want to know more about Louise Bourgeois and her work. It's beautifully designed, straight-forward, full of information, and inspring.



2. As you read RUNAWAY GIRL, a beautifully-crafted book that illuminates Louise Bourgeois's story, it is impossible not to keep your eyes on the art. The book is absolutely saturated with vivid photographs of the ninety-two year-old artist's work, as well as a progression of photos of Louise throughout a life that spanned nearly the entire twentieth century and has continued on into the new millennium. Louise's story--from a childhood in France to an apartment in Manhattan--encompasses family, creativity, and personal evolution, as well as her historic role in breaking down sexual barriers in the art world.

   But what makes RUNAWAY GIRL such an important piece of nonfiction for young adults is that unique peek at the psychological roots of an artist's creativity. Greenberg & Jordan provide the perfect measure of Louise's early years in order for us to understand those roots without ever getting bogged down in extraneous detail. The extensive access to her inner life that this controversial artist has granted the authors and their readers makes the book inspiring and unique. I didn't expect to enjoy a book about some female artist I'd never heard of before, but to find out why some two-story-high spiders represent her mother and herself totally captivated me.

   "From one of Louise Bourgeois's journals:

   The Runaway Girl who never grew up.
   I need no support nor comfort.
   I need no safety net, no breakfast.
   No lunch or tea, no visitors, no telephone calls nor little messages.
   No little concerts, no hype, or encouragement for big projects.
   No ambitions, no spying on my neighbors.
   I need nothing...I can wait, I am not afraid, I am an adult.
   Nothing is lacking."

   It is also fascinating to see little snippets of the artist at work. For instance, the authors describe her creation of one of my favorite pieces of her art:

   "She would go back to [the marble quarries in] Pietranta many times in the sixties and again in the eighties. Jerry Gorovoy, who accompanied her on one such trip, says there wasn't much time for sightseeing. They arrived at their hotel in the evening and instead of going to a restaurant or walking around town, she insisted on getting right to work. Jerry says that Louise had a hard time relaxing. 'If you take her to the beach, she can sit still for about five minutes. Then she gets restless.' Unfortunately, Louise hadn't packed any art supplies--no clay, wax or Plasticine. So she asked Jerry for the shirt off his back. She folded and shaped it, stitching the cotton into position until she was satisfied with the form. The next day at the quarry she changed the design somewhat, then applied gesso, a liquid plaster, to harden the fabric. A larger, marble version was measured and roughed out by the craftsmen at the quarry according to her specifications. Then it was shipped to the studio [in Brooklyn], where, upon her return, she carefully reworked it with a chisel. Eventually Jerry's shirt evolved into Femme Maison, 1983, a fresh interpretation of her familiar subject."

   RUNAWAY GIRL concludes with a variety of useful resources, including "How to Look at a Sculpture," and "Where to View Artwork by Louise Bourgeois," as well as an expansive glossary, a bibliography, and a chronological listing of her work.

   " What happens next? That is her main focus. And so she stays at home on Twentieth Street, spinning her memories, fantasies, and ideas into art. Free with her thoughts and feelings, up to a point, she lets us know that there are other secrets, other ideas and thoughts to consider about her, about her work. 'I'm a long distance runner. I'm a lonely runner and that's the way I like it.' "

   It was a delight to "meet" Louise. Long may she run.

2 comments about Chinese Cut-Paper Designs (Dover Pictorial Archive Series).

1. It's a good book where I could find lots of chinese designs. I find much more than I could expect in a product like this. All my friends want to buy the book for them. It was a nice selection of designs. I recommend this book to each one who wants to practice and make beautiful chinese designs.



2. This books has some of the most detailed paper cuts I have seen. They are wonderful and very challenging. If you are looking for a Paper cut book...this is the one! I give it five stars!