No comments about Material Difference: Soft Sculpture and Wall Works.

2 comments about Oceanic Art.

1. This massive, oversize, extremely weighty and well-made (Made In Italy) book is a very broad survey of so-called Oceanic Art. This genre may be defined geographically as that area surrounding and surrounded by the Southern Pacific Ocean stretching from Irian Jaya (Indonesian Half of New Guinea), the Northern and Eastern coast of Australia stretching down to New Zealand, as far East as the Easter Islands and up North and West to the Sandwich Islands, and all of the vast number of islands that dot the surface of the ocean in between.
   This is then, obviously, a huge undertaking and explains the sheer mass of this publication (along with the fact that the book's text is printed in the French, German and English languages). It also makes it inevitable that some very worthy objects will be left out or overlooked. I'll get to that but first would like to praise the author for having the foresight to place objects in the context of their cultural use, discuss the native flora and fauna (there is even a section dedicated to the ubiquitous betel nut) that go into the artwork (literally and figuratively), describe and explain the religious or secular significance of certain objects and speculate upon probable ancient migration patterns which peopled the region. There is much information here that I am certain you will be exposed to for the first time, and there is a surfeit of excellent photographic reproductions of objects and the people who created them. Because of the large scope of this survey it is likely that you will need to come back to it time and again as you make your way through the various island 'nations'. You may also wonder if, for the same reason, this book has missed anything. I think it has. For instance, I was a little disappointed to see no so-called 'Story Board' carvings from the Palau Islands. These are, as the name implies, carved pictorial representations of local legends, typically done in a single frame on a hand-carved board as long as four feet, and one foot high. There is probably a good reason for this omission, but it causes me to wonder if there are not more categories, knife sheaths, for instance, that were also left out. Still, one must trust the editorial judgment of the author if for no other reason than the overall quality of the book's content is so high that concern over possible ommissions somewhat recede into the background. At present, this book is available right here on Amazon for a ridiculously low price below the issue price. I strongly encourage anyone who collects art books to purchase this, as well as anyone who studies or is interested in the islands, people and cultures of the South Pacific, and anyone who collects books with an eye toward re-selling them for a profit as I predict that this book is one that goes into the 'rare' book category within a year or two.



2. Want to refresh your eyes amongst the visual boredom of thecity landscape? Feel like having a non-occidental approach tofigurative arts and religion? Then read this book and find the amazing collection of photographs along with a concise and effective study on representative arts in Oceania by Anthony J.P. Meyer. This edition could well be recommended as an obligatory visual encyclopedia for anyone who has read studies on art, magic and religion like that of Mircea Eliade on shamanism or J.G. Frazer's Golden Bough. As a visual artist I consider that this carefully selected collection of images is a golden mine until the present day for all creative person, like it was for cubist and surrealists long decades ago. Find a brilliant example of art and tradition that has given European painting and sculpture a new vitality and a wider perspective on Man. Sit back and enjoy a lavish design and a trustworthy source of info on Oceanic art for the demanding reader.

5 comments about Sandcastles: Great Projects: From Mermaids to Monuments.

1. The pictures that are there are somewhat nice, but most sculptures are only shown from one angle, which doesn't give you much idea of how they were constructed. There are no pictures at all of the sculptures in progress, and not much in the way of pictures of human hands manipulating tools to demonstrate how such things are done.
   
   The instructions are far worse. They are, LITERALLY, as such- "To sculpt a dragon and a castle, pile up a big pile of sand. carve into a castle. pile up more sand. carve into a dragon." I wish I were kidding. "Thank you, Captain Obvious."
   
   I was enticed to buy it by the cover photo of the dragon, and really disappointed there were no pictures of that sculpture in progress. Also, compare the castles in this book to the castles in "sandcastles made simple", and it's no contest. These are not nearly as neat or detailed.
   
   There are a few somewhat useful tips on sand stacking/packing techniques at the beginning, but you can find those same techniques illustrated far better in Sandcastles Made Simple. "Great projects" is a waste of money, and very little help to a novice.



2. Okay - chock full o' instructions. Some nice pictures - but some pretty goofy stretches for sand projects. Recipe guides, equipment lists, yada yada.

   Nice try... but not something I think would be much fun for adults, and too geeky for the kids.




3. Seems to be just another "Hey look what I did" book. When a book has "great projects" in its title, you would expect some useful information about completing such projects. It made me think of a book on weather projects that said "Stick your hand out of the window to see if it's raining." Although this was not as bad as others, it was not all that useful for completing any sand castle project. There were some pretty pictures and a few good tips (that's why I gave the second star). Buy 'The S.o.B. "take me to the beach" Sand Castle Book' instead.



4. After enjoying a similar book for snow sculptures, I have to admit that I thought this book didn't match up to its counterpart. The examples presented here seem to be lacking something in both quality and quantity. Overall I'd say that this book does not seem to be sufficiently "kid-friendly."



5. If you have very little experience of building in the sand, then this book is for you! The size and sturdiness of the book is great for taking on the beach with you. The projects are pretty basic, so even young children can join in on the fun.

   If you have "dabbled" in the sand before and are looking for some new inspirations, then I think this book will be a disappointment. Though there are a few good suggestions, most of what's in it I've learned from experimenting on my own.

   If you want a book for taking to the beach and for the entire family to have fun with, then this is the book! Otherwise, I wouldn't waste my money!! (Even tho I did!! :>)

No comments about From Clay to Wood: Steps to Carving Realistic Faces (A Schiffer Book for Woodcarvers).

No comments about The Penland School of Crafts Book of Jewelry Making.

2 comments about Modeling with Polymer Clay (Artist's Library series #33).

1. I first got this book out of the library and now that I've read it, I'm going to buy it. The book demonstrates a cartoonish but not cutesy style of sculpting. I've always wondered how to make that style of eyes and brows and it showed me exactly. Might not be the best book for someone who has never touched clay before but definitely worth reading for anyone with even a little experience.



2. I recently discoverd this book by David Kracov and had to purchase it to see how close I could come to duplicating his sculpting technique. So far I am very happy with the results, and considering the fact that he uses a clay that I have not used in the past, I consider this a good selling point for his book. I would not recommend this book for someone just getting into clay sculpting as he leaves out some vital information (or so I believe) and some of his instructions are very vague. But if you've learned the basics of sculpting characters from another source or are a natural artist, I think you should be able to glean some very useful design concepts from this book. Mr. Kracov is very talented and I hope he publishes another book soon. I will be watching and waiting for one.

5 comments about Prehistoric Origami: Dinosaurs and Other Creatures.

1. A great book for paper enthusiasists. No matter you're a novice or an expert, you'll find challenges in this wonderful book. Mr Montroll is really brilliant in this book, the illustration and step-by-step explaination is easy to follow and yet challenging. Take out a piece of square paper and begin folding to appreciate his creation. It's not simply origami, it's truly paper engineering.



2. This book contains some wonderful models. Being a dinosaur enthusiast (what kid isn't?) in my younger years, this book provided a great amount of fun and challenge.
   
   My sole complaint with these models are their relatively dated perspective on dinosaurs. These greatly resemble older views of dinosaurs where sluggish lizards lumber through swamps and marshes with their tails dragging on the ground. Of course, this gave me ample opportunity to try diversifying my skills by "improving" the final result.
   
   I would highly recommend this book to both beginner and advanced folders. While the models might not be as challenging as those produced by Lang and Brill, the final results are well worth it.



3. I had the honor of proof reading the diagrams in this book before it went to print. (I'm the second Mark in the dedication). John Montroll is a brilliant author. His style is amazing, achieving maximum model size from the paper. This is a great book for everyone who enjoys dinosaurs and origami.



4. A book about dinosaurs folded from paper, a simple idea, really. But take a deeper look, and this is one of the most engaging origami books on the subject ever-for that matter, perhaps it is one of the best origami books ever. I know it is one of my top ten books. Enough praise, you want to know what's in it. Well, as Montroll usually does, the beginning models are so easy, I think you could fold them from sheet metal...an egg, mountain, and tree. Soon though, the dinosaurs begin, and slowly but surely the difficulty rises, until culminating with a Stegosaurus. Other dinosaurs include, T-rex, a bunch of gliding dinos, and others such as Dimetrodon and Spinosaurus. I would recommend this to any Dinosaur fan, and/or origami fan. However, a true beginner would find this book to be boring, because after the three 'sheet metal' models, the difficulty rises 2 or 3 fold. If you can make the first 4 or 5, you can probably learn to make them all. In short, a great buy!



5. When i saw a dinosaur origami book i didn't think twice before buying it! I was bored with simple books making kitties and ducks, but these designs are very ORIGINAL! They are tricky and i often get frustrated with the complicated folds, but when i get a folded dinosaur all of my own in the end, I am so happy!! (No, I'm not a child either i just love dinosaurs!) I own a few origami books and have found this one is a favorite pick, besides the dinosaurs, i just love complicated folds! If you love dinosdaurs, origami, and a stiff challenge this book is for YOU!

No comments about Sculpture In Paper.

2 comments about Clyde Connell: The Art and Life of a Louisiana Woman.

1. A grest book that tells the life of one of the South's great ladies.



2. Wonderful book about a wonderful woman, great source of inspiration.

3 comments about Old Time Whittling: An Introductory Text.

1. First, be prepared for a very SMALL book, a pamphlet really, when this arrives. I was upset upon opening the package to see a $12 brochure.
   However, The writing style is easy to read, encouraging, with clear instructions on performing the projects. I felt like I was in the room with the author as he guided me through the projects. The pictures are excellent but some important "transition" pictures were missing; I am able to follow along but a few extra shots would have helped quite a bit. Also, in the beginning of the book it says you can do all the projects with a single knife but as you advance additional tools are recommended. A list at the beginning of the project would help here. As a complete newcomer to whittling, I am happy with the level of instruction and the "you can do it" feel of the book but for $12 more photos and a little better editing is expected.



2. The author showed each step in simple pictures that assured me that I was performing each operation correctly. I completed the first three projects in the book my first weekend. I've moved on to bigger and better projects, but I know I couldn't have done it without the confidence I gained using this text.



3. The book, as shown by the cover, has some ambitious projects. But there's just the simple basics in it of how to actually do them making a rank novice like me very nervous.