Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady

-by Edith Holden

Country Diary was originally published in 1906. Is it any wonder that reading this book makes me feel like I'm stepping back in time? One flip of a page and I'm instantly in Edwardian accouterment, sitting in a beautiful field atop a quilt on a breezy summer day, with my pen and journal in hand.

Elegant and absolutely beautiful, this book is a visual banquet that I will continue to enjoy whenever I open its pages! Its amazingly detailed drawings and paintings of nature are coupled with the author's notes and poetry of the time.

It has encouraged me to dig out my own art journal now and then, even when I "think" I have nothing worthy to write about or draw. Sometimes it's the little things that mean the most, and the journey - not the destination - that counts.

From Land & Sea: Nova Scotia Contemporary Landscape Artists

 -by Dee Appleby

As diverse and beautiful as the province itself!
 
From Land and Sea, a fascinating introduction to the rich and varied texture of Nova Scotia’s landscape art, masterfully exhibits 65 contemporary artists and their work.

This beautifully displayed overview offers a unique visual story told by its artists, with styles as varying and exquisite as the diverse province itself… a marriage of land and sea.

Combining a remarkable play of shadows and light, deep hues and subtle tones, the stunning paintings and photography endow the book with drama and visual excitement, as the images virtually leap from the page.

The art itself is the jumping-off point for concise and fascinating descriptions of the artists, their work and important themes involving the creation of their art. Anecdotal stories regarding personal interests and inspiration of the artists and how they work, vividly personalize the pages.

Truly a book to cherish in your collection!

Hieronymus Bosch

Hieronymus Bosch
- by Larry Silver

424 pages (2006) Abbeville Press, hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-7892-0901-6

the most fascinating nightmare you've ever had

"Hieronymus Bosch carefully explores the often-nightmarish mind of this ever-illusive artist. Enormously impressive in its scholarly detail." — Art Times, Jan/Feb 2007

"Every page proclaims high seriousness. This is the scholarly volume on the artist for our time." — Arizona Daily Star, January 29, 2007

Chinese Landscapes Made Easy

Chinese Landscapes Made Easy
-by Rebecca Yue

Publisher: Batsford Books (UK), 176 pages
ISBN 978-0-7134-9047-3

MY RATING: 5/5

beautifully illustrated comprehensive art course

Imagery of the tranquillity and poetry of nature has remained a compelling source of inspiration for artists throughout the millennia. In particular, Chinese landscape paintings, clearly depict nature as more than a mere facsimile of surroundings. Rather, they are abstract expressions of the heart and mind of the artist — they are images that tell stories, exemplifying the depth and beauty of their surrounding culture.

In Chinese Landscapes Made Easy, author and artist Rebecca Yue’s comprehensive and methodical instruction, not only brings a beautifully painted Chinese landscape easily within reach of a novice artist, but also affords a glimpse into the old world techniques and inspiration behind the art.

Along with clear instructions, requisite materials and equipment are outlined and listed, which include: six basic, yet essential, Chinese brushes; various types and weight of paper to facilitate differing painting methods; ink; and other indispensable accessories. These items coupled with a little time, effort and imagination will help the artist master the basics of creating a beautiful finished painting.

The artist is artfully guided through the steps by systematic instructions, and diagrams, in how to manoeuvre the brushes, angling the brush on the painting surface, along with crucial techniques such as the “press and lift” and “dots and long dots” methods, dry and wet loading, two-color loading, and various brush strokes. The effects achieved by each technique are clearly demonstrated with illustrations and descriptive text.

In the beautifully illustrated “Moods & Seasons” and “Landscape Features” chapters, Yue utilizes her own paintings as a guide to clearly demonstrate how to piece together the elements learned in previous chapters, to produce an inspiring and stunning final painting.

In short, Chinese Landscapes Made Easy encapsulates an entire comprehensive art course, which aids the budding artist through every step of creating beautiful Chinese landscapes, and even facilitates the needs of more intermediate/advanced-level artist, seeking to improve skills in achieving a more true-to-form Chinese technique — an art form, in its own right.

05/31/2007
—Reviewed for Batsford Books

The Decorated Journal

The Decorated Journal: Creating Beautifully Expressive Journal Pages
-by Gwen Diehn

Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Lark Books; New Ed edition (August 28, 2006)
ISBN-10: 1579909566 / ISBN-13: 978-1579909567

MY RATING: 5/5

comprehensive and enjoyable workshop in a book

The Decorated Journal attests that Gwen Diehn, not only competent at binding and embellishing beautiful books, also finds her niche in writing them. From the first page onward, it is evident that Diehn, who teaches journal-creation itself as an art form, takes great pride in sharing the details of her creative knowledge and experience, as much as she enjoys putting them to use.

In this inspiring companion to her previous book, The Decorated Page, Diehn effortlessly initiates and encourages the flow of creative juices with regards visual journaling (complementing descriptive text with visual art), beautifying and personalizing pages/covers, and basic book-binding as a form of artistic expression.

Brimming with instructional gems, each page — amply and colourfully illustrated with expressive images and beautiful examples of creative journal pages — builds gradually on the preceding pages, allowing the reader to progressively observe how the core pieces of the project fit together and visualize the finished product.

The Decorated Journal includes various uses of materials such as watercolour, pastels, coloured pencils, crayons, liquid acrylics, ink, and a vast array of techniques to get the most out of your materials. Also helpful are Diehn’s detailed and practical comparisons of various types/weight of paper, varieties of adhesives, and brushes. Other design suggestions include the use of cut-outs, copier transfers, gouache, collage, colour washes, stamping, etc., to enhance the beauty and interest of your journal. The author touches upon dry/wet processes, use of transparencies and drop shadows to add an interesting dimension to the journal’s pages.

One of the book’s highlights is the comprehensive section on creating an actual journal from scratch, using basic easy-to-find materials. Even the most hesitant of bookbinders will appreciate the chapter entitled “The Reluctant Bookbinder” which walks you through the fundamentals: an easy-to-complete 3-minute pamphlet, the 6-minute double pamphlet, the 30-minute multiple pamphlet journal, and ultimately, the beautiful yet functional 2-hour leather-bound journal. Diehn’s tips are also helpful in customizing an unimaginative store-bought blank book that could use a personal touch. Instructions also include altering book covers or using an old book cover to create a new blank book.

Diehn generously offers her readers a comprehensive workshop in a book, which will be sure to delight journal enthusiasts. Whether you are a novice or “journal veteran”, an occasional journal reader/writer or an avid daily archivist, The Decorated Journal will prove to be a valuable creative resource, overflowing with inspiration and imaginative ideas.

05/31/2007
— Reviewed for Sterling Publishing Co., NY

The Decorated Page

The Decorated Page: Journals, Scrapbooks & Albums Made Simply Beautiful
-by Gwen Diehn

Paperback, 128 pages
Publisher: Lark Books; 1st Pbk edition (August 28, 2003)
ISBN-10: 1579905129 / ISBN-13: 978-1579905125

MY RATING: 4.5/5

In The Decorated Page — an inspiring and amply illustrated forerunner to her most recent work, The Decorated Journal — author and artist Gwen Diehn effortlessly motivates the flowing of creative juices with regards visual journaling (complementing descriptive text with visual art), beautifying and personalizing journals, scrapbooks, and albums as a form of artistic expression.

Diehn’s The Decorated Page, attests that she is not only adroit at binding and embellishing beautiful books, also finds her niche in writing them. From the first page onward, it is evident that the author, who teaches journal-creation itself as an art form, takes great pride in sharing the details of her creative knowledge and experience, as much as she enjoys putting them to use.

Each cleverly laid-out colourful pages include easy-to-grasp instructions and suggestions, which build gradually on the preceding pages, allowing the reader to progressively observe how the core pieces of the project fit together and visualize the finished product. It is literally brimming with beautiful samples of uniquely decorated journals and albums utilizing different materials, equipment, mediums and techniques, that will be sure to inspire even the most hesitant of artists and journal keepers.

The Decorated Page incorporates the use of various contemporary materials such as watercolour, pastels, coloured pencils, crayons, liquid acrylics, ink, and more, along with a vast array of techniques to get the most out of your materials. Also helpful are Diehn’s detailed and practical comparisons of various types/weight of paper, varieties of adhesives, and brushes. Other design suggestions include the use of cut-outs, copier transfers, gouache, collage, colour washes, stamping, etc., to enhance the beauty and interest of your journal. The author touches upon dry/wet processes, use of transparencies and drop shadows to add an interesting dimension to the journal’s pages.

As was the case in The Decorated Journal, Diehn generously offers her readers an additional comprehensive workshop-in-a-book with The Decorated Page — a great companion to its predecessor, which will be sure to delight journal enthusiasts. Whether you are a novice or “journal veteran”, an occasional journal reader/writer or an avid daily archivist, this book will prove to be a treasure trove of inspiration and imaginative ideas.

06/01/2007
— Reviewed for Sterling Publishing Co. NY

Secrets to Drawing Heads

Secrets to Drawing Heads
-by Allan Kraayvanger

Paperback: 112 pages
Sterling (February 2007)
ISBN-10: 1402747438 / ISBN-13: 978-1402747434

MY RATING: 4 / 5 stars

Exceptional guide for the novice

Capturing the quintessence of the human head and face, as well as character of the individual, is the “holy grail” of all techniques, to most artists; also the most complicated and challenging to achieve. This is mainly due to the fact that most struggle with the tendency towards drawing things symbolically, rather than what is actually seen. Allan Kraayvanger’s Secrets to Drawing Heads is a classic of simplicity, yet exceptionally focused, when it comes to helpful direction in this exceptional art, especially for the absolute novice attempting to develop their skills in portrait drawing.

An easy-to-read condensed art tutorial, Secrets to Drawing Head’s 112 pages are copiously illustrated with over 230 drawings, including step-by-step instructions and text outlining the core techniques that will help the budding artist reason on why such methods are taken. The reader is shown the building blocks of an accurate portrait and how to master the techniques in applying the study of basic components such as skin values, geometric shapes, shadows and lighting, perspective, and planes, to develop visual awareness. Advice offered on “individualizing” a face is also exceedingly helpful in capturing the subjects ‘character’ and personal aura in a portrait.

Extremely helpful in guiding and nudging the burgeoning artist beyond the lifeless one-dimensional line drawing, the complexities of the human face and head are abridged to their simplest structures to accommodate easy comprehension. It should be said that, while accurate and recognizable, the final result is akin to a loose sketch, rather than a detailed and refined portrait. Therefore, its richly visual instruction and references are geared more towards the beginner or intermediate, as opposed to the seasoned artist who is looking for a greater echelon of detail in a finished drawing.

Also included are discussions capturing realistic anatomy by understanding bone and muscle structure, advice on capturing tipped profiles and angled views accurately, as well as the use of symbolism. A comprehensive index in the back of the book also aids in rapid look-up of particular topics of interest.

Kraayvanger’s own drawing illustrations, coupled with his pointed text and guidance in Secrets to Drawing Heads, strike a perfect equilibrium, as he demonstrates the quick, rewarding way to master the fundamentals of a favorite genre of expression. The beginner artist will appreciate how the author reduces complexities with fun and easy-to-follow instructions. This book is highly recommended to the artist endeavoring to gain confidence in drawing an accurate likeness.

Buy Secrets to Drawing Heads at Amazon.com

05/04/2007
-reviewed for Sterling Publishing, NY

Art of Still Life Drawing

Art of Still Life Drawing

160 pages (March 2006), paperback
Sterling Publishing Co., NY
ISBN: 978-1402732843

MY RATING: 5 / 5

Next best thing to a personal instructor

Whether you are a budding artist on the cusp of exploring drawing for the first time, or at a more advanced level and looking to embellish your proficiency, Art of Still Life Drawing makes accurate still life drawings uncomplicated and approachable for every level of sketcher. The book’s clear, precise step-by-step illustrations and explanations demonstrate the logic behind drawing, and thoroughly examine the fundamentals of attaining an amazingly vibrant and expressive composition. The building blocks of creating an accurate and successful still life, presented in coherent progression, will make even the most unskilled artist feel comfortable with delving into a more complex piece of art, and launch the emerging artists off on a great journey of creating something they’ve never attempted before.

Chapters include well-written and easy to follow instructions on the initial basic line drawing, perspective, incorporating light and shadow depending on the shape of the object; discussion of shapes, qualities and subjects of still life; amazingly informative instructions on rending the texture of an object (glass, metal, pottery, textiles, etc.); demonstration of creating accurate reflections and representing transparency; exploring the composition of the still life; and step-by-step studies of drawings from beginning to end, using different techniques and drawing implements.

Each comprehensive section of this lovely book is color coded for quick and easy reference at your fingertips, and a comprehensive index is also included at the back of the book for specific topic look-up. The reader will enjoy the sequential how-to’s in each chapter, with beautifully informative illustrations and understandable descriptive text, which offer helpful hints and different perspectives to each technique explored. Different drawing equipment and tools are discussed in achieving distinctive looks and renderings. The book also leaves room for coupling its instructions with the utilization of one’s own individual style, techniques and ideas, aiding in the creation of a still life that is anything but dull.

As a self-taught artist who is constantly endeavoring to better her drawing and painting skills, I can honestly recommend Art of Still Life Drawing as one of the better-end instructional drawing books available. It is the next best thing to having a real-life instructor by your side, guiding you through every step. With endless possible variations, Still Life Drawing offers artists, of any echelon, the ideal instruction for creating - and perfecting - still life compositions. Its inspirational lessons cover all the crucial precursors for capturing a realistic image, and is a must-have for any artist.

Buy Art of Still Life Drawing at Amazon.com

04/15/2007

- reviewed for Sterling Publishing Co., NY