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As a long time friend and collector of Yolanda's beautiful paintings, I was overjoyed to see her latest book. I have found it to be not only well organized and illustrated but written in a style that is easily understood and followed. The inclusion of historical and contemporary works accompanied by poetic translations elevates the instructional format to a book to be cherished for its contribution to understanding the mysterious and ancient culture of Japan.

Being an avid admirer of Yolanda's 1st Best Seller-"The Sumi-E Book" and having used it to teach many student's this wonderful technique of brush painting I would have been the first one to say "No one could author a better one" but obviously I did not realize that she would out-do herself.

The "Dream Book" is outstanding in every aspect. It has many beautiful color scenes that draw you right into them and truly take you on a "Dream Journey". The wonderful illustrations and instructions make it possible for student or teacher alike to practice and apply the technique to their own unique style of painting with ease and enjoyment.

For anyone who is interested in helpful and instructional books that truly "TEACH" you how to do "Sumi-E" both of Yolanda's wonderful books should be in their library--and by the way she also has a fantastic video-"A Sumi-E Dream Journey" that allows you to see the "Master" at work.

The Art of Traditional Japanese Painting is a complex and exquisite ancestral Art form, which the Artist- Author Yolanda Mayhall has been able to synthesize, so that any beginner might have full access to one of the most beautiful ways of painting.

The Artist's first book initiates us into the basics, and this new one gives us the philosophical background needed to learn and understand it fully. It is a very beautiful book, full of colour and wonderful stories. An excellent company to her recent video, and a wonderful guide to this fascinating Art.
The book is enchanting and a must for any Art lover's library, and the wealth of information is so easily understood, that it is a delight for anyone to read. Because we are speaking of one of the most outstanding Western Artist specialised in Sumi-e painting, only she, true to her desire to pass on to others her painting skills, has once again spread out to us her fan of painting wisdom.

As a self-taught, and an exhibiting Artist now, I can only say that Yolanda's books have been all along a permanent source of inspiration and joy.

Were you a fan of tattoing who had been stranded on that proverbial desert isle and allowed only half dozen favorite musical discs and but one or two books, it's a good bet that you would want Steve Gilbert's "Tattoo History: A Source Book" to keep you company.

A somewhat uneven quality of writing and of academic documentation mark this book. Even so, "Tattoo History: A Source Book" is an impressive work that reflects serious research, and it is a tour de force in comfortably handling material that ranges widely over time and space. On a subject that is so often dominated by photographs and essays that emphasize above all Japanese-style tattooing, it is a delight to learn as well of the long tradition of tattooing in the Pacific Isles, of the role tattoos played in the ancient Middle East, and of early 20th-century tattooing in the West. Gilbert's extensive use of source material--efectively translated from many languages--lends the book its gravitas and contributes significantly to his success in instilling in the reader an increased sense of respect for the tattoo arts.

Finally I should note that even if this book did not open new vistas for the reader, the essays which bookend "Tattoo History" would alone be worth the price of admission. Gilbert's opener, "Confessions of a Tattoo Addict," although but two pages in length, is an evocative essay that relates a fascination with tattoos to his coming of age in the 1940s. Meanwhile, the lengthier closing essay by Don Ed Hardy documents the resurgence of tattooing over the past several decades, the cultural cross-fertilization that has occurred, and the slow but growing acceptance of tattooing as a legitimate art form by the more conventional arts world.

Not just a compendium of illustrations, this collection of essays, interviews, historical accounts and yes, some nice pictures, pulls together a great deal of the cultural history and tradition associated with tattooing. Well written, very wide-reaching and very entertaining. Gilbert is careful to detail where all his information comes from, adding to the work's authority and allowing interested readers to look more deeply into specific topics. This is a winner.

While I can not even come close to the great review that the previous reviewer wrote, I can in fact tell you that this is one of the most interesting books that I have read on the history of tattoos. I myself have 3 tattoos and since I got them, I have been enthralled with the history that surrounds them as well as trying to figure out where the stigma that is currently attached to them came from. I sat down to just leaf through this book and I had to read the entire thing, it was so completely interesting. If you have any interest in tattooing at all, this is a must read!

This book looks at art history from the point of view of the practicing artist instead of the art historian. As such, it is an excellent companion to books such as Gardner's "Art Through the Ages". Very good read.

This is a superb book, well laid-out, with many excellent reproductions and an informed text. In a perfect world, there would be many books like this, not just a few.

Here is a book for the serious art student as well as the accomplished artist. Had this book been available when I was in art school, I know my development would have been much easier and faster. I gain much from it every time I study this book , which is quite often.

This book is more like reading an illustrated autobiography than a how to book. This is fine with me. Chamberlain is a master of the traditional British style landscape. With a limited palette of earth tones and simplified brush work he creates muted, moody landscapes that to my mind are more compelling than the brightly colored items in most watercolor instruction books. Its a matter of taste, but Chamberlain's work really speaks to me. He's more concerned with communicating the beauty of the world than his own artistic cleverness.

I like this book for the illustrations. Chamberlain has a fresh spontaneous style and draws well. The paintings illustrated are representational, easy to like, well composed and very attractive. I haven't paid much attention to the text...no criticism, I'm just burnt out long ago on how-to painting books. But this is worth while for the quality of the paintings.

This is an awesome book. It has inspired me to paint on-site more and has given me some invaluable additions to my palette. His style is attractive to me because it's more masculine and similar to my own. His narrative is very inspirational and instructive. Reading it and viewing his work will get you out painting every time.

It's entertaining and educational. I really enjoyed. Great gift idea.

I have enjoyed reading the historical and personalized view of Van Gogh's stay at the Auberge Ravoux. The recipes appear to be ones that can be enjoyed. My husband surprised me with the chocolate mousse the other night and it was the best I have ever eaten.
Compliments to Alexandra Leaf!

Van Gogh's Table At The Auberge Ravoux isn't just an art book, though Van Gogh's paintings form its foundation - it's also a survey of recipes from his last home, providing an intimate portrait of his world and culinary appreciations. Recipes are from the cafe and boarding house where the painter lived his final days, and provide intriguing views of dishes and art.

An outstanding book for the watercolor enthusiast. Dewey's chapters cover materials, subject matter and technique that even the advanced watercolorist can learn from. The book is a handy item to help both the practicing artist and teacher. Not so much a step by step study, but rather information that can be applied to the artists individual style and subject matter.

a comprehensive, knowledgeable, concise survey of watercolor technique and the art theory necessary to watercolor painting. some essential techniques, such as wet-on-wet washes, receive a one-page treatment that encapsulates all text, illustrations, and photos for that topic; others are repeated as themes throughout the discussion. the demonstration paintings are simple and inviting for a beginner to imitate, yet all of them -- my favorites are niagra falls, the japanese arch and the still life on a rug -- are masterfully composed and build from value sketches and compositional studies to show how to think a painting through. the section on color theory is the most coherent and pointed i have ever seen. the sections on materials (paints, brushes, papers, by type and by brand) are excellent too. a marvellous book, a classic of its kind.

David Dewey's straight forward and concise writing makes this among the best Watercolor references available today. I own over 100 watercolor books and this is one of the four I reference continually.

I know & love Mary and her husband, however I can in all honesty recommend adding this book to your fine art library, whether you are an artist or an art collector. She captures her subjects with remarkable finesse. You, the viewer, can sense her connection with the models - she has captured the true natures of her subjects on paper, in a professional and skillful manner. And, if you can, meet her and walk with her through a crowd, as she talks about the faces that interest her. You'll understand the magic she has rendered!

Mary Heussenstamm has compiled a book of some of the most warm and loving pictures of individuals I have ever encountered. She has taken people from the streets of Los Angeles and has depicted them with loving care. Her subjects blossom, through her art, with warm personalities. The paintings are not only realistic but they are real. These are real people with personalities and they are beautifully portrayed.

Unencumbered as I am by any preconceived notions of art, and with barely a sliver of artistic ability, I feel free to give sometimes outrageous opinions about the subject. Perhaps if I knew the proper attitudes one is supposed to have regarding art and art criticism, I might be better able to know what I like in paintings, especially watercolors, of which I am a lifelong aficionado.Despite my shortcomings in the world of art, I know instinctively what I like and I ignore current trends or schools or what people say I'm supposed to like. One thing for sure, though: I know I like Mary Heussenstamm's watercolor portraits. It may be pure instinct on my part but that doesn't detract from the validity of my appreciation. "Like" is perhaps too weak a word, really, for my strong feelings. "Obsession" might be more like it. But I challenge anyone to look at Mary Heussenstamm's portraits without feeling something instinctual, something almost visceral, which is not to say that her watercolors don't appeal to the intellect as well. They certainly do to mine!I think the strongest and most lasting impression the portraits make on me is the inherent dignity and respect regarding the subjects, the people she encountered on the steeets of Los Angeles. The richness and variety of skin color--yes; the pleasing, sometimes startling facial shapes, the variation of human features--they are all there. These are nothing short of magnificent, but it is the awe, the warmth, and the affection that the artist reveals in her face-to-face encounters while she holds her one versatile brush and works with no more than seven tubes of colors that speak to me as much or even more than the mastery of technique of that most difficult of media--watercolors.I like to study one portrait at a time, sometimes even one a day, so that no person's face is lost among a host of other fascinating faces. This is just my approach to the almost 100 portraits. Others may wish to be overwhelmed by the "crowed," and an unforgettable one it is!Fifty years ago I bought a book I have never tired of: "The Family of Man." It consists of thoughtful, often joyous photographs of people throughout the world as they go about their lives. Mary Heussenstamm's people, as we see them in her paintings, are, for me, a part of that wonderful family.

You cannot grow up in the south without being called "sweetie pie", "honey" or "sweet pea" or any derivitive thereof. Sweetie Pie and Jelly Roll combines this time honored tradition with a cookbook of favorite southern sweets. Interspersed between the recipes are memories of southern life. I think my favorite cook books are those that combine good food with good storytelling. The recipes cover candies, crumbles, pies (Peace Pie is a favorite), cakes, desserts, puddings (real cooked puddings...yummy) and sauces. You cannot pass up trying Christmas Orange Cake, Shoofly Pie, and Peannut Brittle ...all very easy and wonderful to eat. The watercolor illustrations enhance a very delightful book.

I've only tried one of the recipes so far and it was good, but the additional value of the book is the way it looks, the illustrations are really charming and the design, flawless. It would make a prefect gift.

The desserts in this charming book are simple to make, gorgeous to look at, and scrumptious to eat. Ms. Gourley's childhood years on a North Carolina farm are remembered with an embracing warmth, and lovingly filled out with old recipes from family and friends. If that isn't enough, her art is as mouth-watering as her desserts, especially the divider sections of the book. Each section opens with a double-page spread watercolor of fruit ripening on trees, and the deftness of her brushwork is almost oriental, but with an added American exhuberance. I guess you can tell I loved this book. I bought one copy for myself, several more to give as gifts, and I'm certain that anyone who buys or receives this book will be delighted. And they will soon be in the kitchen, making magic.

This volume is very good at covering how the human visual system operates and how that affects the artist and art viewer. It's not too dense with abstruse scientific detail and it contains lots of good examples and demonstrations. The writing style and
organisation of the book are also clear.

On the whole, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the visual arts, although the scope of the book is not large.

Margaret Livingstone has produced a book so very useful to visual artists that it may, in its density of ideas, seem definitive rather than evocative. But evocative it is. As we learn from studying it, Livingstone's book offers implications that may be developed by any artist who reads it in almost any direction. One might take as an example the very rich Chapter 8, with its notions of luminance as a balance for the salience, or pushiness of certain colors - how Leonardo handled it, how Ingres handled it, and how today's painter or digital image maker might go even further. The size and shape of the book allow for illustrations that work on the eye at the right scale. And there is an overall visual loudness to the book that is jarring and satisfying.

The author gets to the structure of our visual systems, makes them very clear, and tells us things that are lasting and verifiable. Her spirit of personal experimentation shows in the book, and makes us think that looking inquisitively at the world will pay off.

Some teasers on the back cover:

"Why do Claude Monet's fields of flowers seem to wave in the breeze?"

"What is the secret of Mona Lisa's smile?"

The first two chapters cover some scientific fundamentals- how light and the human vision works. While this is all very scientific, every effort is made to make it understandable, with plenty of full-color diagrams illustrating the concepts. While these 2 chapters are not the easiest to read, they're not rocket science either, and provide a valuable foundation for the rest of the book. Not essential but VERY useful.

Things start to get interesting toward the end of the 2nd chapter, when we start to understand what a red/green colorblind person sees. But the best stuff starts to come in the third chapter ("Luminance and Night Vision"). Plenty of interesting illustrations are provided in this chapter (like red cherries in a blue bowl, where the cherries appear brighter or darker than the bowl depending on the ambient light, or flickering polkadots), and continues until the rest of a book, making it a truly fascinating read.

Oh, and the explanation on Mona Lisa's enigmatic smile is very convincing.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in both visual art and science.
I also recommend it to anyone who's interested in science and how things work- you'll appreciate some art pieces a lot more after reading this book.

i m french so i say it with my word : c'est trés beau !

This book covers very well some of the most important people in American History. N.C. Wyeth,Howard Pyle, Dean Cornwell,Harvey Dunn, Frank Schoonover and Philip Goodwin have illustrated the turn of the 1800's to 1900's with the same spirited passion that bred our great country. It's this great passion that is given to the pictures that they created that seperates their work from photographs which are just taken. Looking at the Illustrations shows you that Pyle was successful in creating an American art which will always be a foundation for Illustrators to follow.

Visions Of Adventure surveys the arts of N.C. Wyeth and the Brandywine artists, providing a lavish display packed with color plates and paintings by Pyle, Wyeth, Dunn, and others. Histories and backgrounds of each featured work accompany the fold-out and full-page illustrations and make for an excellent review. Highly recommended.