3 comments about Discoveries: Rodin (Discoveries (Abrams)).

1. Although largely biographical, it covers most of his important pieces and their impact on his life and the art of that era. But, what I love about the book are the beautifully written prose of (the poet) Rainer Maria Rilke and his commentary about particular pieces, that can't be found in print elsewhere. Particularly striking is Rilke's commentary on Rodin's The Burghers of Calais in the first several pages, which gives a dynamic piece its true emotional content. This is what makes this small book unique. Coffee table sized books on Rodin will give more satisfying visual reproduction of Rodin's works and probably provide more critical commentary on the meaning of individual works, but this small book does have rather unusual content. It has sections in the back on the lost wax technique and excerpts of letters and interesting photographs of Rodin at work in his studio and imposing his enormous ego over the works that made him one of the most important sculptors since antiquity.



2. A very interesting biography on rodins work and his personel life and how this, through the path of time reflected in his work. Although laking in criticle views and historical context of what his influenses were (apart from that of Michelangelo)it did mention the possible influence that Camille Claudel had on him.



3. I have dozens of books on Rodin and this is one of my favorites. Great, though small, photographs, concise text and even a nifty section in the back of the book with copies of letters to Rodin as well as a thoughtful explanation of the bronze casting and transfer to marble processes. It's inexpensive and compact as well. Excellent!

5 comments about The Weekend Crafter: Rubber Stamp Carving: Techniques, Designs & Projects.

1. If you are interested in learning how to carve your own art rubber stamps then you need this book as well as Art Stamping Workshop. Both books provide clear cut instructions on how to carve your own stamps to make artistic and fun stamps that are one of a kind. Well worth the 10 bucks here on Amazon! I recommend it.
   5 stars!



2. This book clearly details the ins and outs of carving your own rubber stamps, for those whose creative instincts urge them to follow their own path in the world of stamping. With clear, non-technical language, the author shows in words and pictures how even the simplest and most modest of tools can create lively stamped images which can stand on their own or be incorporated into larger and more complex works.

   This is a good "inspiration" book for either the novice entry-level artist/stamper or for the seasoned creator who is looking for new directions for their art. Luann strikes a nice balance with her presentation, with an instruction book that is user friendly and free of "tech-talk". The "how-to" instructions are clearly written and well complemented by excellent photos showing exactly how to proceed. This book will be appreciated by any who purchase it as a springboard into new areas and levels of creativity.




3. This book started me on yet another new craft obsession - carving my own stamps has turned out to be so much easier than I thought it would be!

   I don't think there's anything the author could have added in this textbook - there are already wonderful stamps, a gallery, thorough instructions that are beautifully illustrated and tons of inspiration. Also a nice section for troubleshooting and fixing mistakes when something goes wrong in your carving - very helpful!

   Very happy to have purchased this book!

   Zig




4. I think a new carver or Seasoned carver would be inspired to carve after taking a look at this book! Great job, Luann!



5. I've been a stamp carver and art teacher for many years. This book is the best instruction guide for learning to carve that I have ever seen. The author has described all aspects of carving soft blocks for printmaking. Her step by step carving instructions are beautifully illustrated with good, clear photographs. This is a guide that can be followed by an absolute novice carver AND is very useful to the intermediate or advanced carver. As carving teacher that has given workshops all over the country, I found many of her carving tips useful. If I ever write a "how to" book, I hope it would be as helpful as this one. This book answers and illustrates with excellent photographs all of the FAQ's (frequently asked questions) that have come up in the carving workshops that I have taught. I own or at least have read nearly every stamp carving pamphlet and block printing "how to" book on the market. This book is the best I've ever seen. Sure wish I had written it!!

No comments about Imi Knoebel: Works 1966-2006.

1 comments about Chip Carving Nature: An Artistic Approach.

1. why don't you describe how to carve a home sweet home goose wall plaque that I can paint and give to my hillbilly son and daughter?

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 Santa Carving : A Carving Primer for Beginning and Advanced Carvers.

1. The Santa carving and painting techniques are well illustrated and explained. I also like how he describes how you can modify his patterns to personalize your Santas. He even shows how to cut a wood blank without a power tool.



2. Ron Ransom's book is highly recommended for the novice carver who would like to produce nice results. Mostly photos and captions, the book takes the reader through the basic steps of making some attractive "folk art" santa figures. Don't be fooled by the sparse text -- the photos offer a wealth of guidance. Ron also describes a simple yet effective way to give the carvings an "antique" look. Warning: once you do a few of these projects, expect to get many requests for your work around the Holidays!

3 comments about Deborah Butterfield.

1. Not for Deborah Butterfield the bronzes of Frederick Remington, who saw horses as active partners of active men. Her horses are....themselves. Individuals. With distinct personalities. And great souls. If you love animals, these will steal your affection as surely as if they were great cats or dogs.
   
   What's surprising about Butterfield's horses is their construction. She began by making them of sticks, wire and mud. (And by building them big --- they're taller than most horses.) From the beginning, she could use these unpromising materials to deliver the essence of a horse. What she could not deliver was permanence. So she learned to use disposable materials as the mold of the sculpture, and then to cast it in bronze that retained the texture of wood, wire and mud. Careful painting completes the work.
   
   Butterfield breaks fresh ground with every horse. And why not? She thinks of her sculptures as self-portraits --- as explorations of her animal nature. Maybe that's why so many of her sculptures seem to be female. And why they connect on such a deeply emotional level.
   
   This beautiful book contains 75 full-color plates. It is the ideal gift for horse lovers --- and that includes girls who are mad for horses and are ready to dream about them in a new way. But even considered just as a coffee-table book, 'Deborah Butterfield' passes every test, starting with the shallowest --- your guests will gravitate to it, flip through it, and say, "Where did you get this?"



2. The work deborah butterfield does is so amazing. The grace and fluidity she is able to capture of the horses is remarkable, and I am not a horse lover. I love fine sculpture and her horse sculptures are amazing. Each one is different and rich and I can visualize the animals as she saw them. The images in the book are remarkable representations of her work and the text easy to read.



3. My heart swells with pride and admiration. What a wonderful tribute to an artist that completely captures the spirit and nature of the majesic equine beast she loves. The line and content of her work is perfect. How marvelous that her work is across the nation, how poetic and musical is the word that describes her work. A marvelous book.

No comments about Experimental techniques in enameling.

5 comments about Jewels of Lalique.

1. What a beautiful book. Full page, full color photos, with many of the pieces being shown larger than life. Original drawings of the same pieces are shown on a facing page. I wish that some of the photos of people and places had been reproduced larger, but the original old photos may have been very small to start with, and may not have blown up well bigger than they were originally printed. All in all an absolutely drool-worthy book.
   
   I ordered this book from Half Price Books from Texas, as Amazon did not have it. The book arrived very fast, and very well wrapped and boxed. The book was listed as used-good with dented corners and scuffed dust jacket. Wrong. It looked brand new. I would order from them again. And the book was half the price of the other sellers.



2. This is by far the best book ever produced on Lalique's jewelry. The photographs in the book document nice close up details as well as front and back shots of his jewelry. Also nice to see is photographs of his beautiful jewelry renderings and nature studies. This book is a must for any Lalique fan. I highly recommend it.



3. This book is a great resource for anyone interested in not just art nouveau jewellery but master jewellers of this period.I had not seen lalique's work before and was completely besotted with the pictures in this book,it includes intial design sketches alongside the finished pieces and discusses his work in great length.Great book when I need inspiration.



4. For lovers of the Art Nouveau movement, this book is a must! Lalique was an amazing artist/jeweler, and this book covers the jewelry portion of his career well.



5. So you missed the exhibit in Dallas? True, this exhibit is possibly the only time these items from private collections will be on display. But do not despair. There is still a wonderful catalog out there to be had.

   When my friends and I went to see this exhibit, we were so enamoured by the beauty of the jewelry, we wanted to carry it all home with us. The catalog was the best we could do.

   The items in this exhibit that were designed and made by Rene' Lalique moved classicism to modernism. Although the luminosity of the jewelry is certainly lost in the book's photographs, like the sheen of the perfectly matched opals and the glow of the glass enamels, the level of detail is not.

   The exhibit was set up to light the plique-a'-jour from the rear of the pieces as well as from the front. Plique-a'-jour is similar to cloisonné. Both techniques use glass enamels separated by cells created from metal, but cloisonné is applied onto a metal surface, whereas plique-a'-jour is openwork, more like a stained glass window. The difference in effect is that plique-a'-jour has a glow that lights up the jewelry, whereas cloisonné receives its shine from the metal behind it.

   The plique-a'-jour technique was not new, having been used during the Renaissance but had been virtually forgotten. The influence of the relatively new trade with Japan opened up the eyes of those artists who were participants in the new arts & Crafts movement centered in London. In fact, Lalique studied in London and picked up on the Japanese influences. In addition, there was also a religious movement centered in Germany at this time that centered more upon appreciation of nature than a single deity.

   These influences combined in Lalique's jewelry that stunned the world when he unveiled over a hundred pieces of bijou at the Exposition Universalle in Paris in 1900. Critics of his work charged that he was merely trying to provoke the public. The public crowded around the exhibit during its run nonetheless, although not all of the items in the exhibit sold during the Exposition. The opal necklace that all of us loved when we saw this exhibit in Dallas was one that did not sell, surprisingly enough.

   So, if you simply could not get to Dallas, then the catalog rates a good look so that you can study Lalique's breathtaking style. He was never matched and, in fact, abandoned making jewelry for glass when cheap, shoddily made knock-offs began to appear. Lalique felt he had gone as far as he could go with jewelry and became a direct Tiffany competitor.

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!