5 comments about Splash 9 - Watercolor Secrets: The Best of Watercolor: Watercolor Disoveries (Splash).

1. Sometimes Rachel Rubin Wolf"s Splash books all seem to be one and the same. But each one really does have a different flavor to it.
   
   This one is heavy on the still lifes: fruits, flowers, plants.
   
   I am always inspired by Wolf's books. There are some paintings that are so well done that attaining that level seems impossible. Others seem easy and friendly enough to maybe attempt to do something similar and excel.



2. High quality reproductions. Excellent book for artists to see the techniques that others are using. Also the quality that would allow you to set it out for others to enjoy.



3. I have the whole series, which is the only reason that it was not 5 stars.
   I have an earlier favorite. But this one is great in that you get to read the artists' thoughts on why or how. I've always been interested in what inspires other artists. This one gives me/us that.



4. If you like your watercolors with lots of intricate details and reflections in crystal, you'll like this latest Splash. If you're looking for something different, experimental and creative, don't bother. I have the entire series, and I'm thinking of reselling this one. (I won't be purchasing any future editions without checking them closely first.) The Splash series was quite cutting edge in the early years, striving to showcase the new trends. But it hasn't kept up. Now it just feels like a profit center for North Light.
   
   Of 130 pages, only 12 pages (the shortest chapter) is devoted to experimental watermedia. And even then, one painting includes reflections in crystal (just so you don't stray too far...)
   
   Publishers, it's time for a change. We need a new series for the 21st Century (edited by Betsy Dillard Stroud or Nita Leland?) devoted to the exciting trends in watermedia, mixed media, collage, monotypes, and digital hybrid art.



5. With this ninth book in the remarkable Splash series I was rather disappointed. To me the strength of the previous eight books has been the remarkable diversity of painting styles. Even though each had a rather loose theme you could turn the pages and not really know what to expect apart from the fact that every picture was a watercolor. So many of the paintings just make you stop and look and look and frequently wonder how an artist achieved that painting. Luckily part of the editorial format in each book allowed artists to reveal their creative thoughts or techniques in words next to the picture.
   
   All of this is true of book nine but I just didn't feel it had the excitement of the other books. Many of the paintings seem rather casual, the range of subject matter and composition perhaps too ordinary, safe and predictable and plenty seem to have sombre dominant colors, like the front cover for instance. Essentially I think that I've seen better versions of so many of these paintings in the previous eight titles.
   
   Still there is plenty to enjoy though. Three from Laurin McCracken caught my eye, she likes to make things difficult by creating still life compositions with crystal glass and silverware. Equally interesting is how she works: with a digital camera and pc to improve the composition even before lifting a brush. Paul Sullivan creates some almost photo-realist paintings of everyday scenes from Milan, Rome and Sienna. His exterior detail of a church in Milan is amazing. Diane Maxey does wonders with flowers, so much so that her Poppy Parade looks just like an oil painting.
   
   I've just looked through Splash 1/America's Best Contemporary Watercolors, which came out in 1991 and what an amazing start to the series and it does rather overpower this latest book. I'm hoping book ten will continue the magic so evident in the previous eight books.
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

No comments about Maya Lin: Systematic Landscapes.

3 comments about ABC of Men's Fashion.

1. There is a lot to learn about fashion, and this book, although written ages ago, is a good, useful guide ... it is in a dictionary format starting from A to Z, but is a good read ... not long and winding like some of the others ...



2. This is a great book to learn and understand the basics of men's fashion. Some of the comments are a bit dated, and clearly lean towards ideas more prevalent in Europe than in the states. But as a primer on the basics of what is what, and when to wear it...this is a solid reference for your book shelf.



3. This guide has everything a guy needs to know about fashion and style. It's not hard to comphrend and was very easy to read and understand. It leaves out nothing, so you're always covered. A definite must-read for any guy who likes to look nice. I also suggest another book for it's style tips too, called Chicks: A User's Guide to Dating, Love and Sex.

5 comments about Galen Rowell: A Retrospective.

1. Spectacular Photos and what an athlete. His death was a loss, but he lives on in these images



2. This is more a short biography with too few of the beautuful photos this talented outdoor photographer made. I would have like to have seen more full page photos and more of them.



3. this book was amazing, the pictures are stunning, and the stories about him are almost unbelievable. I highly recommend this book for fans of photography or anyone who loves the outdoors.



4. If you are familiar with with the work of Galen Rowell I don't need to elaborate on the beauty and quality of his work, if you aren't familiar with this man and his work it will be a valuable addition to your knowledge and enjoyment of photography. Galen Rowell had an unfortunate and untimely death
   after a very active life of globe trotting for photography that transcends
   the material plane. The book presents many of his best works in a lovely format. A coffee table book that will get noticed.



5. If you have every looked at Galen's photos and wanted to see more, this is it. With his life cut short, at least we still have archived material that can be released in a book this nice to bring us more glimpses of his world. The color is amazing, the subjects grand, and Galens storys bring it all alive in my livingroom.

No comments about James Castle: A Retrospective (Philadelphia Museum of Art).

5 comments about The Museum of Bad Art: Masterworks.

1. It is not just the amazing art that begs to be studied, if not sometimes recoiled at, what is even better is Mr. Franks thoughtful and hilarious musings about each piece. I have had the book since it came out and every time I look at the pictures I crack up laughing and see something new.On page 64 the painting Mother Mary and Jesus is an amazing work of folk art, so much going on. But the one that gets me laughing every time is The Actor on pg 34, must be seen to be believed. So for a timeless look at some art that doesn't need stuffy manifestos or a mention from a simpery art critic, this book will be a true earthy delight. By the way I have seen lots of "good" art that is bad!



2. Like any art, bad is subjective. Yes, the examples in this book are pretty awful, few are so transcendentally awful as to truly satisfy. I understand excluding the kinds of things that would be easy targets (kids, paint-by-numbers, etc), and a little of that does a long way anyway, but... I dunno. I wanted to see stuff that would haunt me in my nightmares, that make me long for the sweet release of the grave. Instead, it was just lots of "what kind of person would actually finish that?" moments.



3. Some of the write-ups were written so well, it took several days for me to stop giggling. This book is WELL worth the money!



4. This is such a wonderful idea. I made it a point to visit the Dedham, MA museum several years ago when I visited Boston. Take a back seat you stuffy art snobs! These folks put it all into perspective. I've even sent the Museum some bad art I've found around here! (I think it ended up at the prestigious auction.) The folks who give up their free? time to do this are very clever and free-spirited. Every town should have one!
   Get the book!



5. This is my kind of art book, filled with truly awful paintings, all with an explanatory text in the finest critical doubletalk. I laughed out loud several times reading this, and that makes it invaluable in these grim days. Why doesn't Frank Gehry build a museum for these guys?

No comments about Bernini and the Birth of Baroque Portrait Sculpture.

1 comments about A Certain Alchemy (Southwestern & Mexican Photography Series).

1. Keith Carter has an intense intellectual curiosity and boundless enthusiasm. His knowledge of mythology, religion, literature, and poetry deeply inform his imagery, as does his wealth of knowledge of overlooked nooks and crannies in the history of photography. It is impossible to spend any amount of time around Keith and not look at the world around you in a fresh way. This enthusiasm for life and photography comes through in each and every image in his new book "A Certain Alchemy."
   
   "There is an element of magic in photography - light, chemistry, precious metals - a certain alchemy. You can wield a camera almost like a magic wand. Murmur the right words and you can conjure up proof of a dream." - Keith Carter
   
   Keith is a master of "conjuring up proof of a dream" his most recent images are certainly evidence of that. Beginning with the cover image, "Levitation, 2001" bringing to mind every child's dreams of flying, rising above it all. "Fallen Giant, 2005" evokes the wonder and curiosity of being a small child, while simultaneously resembling something snatched from a sci-fi movie. As demonstrated by his image "Fireflies, 1992", Keith can also conjure up nostalgia - arguably another form of dream. "Radio Flyer, 2000", best represents this in his recent work. This image of a child pulling a wagon looking up at the tail of an old airplane reminds me of a time long forgotten, yet as fresh as a moment ago. I think Bill Wittliff puts it very well in his introductory essay - "It's not that these pictures are telling you things you didn't already know, but rather that - like `Fireflies' - they're reminding you of things you've deep down always know but somehow forgotten ..."
   
   These evocative images which we have come to associate with Keith's vision are book ended by two new and different series - In the front, a dozen toned photograms from 2002 and at the end a dozen toned images of his mother's battle with Alzheimer's in 2006. I must say that when I first started through the book the photograms did not strike a responsive chord in me - they felt out of place. However, after working my way through the entire book, I began looking at them in relationship to the later series of his mother and gained a much greater appreciation for them.
   
   Keith's magic is his ability to see within ordinary everyday moments images that transcend the commonplace to tap into our collective subconscious. I've long been a fan of his work; the pragmatic photographer in me looks at many of the images and wants to know what and where. The quixotic side looks at the images with a sense of wonder and awe.
   
   "A Certain Alchemy" is his tenth book; I anxiously await his next endeavor.

5 comments about Where Are They Buried? How Did They Die? Fitting Ends and Final Resting Places of the Famous, Infamous, and Noteworthy.

1. I could not put this book down! As morbid as it sounded at first, I found myself buried in it, no pun intended, and was fascinated to read about various celebrities and other notorious folks and where they are buried. The author included a a few from most every genre of entertainment and a few that I've never heard of, too. This was a book I read over again and passed along to friends to read, too. Just a fun read overall!



2. I love this book, not only does it give you a bit of background for each individual, it also tells you about their death and a desription of te funeral. But to me the best part are the specific instructions on how to find the grave of your favorite star, historian or literary figure, even to telling how to get into the locked private section of Forest Lawn to see Humphrey Bogart's final resting place.



3. Excellent coffee table/bathroom reader. Full of fascinating obscure facts most are curious about when they pick up the book.



4. 
   Just as the title of this book said, this is a book about where famous persons are buried and also how they died.
   
   I'm having so much fun reading this book because it gives a nice background about the famous person that died. Also, I did not know how 80% of the famous people in this book died, so those facts are a nice addition to the book (a sort of BONUS) .
   
   There are other books out there that describe where famous people are buried, but I like this book the best because of the added BONUS of telling the reader how the persons died and some nice information about them,while they were still alive.
   
   Very informative.



5. Short descriptions on the deaths of famous people. I would have liked a little more detail regarding the circumstances of the deaths, and less about the location of the graves. Still a great read and would recommend it to anyone!

4 comments about Art Deco: 1910-1939.

1. No problem.
   Long shipping, the book arrived some days after christmas.
   Olivier



2. Bought it - read it - refer to it as a source and to unashameably copy.
   Niggles;
   1) No art deco gardens. Is this an ommission or was this branch of human endeavour eschewed by the industrial age?
   2) Illustrations of pieces sometimes miss listing the media and all are missing the size.



3. This book is an absolute triumph. First, it is positively gorgeous - the images just leap off the pages. Second, the essays are more in-depth, engaging, and informative than any other book I've found on the subject. This book discusses every facet of Art Deco as well: it explores the origins at the Paris Exhibition in 1925, goes through the influence in East Asia, Latin America, and South Africa, not to mention Europe. A great chapter on Deco in Hollywood; also explores all of the sources, iconography - and all of this on top of covering every aspect of the movement - ceramics, jewelry, fashion, architecture, glass, photography, graphic design, bookbindings, travel and transport, and so so much more - with stunning visuals. A fantastic read, a great resource, a beautiful work, and an absolute MUST for anyone interested in the subject! Well worth the money, and a fantastic addition to any library. Highly recommended!



4. A sumptuous coffee-table book of this exuberant art style and I think it could well become the standard book on the subject. The forty essays are divided into four sections, Sources and Iconography, 1925 Paris Exhibition, Spread of Deco and finally Deco World, and I liked the way, especially in Sources and Iconography, that the authors explain how various art styles were moulded into deco art which culminated in the very influential 1925 Paris show.
   
   I thought the last two sections were a fascinating coverage of how Art Deco spread around the world, mainly as architecture and fashion, though in Europe also as a fine art style. In North America, it influenced a huge range of commercial products. Perhaps this was the only art form that was truly democratic in that it was available (as streamlining) to be seen or bought on any Main Street across the Nation.
   
   The design and printing are excellent. Many of the photos, especially color, are presented whole page, the rest are all well sized, and they all have captions. The back of the book has a very comprehensive bibliography, fortunately listed as relating to each chapter rather than just an alphabetical list, the index is divided into two, Names and Subject. I was very impressed with this attention to detail and with the excellent text, images and production surely `Art Deco 1910-1939' will be read for many years to come.
   
   ***FOR A LOOK INSIDE click 'customer images' under the cover.