No comments about The Complete Guide to Home Mosaics: Ready-To-Use Templates Included.

No comments about One of a Kind: American Art Jewelry Today.

1 comments about Carving and Painting a Green-Winged Teal With Jim Sparnkle (Carving & Painting).

1. Jim Sprankle, a carver of exceptional caliber, leads the reader through a step-by-step process in transforming a lifeless block of wood into a life-like work of art. No detail is left unmentioned, and the photographs provide a close-up view of the intricate carving and painting that make Sprankle's work highly prized. Every waterfowl carver should have this book in his/her personal library.

1 comments about The Shipcarvers Handbook: How to Design and Execute Traditional Marine Carvings.

1. I am very impressed with the content and the overall knowledge with respect to marine carving by the author. His focus on design and project dimensions would make a huge difference on whether your carving looks good or improperly sized. He also covers techniques in wood bending and mounting scrolls and other objects over curved transoms. I can't wait to build my first nameboard for my boat after reading this gem.

1 comments about Jean-Antoine Houdon: Sculptor of the Enlightenment.

1. I saw the Houdon exhibition at the National Gallery in Washington, DC, and it is astonishing--as is this gorgeous catalogue. Houdon's brilliance as a portraitist and psychologist shines through in his amazingly lifelike busts of Benjamin Franklin, Robert Fulton, Thomas Jefferson, Catherine the Great, Voltaire and many more. In fact, the book offers a veritable Who's Who-or Who was Anybody--in the second half of the eighteenth century. Rogues and nobility alike brought miraculously to life in stone. This volume is a must for anyone interested in French, European or American art and culture of the revolutionary period. Lavishly illustrated, it promises to be the definitive work on Houdon for many years to come.

No comments about John F. Kennedy: Scrimshaw Collector.

3 comments about Ice Carving Made Easy (Hospitality, Travel & Tourism).

1. I am just thankfull that I personally didn't have to cough up the forty someodd bucks paid for this. The title should read "Money from an Ice Carving Book - Made Easy". Some nice pictures, but zero substance. Most of the template drawings are not even in the proper ratio for a 300lb carving block. And how about this for step by step instruction: 1. Prepare your graph 2. Lay the ice on a piece of Styrofoam. 3. With a saw, remove any ice not required. 4. Shape out the tail and wings. 5. Smooth out the detail. 6. Finish the base. That's it! No kidding! Real helpful eh?! I guess the best way to learn to carve ice is to just get ice and practice. This book certainly isn't going to give you any help, tips or secrets - that's for sure!



2. From a realistic point of view, the book doesn't help a whole lot. Unless you are a japanese master, you will struggle with the vague instructions. The pictures are very nice, but that's about it.



3. The author makes good use of templates and photographs, however the written instructions are very vague and not very helpful.(i.e. carve the head, shape the wing, etc.)

1 comments about Greek Sculpture: An Exploration.

1. for the student of classical antiquity, books on art and architecture are so numerous that navigating the field without a guide at times becomes virtually impossible. in fact, treatments of greek art and archaeology are written by scholars who ideally should not have anything to do with material culture: scholars of literature and language, lacking the fundamental understanding of the material remains of antiquity and the formal training in the study of it. andrew stewart is not one of these people.
   
   andrew stewart is professor at the university of california at berkeley, and rightfully so. his voice is that of a learned man; scholarly, but understandable, learned, but educational. in 'greek sculpture', he treats the sculptural material evidence from ancient greek with both respect and diligence, while showing an elegant understanding of literary sources. in essence, stewart's treatment of ancient greek sculpture is both light and understandable, and in-depth and pragmatic.
   
   'greek sculpture' is a must-read for any serious student of greek art. it is uneven, but overall brilliant. especially the chapter on the 4th century BC is worth reading. the plates are numerous and aid the formidable text. the overall impression of 'greek sculpture' is an utmost impressive one; stewart has succeeded in both providing the more advanced student with a strong survey and allowing the beginner a view into the most interesting field of ancient greek art. this book must be read by all. it is well worth the $70.

5 comments about Jesse Monongya: Opal Bears and Lapis Skies (American Indian Master Jewelers).

1. Jesse Monongya: Opal Bears and Lapis Skies (American Indian Master Jewelers) is a superb book, not just in the quantity and quality of its photographs of this important master jeweler's work, but in its insights into his life and the precision and beauty of his craft. We learn how Jesse's work is inspired by Navajo mythology, tradition and culture; how he has studied the work of many master craftsmen and women that came before him; how he has taken these traditions, the symbols, techniques and materials, placed them in a contemporary context and found his own voice. We learn about techniques of jewelry making, past and present, and with the clarity and directness of Lois Sherr Dubin's elegant prose, are encouraged to see beyond the dazzling surface of these highly crafted pieces to the spiritual world that lies beneath. Whether pendants, belt buckles, earrings or bolo ties, Monongya's work is of exceptional technical quality and imagination - these pieces are works of art in their own right. His use of new materials is highly dramatic, his combinations of colour and design unique, and his journey to where he is now, as a man, a jeweler and a Navajo, is a fascinating one. And it's this invaluable historical and cultural context that gives us such an intriguing glimpse into Jesse Monongya's world, and the wider world of Native Americans from which he comes.



2. Jesse Monongya: Opal Bears And Lapis Skies by Lois Sherr Dubin (Commissioner of the Indian Arts & Crafts Board, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, DC) offers 175 full-color plates of vibrant earrings, pendants, bracelets and more, as it showcases the vivid and memorably impressive quality of Jesse Monongya's jewelry making drawn from and inspired by Hopi and Navajo tradition and heritage. The informed and informative text thoughtfully describes the feeling, tradition, quality, and respect wrought within each work by this Native American artist and craftsman. A singularly impressive artbook, Jesse Monongya is a welcome contribution to Native American Art Studies and highly recommended for jewelry making enthusiasts and students.



3. I am a bit of a novice who has recently become interested in contemporary Native American jewelry and received this book as a gift. What I can say is that Opal Bears and Lapis Skies was an incredible treat to receive and I have found myself frequently going back to it to learn more about this artist. His volume of work is quite impressive and beautifully displayed in this book.

   What I think works most effectively with this book is that for someone like myself, who is still familiarizing myself with this craft, I found it instantly appealing and understandible. One particularly notable quality of this book is how it works on several different levels of familiarity with this type of jewelry. Friends of mine with little knowledge of this craft have picked it up merely to page through it and have been able to quickly develop an appeciation for the struggles Jesse has gone through (many that we're all familiar with) and how he has been able to transform these motivations into an amazing talent. I found the information on his background particularly interesting and valuable, helping me place his pieces in a greater context.

   I can imagine that this book is even more valuable to anyone who appreciates this type of jewelry and the talent and skill behind the pieces featured. I find myself learning something new each time I look through this book--the pieces shown are beautiful and many are truly amazing. The photographs are amazingly rich and sharp and are themselves a visual treat, with the quality as good as well as anything I've seen in print.




4. Open this wonderful book, look at the magnificent jewelry and craftsman ship, stunningly photographed, and placed in the geographic and cultural context from which it arose. Mr. Monongya's creations are truly organic, arising deep from within his cultural roots, which tap the brilliant and subtle landscape of the West. Ms Dubin's writing, concise and direct in its prose, reveals the Mr. Monongya's history and evolution as an artist. Everything works in this book - the subject, the photographs, the text, the typography. This book follows in the brilliant tradition of Ms. Sherr's two earlier classics.

   Jay E. Selman...




5. Jesse Monongya is a powerhouse in contemporary American Indian culture, greatly admired by many who should like this winsome book. Selling expensive art takes skills beyond those used at the jeweler's workbench. Prominence in the politically charged museum and gallery world takes other talents that few perfect. Being a member of a minority culture adds further odds. Monongya has mastered the field.

   Little of this comes through in Dubin's portrait of her friend. She makes him a bland cliché, stressing the requisite (for Indian stories) spiritual grandmother, and the recovery from drunkenness (also required, if to be up-to-date). Add some personal charm and an ostensibly adoring family for good measure. Her subject is short changed. Her readers are denied an understanding of the complexities of Indian culture today as exemplified by an extraordinary figure. This book will appeal to those who want a pretty story to match the pretty pictures. Monongya is worth more than that.
   
   Also not explained is how the artist's exquisite handling of his images distinguishes his expensive jewelry from that made by other Indian artists using the same images who sell their work in galleries or even at roadside tables for a fraction of Monongya's prices. Creative innovation or smart marketing? On the other hand, if the value of the work is perceived by looking at it, why not just show the pictures (excellent, though not accurate in color) and skip the gooey writing?

   As the first publication in a proposed series about individual Indian jewelers, this book gives foreboding of what's to come: mawkish biographical sketches suitable for the coffee table? One could wish for something worth keeping in the library; something that reads less like advertising copy. However, congratulations to Dubin for her success in promoting her friend's work. People evidently like reading her stories.
   
   Robert Kasal, professor of art emeritus,
   Portland State University

2 comments about Ana Mendieta: Earth Body.

1. This book fills a gap in the Art History of the 20th Century as it celebrates Ana Mendieta's life. Her work links several different aspects of art and therefor defies being categorized. The sculpture grows the female form in landscape in many unique and very beautiful ways. It is tough, fragile, compelling, poignant and challenging all at the same time and contributes to our knowledge and appreciation of our place in the world and the part that art plays to enrich and inform. As a working artist I admit to being more excited about her work than I have been for a long time. Although her life was tragically and violently cut short after only eighteen creative working years she is up with the trail blazing artists of this time. Olga Viso does her memory justice. I think that this is a terrific book.



2. Ana Mendieta was only in her early 40s when she died in 1985. Born in Havana, Cuba, she came to the U. S. as a political refugee with her family when she was 12. Beginning in her artistic training at the U. of Iowa, she incorporated feminist and multicultural leanings into the conceptual art, land art, photography, and performance art she practiced with equal intensity and innovation. No matter what type of art she engaged in, Mendieta used her own body, or sometimes images or impressions of it, as a medium. With earth, blood, streams, shoreline, trees, and foliage, Mendieta meant to teach viewers about the close, intimate connection between a person's body and the natural world. With other art works, she makes statements about the savagery of rape and tyranny. No matter what point she means to convey or type of art she engages in, Mendieta's art is distinguished by its exceptional rawness. While the rawness is often inevitably provocative, it strikes one mostly as unaltered, immediate reality. The copious photographic record of Mendieta's art with essays by art experts who knew her or are familiar with her is a comprehensive appreciation of the short career of this artist who work both strikingly and complexly mixes artistic, political, and cultural elements of contemporary society.