5 comments about The Rescue Artist: A True Story of Art, Thieves, and the Hunt for a Missing Masterpiece (P.S.).

1. If the reader is interested in a fast pace and action, then this book will not satisfy. The basic story is not a lengthy one. The digressions into background matters provide useful peeks into assorted issues, such as thievery, forgery and the art world, but go on for too long and should have been condensed. I found myself impatient for the story to move forward. The sheer number of delays and digressions bordered on comical.



2. The Rescue artist is a swift and exciting book that revolves around Charlie Hill, an unforgettable (and quite real) detective on the hunt for missing masterpieces, in this case Edvard Munch's classic "Scream" stolen from a museum in Oslo, Norway. Dolnick writes crisp, well-turned sentences that pull the reader along. I felt like I was reading a good, long magazine article, like in the New Yorker. At times the story jumps and shifts around too much, and I had to backtrack a couple times to pick up what was going on, but this is really good stuff, entertaining as can be. Highly recommend.



3. Starting out with a detailed recounting of the 1994 theft of Edvard Munch's iconic painting entitled "Scream," the book ends with its recovery. Sandwiched in the middle is a lumbering tale about Dolnick's hero, a Scotland Yard cop of American British lineage, who specializes in art recovery. Dolnick is a fine writer; his dialogue flows and his descriptions are colorful and paint a good scene. His research and grasp of the art theft world and its motley crew is complete. He enthuses so much over his hero that it weighs down the story to the point where the structure of the book compares to a canoe; sharp at the ends and bulging out in the middle.



4. The subject was very interesting and it will probably be made into a good crime movie, but the writing was average and the plotline jumbled....



5. This is an interesting story about art theft, in general, and specifically the theft of Edvard Munch's The Scream. I found the interworkings of undercover police work fascinating. However, it is not as the story of the recovery is not as fascinating.

2 comments about The Places We Live.

1. Each shanty is unfolded in panoptic four-page form (each page a wall of the room); the magic of the layout is in the incongruous edges of the sub-images, which collectively force the reader to interpolate and extrapolate the space between an artificially objective environment. The effect is furthered by the many dead-pan poses of the inhabitants, no doubt dressed their best, whose proud prose accompanies the visuals and forces the reader to think long and hard about the kind of empathy he should award.



2. I bought this book after having seen the exhibit, The places we live, at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo last summer. The exhibit was so moving that I decided to buy this book in hopes that it would remind me about how others in the world live. This book does a good job of bringing the exhibit to your home. The pictures and peoples' excerpts are stirring. Though the photographer, Jonas Bendiksen, has photographed to bring the world to the people in the name of art, be ready to be moved by what and how he's chosen to photograph.

5 comments about Taking the Leap: Building a Career as a Visual Artist.

1. Excellent book on building a business in the arts. Timely, informative advice with lots of contacts, ideas, etc.



2. This book is ideal for those of us artists who are just breaking into the selling part of our art careers. Lang offers really sound advice, good strategies for developing your professional image, and covers the full spectrum from selling directly to the public through smaller venues through selling through galleries. It's the kind of book you can refer to repeatedly over time, so good value for the money.



3. Great book,informative ,honest and the most helpful book I have read as a visual artist. This is the bible



4. This book was really for the beginner whom wants a career as an artist. This is a great book for a beginner. There was very little new information for me which was disappointing. That said it was motivational, and provided information about taxes for the artist and consignment forms which was in fact information that I knew very little about. It was a quick read so if you have access to a copy then you might as well read it but be forewarned, there was no information on grants which was my motivation for purchasing the book. Sorry Cay!



5. I read this in an afternoon; I just consumed it. I sure wish this had been a textbook while I was in college! Honestly it made me feel I'd lost time, and what was I waiting for?

3 comments about Enclosure.

1. Andy Goldsworthy's work is as good as a human being can get to the Northern Lights.



2. You will not look at rocks, sticks, ice, leaves or water the same way after you read this (or any) of his books. It's mezmerizing to see the way these common objects we would walk right by turn into sublime art. Also worth checking out the DVD "Rivers and Tides". Just wonderful, and the polar opposite of the slick, mass produced art out there today.



3. I bought this as a gift for a dear friend. She was delighted to the Nth.

5 comments about The Art and Flair of Mary Blair.

1. Beautiful and unique look into the life and developed portfolio of a retro animator. This book is nostalgic, child-like awe packaged. Wonderfully whimsical images.



2. When I visited Disneyland last year with my daughter I expected to fall in love all over again with various attractions at the park: Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Carousel. I honestly didn't expect to fall in love all over again with "It's a Small World" but I did.
   I had already heard the name, Mary Blair, but I didn't know anything about her so I decided to research her online and I found this book.
   What an incredible artist she was! John Cane tells her story and her contributions to everything Disney. She was an incredible artist! Her works now sell for many hundreds of dollars. It's too bad that she didn't live long enough to see herself become famous. Like most artists, she became famous after her death. At any rate, here is the story of the woman who created so much of the Disney magic. It's very well illistrated and an enjoyable read.



3. The work of Mary Blair is well-known to animation and Disney aficianados, but there is a dearth of material available about her. Her influence on animation and Disney design was enormous. John Canemaker, as one has come to expect of his work, has written a terrific book on Blair. Well-illustrated, carefully noted.
   Although this book is very good, Mary Blair deserves a full-length biography.



4. For anyone interested in the cartoon drawings of the familiar Disney era, (think Cinderella and Peter Pan)Mary Blair's art will delight. Her style was decidedly "folksy" in the early days and it's simplicity told the story with clarity. Disney commisioned Blair to create the characters in the exhibit "IT'S A SMALL WORLD" at Disneyland. With Mary Blair, Disney found a foil to show his unique view to the world...a truly American look.
   This book, THE ART AND FLAIR OF MARY BLAIR, is very well produced book by Disney editions, that shows the prolific Blair's drawings and art work, not only from the Disney era, but beyond.



5. Great product! As always, Amazon delivers a quality product at a great price in record time! Very pleased with item.

5 comments about The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss.

1. Ted Geisel, more widely known as Dr. Seuss, was a consummate writer and illustrator. His children's books have sold millions of copies; it is a near certainty that few children grow up in the United States without being exposed to Seuss books. This book contains some of Seuss's art that has not had a great deal of exposure. Most are paintings, although there are some works of three-dimensional art.
   There are some very subtle messages in these paintings. On page 67 the image has the title "A Man Who Has Made an Unwise Prochess (sic)." A sad-looking man is walking from a distant building along a trail where there are sharp drops on both sides. The image caught and held my eye as I tried to determine what was so familiar about it. Then I realized that the man looked a great deal like Adolph Hitler. The eyes, hair, mustache and shape of the face all match.
   Most of the other works contain characters similar to those that have appeared in his books. They are all well done, exuding a brightness and joy so typical of the Dr. Seuss books. Geisel was just as much an artist as he was a writer, perhaps even more so. If you examine this book, you may also reach that conclusion.



2. This book gives you some of the everyday images from Dr. Seuss' children books and sketches for those characters, but also invites you into a secret world of other at that he created, some reminiscent of his popular books, but some much more abstract and interesting.
   
   This book is a good buy for those who want to see more of who Dr. Seuss really was and what other art he created.



3. this book is moving. in the way that a rainy day or a kitten effect your mood, this book too, will leave you changed.
   
   i love this book.



4. A visually stunning body of work. This book shares rare and unusual images not seen in the series of children's books Dr. Seuss penned. Some of the images are dark and disturbing but then that's what makes it worth seeing. A wonderful and beautifully written forward by Maurice Sendak, another children's author, adds an interesting insight to the quirky and unique personality, of my beloved childhood hero, Theodore Geisel aka Dr. Seuss.
   
   I recommend this book for kids and adults and anyone interested in animation or comic art.



5. It was a nice surprise to discover Dr. Seuss' "other" art, the art less known by the public. Theodor Seuss Geisel created wonderful paintings and sculptures, of which I was not aware prior to hearing about this book. Of course, his "other" art is just as imaginative and creative as the art seen in his children's books. "The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss" is a beautiful addition to my living room coffee table.
   
   Betsy Hammer

5 comments about Crazy Aunt Purl's Drunk, Divorced, and Covered in Cat Hair: The True-Life Misadventures of a 30-Something Who Learned to Knit After He Split.

1. I picked up this book based on the title alone. I had once been drunk, divorced and covered in cat hair and trying desperately to make myself whole again. Now, many years later I find myself knitting furiously to fill the empty next. Not quite the same as being dumped by one's husband, but a similar feeling of loss and loneliness. In addition to knitting and latch hook and crocheting, I've started reading voraciously so I took myself to the bookstore to find a book to fill the void.
   
   I knew, instantly, from the title of this book, I had to read it and I was not disappointed. Any woman who has found herself clinging to an empty marriage, unwilling to accept that it's over only to be unceremoniously dumped will be able to relate to the sad but funny antics of the author. She takes you on her journey from shock and despair, to total depression to re-entry into the world as a whole person equipped with knitting needles. You'll both laugh and cry and remember your own journey to becoming whole as you read.
   
   The chapters are all very short, some only one or two pages long and cover a particular point in her journey - like the hair emergency a few days before divorce court or "cooking ADD". Her style of writing is very similar to Erma Bombeck who could also make you laugh at the irony of life. Whether you were dumped when "he" decided he was losing his creativity or you lost your spouse through death or you find yourself alone after the children have left the nest, this book is for you.



2. I thought this book was great. It's a quick read because you want to keep reading it. She is so open and honest about her life and quirks that you want to be friends with her. And she's funny. In addition to being a funny book, it is really good for someone to read if they are contemplating divorce but are on the fence about it. She gives very good coverage of the pros and cons as per her own experience.



3. I don't know how she did it but she channeled my life! So many of the same things happened. I can't write as houmrously, though. This lady is a stitch (pun intended)! Easily enjoyabe and quick read. My co-workers love to hear it on rides in the truck!



4. Strap yourself in and be prepared for a compelling true story ride that goes up and down, side to side, spirals this way and that and leaves you smiling in the end.
   The Crazy Aunt Purl thing in the title is misleading to the unitiated (me), that's just the name of Laurie Perry's blog/website (add a dot com), and obsessive knitters who've read Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's books shouldn't expect the knitting to be the star here, because it's not: it only makes an appearance around chapter 7 and is mentioned only a few times thereafter. Yes, there are knitting patterns (14), written in the same vein in the rest of the book-which makes a nice change if you're used to only normally written knitting patterns: These are in the back followed by a gallery-you have to see the picture of the cat wearing the hood of the devil baby blanket! There are scarves(5), hats(2), bags(3) and one each of a cat tunnel, pom-pom, flower, aforementioned blanket and shawl. My glitch with these is that they mostly come with a wine recommendation but not always gauge or yardage-extra homework for those who wish to substitute yarns.
   The knitting comes across more as a crutch, but this might be a good thing: one could give this book to non-knitters also going through a divorce or break-up, because that's what this book is really about, and how she, Laurie, survived the dark days of divorce and created a wonderful, sparkly new life (and with luck, the recipient of this book will be encouraged to knit too! So diabolical, it's brilliant! Get 'em when they're vulnerable-because knitting is, of course, healing and did I mention useful?)
   Although this is by a woman and probably marketed to women, there's no reason a man shouldn't look into it.
   The 44 chapters are bite-size, for that sense of accomplishment, and it feels like reading someone's really well-written diary or pages of a nice long letter, flashbacks to childhood and those real, often uncomfortable feelings we're too polite to say out loud, included.
   It's funny in places, smile-free in others and unwittingly kind of self-helping, mostly the third act.
   4 stars because I like it but don't swooningly love it (needs a pinch more knitting for my taste) but I'm happy to have it in my knitting book collection.
   Definitely worth a read if you're in the mood for comfy, cozy, light and ultimately feelgood (and/or are on a diabolical mission to convert the non-knitting...)



5. Cute, funny, and A silky smooth ride.
   In the beginning, Charlie, her beloved husband, gave a single reason (his "creativity") and said he was leaving the marriage. And then, he did.
   So a thirty-something young professional finds herself alone, dumped, and devastated in Los Angelos. She goes crazy. After a while she learns to knit. She makes knitting into a hobby. And that's it.
   Of course the story isn't really about knitting - though it claims to be. And we find that our heroine is a survivor, after all. I won't steal - by quoting - the hilarious one liners and funny story episodes. Author Laurie Perry is quite comfortable with character development and, in matter of fact, manages her subtle story progress quite handily.
   I guarantee you will like this fast, short, and very funny read.

5 comments about Facial Expressions Babies to Teens: A Visual Reference for Artists.

1. A ton of good photos to work from here. As always you may never find just the right photo to work from but with this many photos in one book you will come much closer to finding what your looking for.
   I could cry about the printing being to dark or wine about some of the grainy pics but hay for this price and not having to put up with a real brat and there over baring mother this is worth it (thats a joke honey).
   I have drawn a bunch of kids from life and most kind of like it but to get anyone to hold those cool odd faces is not being realistic.
   I have used the other face book more then you might think and sure hope to use this one as much.
   This book just makes my giggle every time I pick it up with the goofy faces these kids come up with.
   When I can't work from life a book like this is just what I need.



2. Maybe 3-1/2 stars. I actually prefer color photos on white paper, but this black & white reference is reasonably well done.
   
   It's very similar to Simon's other book Facial Expressions: A Visual Reference for Artists, except with an age range of 3 weeks(!) to teens about 19. Mid to dark backgrounds on grey paper is really not my thing, but it's the actual expressions that count.
   
   As with his other book, many of these expressions are extremely forced and odd, but it's great to see so many angles, ethnicities, genders and ages represented. There aren't many books like this right now. It's also somewhat of a personal book, in that the author's family is represented in pictures depicting their entire lives, from earliest photos til now, in order to show general age progression in people. A number of pictures are slightly blurry, but most pics in this book are crystal clear (or close to it). There's also 10 pages of kids wearing different styles of hats & headgear, to make this a more well-rounded presentation.
   
   Maybe this would be a better book with more average facial expressions. Maybe color would be better, but black & white keeps this cost-effective. I'd still get Simon's photo reference guides while they're still in print. Many expressions books like this tend to disappear after a while. (Or at least they used to...).



3. It is a good book and has merit as an artists tool however it is the same thing you get from other books that are supposed to be "facial expressions" which fall short.The problem is you can't fake expressions of grief or pain or even a smile. The expressions become a little vague and some rather confused. Oh well until something better comes this is as good as any.



4. These books by Mark Simon are great for cartooning or caricature study. The only problem I see is if you are looking for reference to use in more realistic images or trying to learn the proportions of the face. The images all have a slight 'fish-eye' distortion which makes them unsuitable for realistic work. The fish-eye effect pulls the center of the image forward and makes it larger and flattens the edges and makes them recede. This distortion also adds age to the subject so be aware that the kids pictures might not seem to agree with the listed age. This is really noticeable in the front view. Kids have small faces and features inside big heads, that's what makes them so cute, but when you distort the face like this it makes the face bigger relative to the head and ages them.
   
   I'd caution artists who are learning how to draw the face to not try to copy these images exactly as you'll end up with a slight distortion in your realistic work that my be difficult to change later on (if you ever even notice what the problem is). To learn expressions and how the forms of the face connect these books are real good but I think the choice to get in close with the camera to really emphasize the expression was a bad idea from an artist's standpoint, especially for these young faces. From a sales standpoint maybe it works better to get customers attention with the exaggerated pictures. I'm writing this review because when I saw the 1st book I thought it would be really useful but it turns out I need more realistic reference. So I'm hoping the author reads this and considers my opinion, maybe for future products because I'd really like to use these books and recommend them to students.



5. I bought this book as a reference for my Toddler class to see different expressions. They loved it! So many different children with a variety of expressions.

5 comments about Vincent Van Gogh: Sunflowers and Swirly Stars (Smart About Art).

1. This is what my daughter called the famous painting when I first bought her this book. She is almost 4 and has owned this book for about 9 months and it is regularly a favorite that she likes to read...well, more often she likes to look at the pictures and name the paintings. This is a great intro to art book for young children. I highly recommend as a first book for your little art-lover, or art-lover-to-be.



2. I wanted something to spark my 6YO son's interest in art. This book sure did. He asked me to read it to him a 2nd time right on the spot. He also spotted a Van Gogh print that I brought home. This is a fine series. I also got the Degas which wasn't quite as interesting but he still liked it. I just ordered Picasso and a few others. Get the Van Gogh and if your child loves it, try some of the others. (I also liked that this mentioned Van Gogh was very depressed once at loving a woman who didn't love him back.)



3. My five year old was so inspired reading this that she went to the basement and proceeded to make her own copies of his works. It is nice and simple, but with a decent amount of info and great pics.



4. My 5, 6 and 8 yr old kids are entranced when I read them the Smart About Art books. After reading one, I came back to Amazon and ordered as many as I could.
   
   They are written as a student would write a book report, but are humorous, touching and extremely informative with plenty of examples of the artists' work. I attended Art School 20+ years ago and it was a refresher course for me as well. It includes background/personal info about the artist, but only as much as a child can comprehend and as it pertains to his art. These books have just the right amount of info on the artists and their work.
   
   I wanted to share the world of art with my kids. Though my youngest two still use coloring books and my oldest reads chapter books without illustrations, these Smart About Art picture books are the perfect mix where they all can gain something from them--this series is neither too young nor too advanced.
   
   After years of reading picture books, my kids often ask "can that really happen?" or "is that person real?" I wanted a break from the imaginative world of children's lit and now I'm happy to finally answer "Yes, this person really existed, this really happened!" after reading the Smart About Art books.



5. Great book to introduce Van Gogh - nice reproductions and storyline, but then I'm biased as this is my favorite artist!

5 comments about The Figure in Clay: Contemporary Sculpting Techniques by Master Artists (A Lark Ceramics Book).

1. A rich and exciting collection of wonderful artists and a never ending wealth of inspiration. My favorite book of contemporary ceramic art



2. I've been wanting to get into ceramics for a while and this book was just the thing to get my creative juices flowing. It has many (500 actually) beautiful pieces to admire, with such a wide selection of styles. I love that it has a both beautiful and grotesque figures revealing so many artistic view points. It's definitely not a "how to" book, with just enough info to get a basic idea of how each piece was created but the beautiful photographs and wide variety of sculptures makes it well worth purchasing.



3. I am fairly new to building in clay, and I found this book a treasure trove of ideas and techniques by masters of the art. The book is beautifully illustrated, and each of the artists describes their personal vision with regards to their work and then gives a detailed description of the process and techniques used in creating a piece along with formulas for their clay bodies, glazes and firing techniques. I found this book very helpful and inspiring.



4. Better than expected. Some novel and interesting techniques as well as anatomical knowledge put to use in unique visions makes for a very useful book for beginner and advanced sculptors. There is just enough personal and aesthetic information to make me want more. And, the focus on individual artists who then select other admired artists offers a sense of network and insight.



5. Fantastic book! What a joy! I agree with some of the other reviews that this is perhaps, not a book for novice sculptors. However, if you are working in clay; already been creating sculptures; and are looking for a way to increase the size of your work, this is the book for you. It will be a timeless treasure for me. Just seeing how other sculptors are currently working gets my juices flowing.
   
   Pay particular attention to the "gallery" at the end of each section. After being blown away by the featured artists work, you get into their heads a little more by seeing examples they have chosen of other sculptors work. Good stuff!
   
   If you are a beginner, don't be put off by the lack of basic information. Go take a class in clay--whether it's on the wheel or hand-building--get inspired and keep this book to remind you of what could be in your future.