Painting-the

This book of painter Ed Mell's desert landscapes (also flowers, cattle, and cowboys) is a very satisfying survey of his career from the 1970s to 1990s. It illustrates his evolution from minimalist to representative styles, rich with strong colors, his latter works revealing a masterful grasp of space and light. Unlike painters like Maynard Dixon, who loved to work directly in remote locations on the Colorado Plateau, Mell works in his Phoenix studio. To capture the look and feel of his desert vistas, he uses photography from the vantage point of a helicopter. The resulting paintings are imaginative composites of the land forms and clouds recorded on film, and the above-ground perspective heightens awareness of depth, space, distances and the curvature of the earth.

As of this writing, Hagerty's book is out of print (he has also written a biography of Maynard Dixon, "Desert Dreams"). If you can acquire a copy, it will reward you with 100 pages of vivid reproductions, including photographs of Mell's whimsical cowboy sculpture, "Jack Knife" and "Diggin' In." Hagerty shows how Mell works, illustrating the stages of a painting's development. There is also a chapter-length biography of the artist, with family snapshots and a few examples of his early commercial work.

Beyond The Visible Terrain: The Art Of Ed Mell will introduce the art student to one of America's best and most innovative contemporary painters of the American Southwest. This compendium of Mell's visions of the landscape, flora and fauna, and people of the Colorado Plateau evoke both an esthetic and an emotional response that make him one of the most popular artists with some of his canvases being translated into limited edition lithographs and quality posters. Enhanced with insightful commentary on Ed Mell's life and work by Donald Hagerty, Beyond The Visible Terrain is a remarkable, beautiful, enduring testament to a uniquely talented artist -- and would grace any individual, academic, or community library art history collection.

This book is a wonderful, simple monograph of the vibrant art of an artist who is inspired by the United States' most distinctive terrain. Ed Mell delights in the natural color of the Southwest, and exploits and manipulates it with high-key oil hues that span the available spectrum of color. Subtly he mixes razor-sharp, jagged regions of color in a painting with diffuse, soft blends that draw the eye in pulses throughout each painting. The color contrast in each painting is dramatic and complex, as it is required to be in any successful painting. The book is simply a succession of highly accurate color reproductions of these masterpieces in roughly chronological order of their creation. It is accompanied by a straightforward, well-written biography of the Southwest-born artist, who began his career oddly enough in New York in the early '70s. The biography is put entirely in the beginning of the book, which allows the art to possess full textless pages afterward. The biography sheds much anecdotal light on the development and expansion of Mell's style. Were it not for th is information, the change and progression of Mell's style is revealed eloquently anyway in the art's chronological presentation, from Mell's idealistic geometric reductions in the late '70s to the highly developed, jag-edged style that made his reputation in the '80s to the wider subject matter and more nuanced rendering of paint that marked his paintings of the last decade. The book is a treat for the eyes from beginning to end, even and maybe especially if you are sick to death of "Southwest Art". Open it up to any page, set it up on a bookshelf to any page at eye level, and light it well. Then keep it there for at least a week before changing the page. This is bold, honest representational work that carries America's landscape tradition into the 21st century.

This book is filled with breathtaking paintings and a wonderful collection of writings. It is truly amazing.

I just received this book as a gift and I haven't been able to put it down! The pictures are wonderful and very moving. The words are very uplifting. I especially like the author's comments about his paintings. I would recommend it as a gift or as a purchase for yourself.

Ron Dicianni is the best christian painter I've seen. His paintings are extremely inspiring,and beautiful. My name is Blake Deshazo and my dreamis to paint and draw like him someday .

There's something in this book--in its characters, its settings, its situations--that is quite reminiscent of the work of Charles Dickens. But it's a lot shorter and simpler than the average Dickens novel. So I could recommend this book to anyone who likes Dickens, and even more so, to anyone who would like Dickens if only he weren't so long-winded. Or just to anyone who enjoys a rousing, well-written, action-packed novel with colorful characters.

Oh, and even though this book is marketed for younger readers, I see no reason why adults could not thoroughly enjoy it as well.

My sister, the unstoppable Codemaster Talon, gave this book to read as part of our literary exchange program (she gives me books to read, and I give her books to read). When I first glanced at this book, I thought it would be an easy read (it's just over 200 pages). Then, when I started reading it, I found myself stumbling over some of the old-fashioned English phrases. I asked her when it was written. "The 70s." she said. "The 1970s?" I asked? "No, the 1870s", she joked. I honestly wasn't sure which one was the real date when until she told me. Yes, this book is indeed authentic in it's language. But for me it was hard. My sister told me to stick with it. Boy am I glad I did.

The story starts out with the giant Black Jack being executed, and then procedes to tell the story of a poor good-natured youngster who finds himself in this terrifying scoundral's strange company. The strange thing is that for some reason, this terrible man finds that he likes the young lad, and won't let him go.

When the boy finds himself suddenly and strangely abandoned by the giant after starting (and ending) his search for an escaped lunatic young girl, he folows the road till he finds (and joins) a traveling carnival. The that's where our story begins.

As Black Jack struggles with his fear of lunatics (can you believe it?) and growing admiration for his young friend, Tolly (the young fellow) gains maturity and learns about life as he helps the poor lunatic (her name's Belle) regain her sanity. It's really engaging, because all the characters are so very HUMAN, and as Tolly continually tries to help the girl while at the same time keeping her from getting to close (she loves him you know) he starts to find that he cares for her too.

When Belle becomes convinced that she really is insane and has herself commited, and Tolly can't get the people imprisoning her to let him see her (despite his growing love for her), and Black Jack won't let anything get in the way of his friend's happiness... Well, let's just say it makes for one of the greatest climaxes I've ever seen in a book (especially when you consider the world is ending at the same time).

What really addicted me to this book was one thing. Love. When I read the passages about how Tolly and Belle found their feelings for each other grow, it gave me a simply wonderful feeling. The author of this book has managed to perfectly describe the feeling of being in love. I haven't felt this way while reading a book in a long time. This feeling the book gave me grew stronger and stronger as it progressed, but the very, very end made it shoot to the sky. Because what Belle kept describing in her wild rants of insanity turned out not to be mere dreams after all, but visions of a future more wonderful than she could have imagined.

If anything I have said connected with you in any way, READ THIS BOOK.

Leon Garfield is one of the best writers for older children ever; no, make that for anyone! His gorgeous language, fabulous, gripping plots, vivid characters and Shakespearean understanding of humanity put him in the very top class of that golden age of children's books of the 60s and 70's--and some of the best of today's golden age, such as Philip Pullman, cite him as an importantinfluence. Back Jack is one of his best books, a wild, terrifying, exciting, romantic and mysterious adventure story that left me reeling as a kid, and still thrills me to bits! Don't miss it!

When fall comes, so do the books. It is approximated that almost 2,000 children's books will be printed this fall. Of this mass number, perhaps a handful--a very small handful-- are actually worth reading to a young child night after night. Bijou Le Tord's A Blue Butterfly: A Story about Claude Monet, is part of this handful.

The book came out in 1995, yet it still holds my attention and respect. What sets this book apart from other biographies about the artist and other children's books is its celebratory nature. Its luminescent art work invites parents and children to revisit the art and life of Claude Monet. It captures the essence of art in its warm colors, creating a soft aura of beauty that encloses the reader even after the book is finished.

Anybody interested in sharing art with a young child or sharing the life of an artist should purchase this book. Not only do readers learn about an early twentieth century artist, but they also get to share in the joy of a contemporary artist, Bijou Le Tord.

I have always been bedazzled by Monet's painting and his home, Giverny. This book is another wonderful way to share Monet's gifts with young children. As a first-grade teacher, I appreciate the ideas suggested by the teacher below who shared her method for offering Monet to young children. An exceptional treasure to enjoy over and over again!

My 5 yr old daughter and I picked this up at the library and what a find! This is a book of delightful watercolor illustrations of Monet out in the field, in a garden, by the sea. The pictures are so pleasant and very reminiscent of Monet's work, and the few lines that accompany the drawings are perfect for young children. I heartily recommend this book.

Camille's Fakes is an great tool for kids. It makes learning about art a fun experience for all. Combined with the web resources my kids were able to discover more about the subjects discussed. My 7 year old enjoyed reading through it, but my 12 year old enjoyed the book-web combination most. It seems like this should be a great resource for k-8 school's.

Camille's Fakes is an excellent children's book. The story is centered around a young artist and her adventures in Paris. The exciting story moves well and the illustrations are unique. You even get to learn about art history. Most importantly my little sister loves it!

I really loved this book. I have already ordered one for all the children on my Christmas list. The story and illustrations are fun and imaginative while also teaching the reader about many different styles of art and art movements. There is even some french mixed in when Camille (the main charecter) is in Paris. The lesson, however, does not come as an expense to the excitement and fun of the story. Most children won't even realize they are learning as they meet Camille and discover her amazing talent, go with her to Paris as she unwittingly helps two crooks while hanging in the Louvre and later discover her true worth lies within herself not in her "fakes". As children and adults read this book by Mrs. Overall, it's a great way to prompt discussion and questions about art and its history. I think all art departments in every school should have this book. What a wonderful and effective way to open childrens mind to the world of art.

In Carl W. Peters: American Scene Painter from Rochester to Rockport, Richard H. Love, with scholarly expertise, tells the story of a pioneer American regionalist whose career developed amid the conflict between modernisn and realism. Not just about Carl Peters, Love's book is rich with stories of American art. His coverage of the art scene in Woodstock and Cape Ann, America's first art colony, is a fascinating contribution to art history. What a place Gloucester must have been in the early twentieth century! John Sloan's description gave unique insight, "there was an artist's shadow beside every cow in Gloucester, and the cows themselves were dying from eating paint-rags."

Carl W. Peters, American Scene Painter from Rochester to Rockport.is the first comprehensive look at the American Scene and mural painter. Art historian, artist, gallery owner, and former media personality Richard Love, a consummate scholar and cultural commentator, contrasts the European-inspired traditions and modern movement with "home-grown" American realism. Throughout the book, Love's extraordinary grasp of American artistic and cultural events enriches the story of Peters' life and art in a marvelous way. We conclude that Peters was a distinctive American artist. This remarkable book, beautiful in design, dense in delineation of all aspects of American culture, and rich in expression will long be the scholarly standard for the life and works of Carl W. Peters, who rose from humble origins on a farm in the Genesee country to become an outstanding painter of the American Scene.

Your book will definetly help students and patrons alike find information on a period of American art that has not been fully covered.

I've never found another book or taken a class where the info
given was what i wanted -- this turned out to be it! how to
get the paint on the support, without just scrubbing it around!

In spite of an extensive drawing background (I actually majored in art) I somehow never really learned how to paint. I have long been able to "color in" ink drawings & create sort of expressionistic painting-like things...but even when I've been able to pull something off I've felt like some core knowledge was simply missing & always will be.

But this book has opened the door! He explains right away that this book has no intention of teaching everything about painting, but has been created solely to focus on the very practical issue of how to actually apply paint to a surface depending on your goal. In spite of all the instruction that is out there, there is mystery in the actual process of touching a brush to the canvas which is rarely discussed.

What brushes are out there and what EXACTLY does each one do? How does paint respond depending on how much you have thinned it? How do you physically mix paints? (there are different ways depending on what you are going for) How do you load the brushes with paint (again depending on what you want to achieve)? What angle do you hold the brush to create a smooth, blended effect & how for a rougher look? All this and much much more, including the one section less directly related to brushwork about light.

There is so much information in this book, practical and helpful. Mr. Weber has a clear respect for a wide range of approaches to paintings and also presents ones that he himself does not use.

The diagrams analyzing different brushstrokes in various paintings is very demystifying. You look at a fabulous painting & hone in very clearly on specifically how the petals of the daisies were actually physically done, or the flow of the water, or the striation (stratification? sorry, I can't remember the word) of the rocks.

Basically, the book leaves you with a crucial portion of the tools you will need in your art study & gives you a specific independence that almost all other sources neglect.

I suggest you go to a bookstore & look through this book just a bit - and if it is what you need you will know without a doubt. I am SO glad that I chanced upon it because for me it was the missing piece.

This book is fantastic! I have learned a few of the techniques through trial and error and others showed me why things weren't working for me. No oil book talks as much about HOW to paint with a brush. While primarily for oils, it is helpful for acrylics, too. Has great info on water-mixable oils, too.

It's always a challenge to find elementary-level quality literature for earlier time periods, but this was perfect. The illustrations in this hardback edition are wonderful. My kids couldn't wait to read it each day. I recommend it highly to homeschoolers.

Castle Diary is a wonderful book about the Middle Ages. It is the diary of a young boy, Tobias Burgess, who spends a year as a page in a castle. He hopes to later become a knight. Tobias has many fun adventures and enjoys the castle life. He gets to ride in a hunt and discovers a poacher near the castle. He is always getting into trouble, as he is not used to the castle rules. His punishments are very harsh. Tobias always keeps up with his journal, because he always wants to remember his experience. I loved this book because I learned so much about the Middle Ages, and the illustrations were absolutely wonderful!

An extremely descriptive book, both in text and illustrations. Each page is riddled with short passages (by day) and small illustrations to follow most passages. The text is exploding with vocabulary used by the people of the year 1285 (The Dark Ages). The illustrations are very detailed and descriptive. There are many double page illustrations that add a lot to the book. The detail, color, and facial expressions used in the illustrations catch an observer's eye and force their eyes to wander throughout the illustration to acquire all the information it has to give. Illustrations include the layout of the castle, as well as the inside of many rooms. The text is broken up into easy to read and find sections and a glossary and index is included to aid the reader. At the end is a great section titled "Toby's World". This is a small section that goes into good detail about weapons, armor, houses, castles, and titles of the day. An informative short novel that could be enjoyed by children age 9 to 99. It can be used as a reference, an enjoyable reader, or as an addition to a Dark Ages discussion or curriculum.

This book is proliferated with Paul Bosman's art. The art includes Paul Bosman's paintings and drawings capturing the moments in the life of the cats. We see the lioness facing it's pray, a leopard resting, a family of cheetahs, a male lion walking through the bush and so on. The illustrations cover lions, leopards, cheetahs, as well as smaller wild cats. I recommend this book for any nature lover, wild cat enthusiast or a person interested in African wildlife.

A stunningly beautiful and fascinating book, Cats of Africa describes the continent's lions, leopards, cheetahs, and small wild cats. The text is accompanied by numerous gorgeous drawings and paintings. The book is both informative and gripping, with excellent desriptions of the behaviours and characteristics of the animals in the wild, as well as discussions of their futures. I strongly recommend it!

A stunningly beautiful and fascinating book, Cats of Africa describes the continent's lions, leopards, cheetahs, and small wild cats. The text is accompanied by numerous gorgeous drawings and paintings. The book is both informative and gripping, with excellent desriptions of the behaviours and characteristics of the animals in the wild, as well as discussions of their futures. I strongly recommend it!

I'm not sure what this other reviewer is talking about, it has to be for another book and it ended up here. This isn't really a "book" it's just a bunch of stickers. They're nice stickers though - little reproductions of some of Chagall's artwork. Pretty high-quality as far as stickers go.

This is the most wonderful book about Chagall I've ever seen. The colorful and beautiful illustrations made me so exciting. The colors are fantastic compared with other books about Chagall. I recommend this book for any Chagall fan confidently. Though it has something to be desired because of being written in Spanish instead of English, this is only for you!

This is an extraordinary book for every Chagall fan. The quality of illustrations is just wonderful, and if you had only one book to buy on Chagall, this is the one! Don't worry, its not heavy at all; in fact, I would have added more and more pages of never-been-seen work of this incredible artist. The illustrations are colorful, vivid and beautiful, and the biography is very well written and complete. Strongly recommended!