5 comments about 3D Origami.

1. I bought this book a couple years ago. Used the Temari ball as a pattern to make ornaments. Made a basket, some cranes and now I am working on the Peacock.
   
   All I had to do was take one crane to church and boom I had orders. I've sold enough cranes to pay for the book a dozen times.
   
   And if you want to know if the book is clear enough for kids. I showed it to a lady at church. Her 9 year old daughter borrowed the book, made a baby swan and took first place in a regional art contest.
   
   One of my favorite things to do is to keep a bowl of prefolded peices handy. I play with them like Legos and when my friends come over their kids spend hours "buidling" with them.
   
   My only regret is that the author has not released even more books.



2. I bought this book for my 14 year old son who has done origami for the past three years, he found the instructions very clear, and was delighted with both the variety of shapes that were given, and how easy it was to modify the shapes to create different designs.



3. I first saw a swan in a japanese restaurant and was interested in learning where they got it from. The owner of the restaurant said he had made it himself and reccomended this book to me to learn for myself.
   This book has really good explanations and step by step instructions to start with. the diagrams are very useful and the initial pages teach us how to fold the paper and all that.
   it does get difficult to make the more complicated objects like the swan which requires about 600 pieces...it is better to start of with something small...
   also it is pretty time consuming,,and as they say in the beginning of the book it is really nice for someone to have espescially if he is recovering from an illness...
   i wud absolutely reccomend this book...



4. I first saw completed 3D origami projects of the dancing crane and peacock done by an older Japanese gentleman, who had lots more origami years under his belt than I, and said, "WOW".

   He handed me his 3D origami book to look at and within a few moments I realized that I could do any one of the projects shown too.

   The instructions are very easy to follow. You might find it more difficult to find the exact paper you want.

   You are folding the same size paper into triangles for projects then assembling them into rows to create your 3D project.

   Be patient, some of the larger projects require hundreds of triangles. The good-luck hyotan (gourd) takes 762. Looks great when complete in gold or silver foil. I used gift wrap and cut it to the appropriate size because this required so many triangles.

   In the end, you'll be very pleased with a completed project and your friends will be amazed.




5. This book is nothing like other origami books. My friends even offered to pay for one of the swans I made from this book. Of course, it's alot more work than ordinary origami foldings (like cranes, and other single paper folded origami) but it's worth the work. Once you finish making one of those swans, you'll be looking at it and go "wow...did I make that??" You'll draw alot of attention and be very popular!
   Finished origami looks very sophisticated, yet it's very easy to make (just need little patience).
   Buy this book, you won't regret and it's worth every penny.

3 comments about Hands in Clay: An Introduction to Ceramics.

1. Anyone getting into ceramic art must read this book. I really wish I had it when I began my venture into slipcasting. I knew nothing and used other sources for information when I could have saved time and frustration by reading this book. The part of the book on moldmaking was worth the price alone. The other moldmaking books I've read left a lot of blank spaces for the beginner. As a visual learner, this book is rich with pics and illustrations.It is comprehensive and something I will be using for many years to come.



2. This became one of those costly book purchases students have come to resent: required for an introductory level class in ceramics, part of the core requirements towards a studio degree, expensively imposed on a class the bulk of whom will never continue on in ceramics, therefore ultimately destined to become a neglected text sitting on a dusty shelf or returned during university book buy-back for a pittance. This is a shame, as the book is one of the more comprehensive and beautifully put together texts of its kind, and had it been required of students whose clear intention was to go on in ceramics, its obligatory purchase would have been more valued and appreciated.

   Containing information well beyond the scope of an introductory survey of ceramic processes, this book is densely packed with information, providing a historical and cultural overview of the use and development of one of the most ancient of the arts, as well as detailed discussions of its various forms and construction, the mixing of clays, the necessary chemistry, kilns, and clay's many glazings and firings. Appendixes and charts containing quite a number of recipes for both mixing clay and creating slips, colorants and glazes are provided at the back, encouraging experimentation, as well as a basic description of the chemical constituents encountered in ceramics. In terms of the latter, both within the text and the appendixes, concerns of potential toxicity are highlighted, providing valuable and essential information often overlooked when working with the potentially hazardous components present in most clays and colorants. Additionally, the authors provide encouragement as to how to easily recycle the environmentally unfriendly waste by-products associated with ceramics, along with helpful tips as to how to set up one's studio in a way that is at once utilitarian and environmentally sound, offering a list of governmental agencies and associations that can assist the ceramicist in addressing these concerns. In addition to providing through the appendixes further avenues for exploration on the part of those working with clay, the authors must be applauded for not ignoring or obfuscating the obvious safety and environmental concerns involved in working with ceramics.

   Well organized and detailed, the text is also liberally endowed with photographs and drawings, providing clear visual examples of both the equipment and techniques the ceramicist may encounter, as well as beautiful color plates showing contemporary examples of noted artists' work using a variety of forms and processes. These plates exemplify the diverse and often stunning manner of expression that can be captured in clay, ranging from the sculptural and painterly to installation and multimedia. Their inclusion, along with the depth and breadth of information presented here, certainly justify the price asked for this text, and this book should grace the library or studio of any serious student or practitioner of ceramics. And, I suspect, there is enough information provided here to allow the student that has access to a studio and equipment to begin learning ceramics without the necessity of a classroom.




3. My college ceramics class had to buy this book. It's really good, the section on how to mix glazes using all of the different frits and stains is very informative. The pictures are inspiring, and the book also gives many techniques for throwing and handbuilding.

2 comments about Wildlife Carving in Relief: Carving and Patterns.

1. I love this book. It has a beautiful gallery of pictures and instructions to help the crafter improve their craft. The projects in the book are animals and scenery, but with a little imagination you will be able to learn and transfer the skill to any art form.



2. Lora Irish puts forth in amazing detail relief carving using hand tools. The book is well worth the purchase price for the artwork alone, her teaching is masterful.

No comments about Gothic Sculpture, 1140-1300 (The Yale University Press Pelican Histor).

5 comments about Kovels' Dictionary of Marks -- Pottery And Porcelain: 1650 to 1850 (Kovel's Dictionary of Marks).

1. great for anyone with an odd collection of antique porcelain trying to deciper the makers mark. Easy to use.



2. Exactly what I was expecting. A bit difficult to understand at first, but once you understand the layout it really makes it easy to use for reference.



3. Overall it is helpful. I am really just getting into this, so it is great to have something I can refer to to get an idea of where the item I have comes from.



4. As with the Kovels other books, this reference is very exhaustive and complete. There are, perhaps, some mistakes, but given the volume of information here that is to be expected. I find I reach for this book first when I'm trying to identify a piece of this age group, and usually find what I'm looking for here. Easy to travel with, from antique shop to auction. A good buy.



5. Rather coplete book but-alas-full of mistakes in entries concerning German and Austrian porcelain.Take for example the Meissen porcelain:the authors put together in one large pile Meissen proper,Thieme factory,Fr.Hirsch,Helena Wolfsohn and other factories,though these are absolutely different things.The authors should make a bit of research before starting the project:What amazes me is that this is the 46th edition of the book and nobody ever corrected those mistakes.

1 comments about One Hundred Years of Collectible Jewelry: 1850-1950.

1. Lillian Baker's "100 Years of Collectible Jewelry" might help you to find your way, but only barely. The small opening section, with a brief history of jewelry, may be helpful to the novice...but is by no means complete or even truly interesting to the seasoned collector. It will give you an overview of jewelry styles and some of the historic events that prompted them, but will leave you wanting more. (Much more.) The photographs in the book are clear, but very small; not wildly exciting nor representative of all periods and jewelry styles. However Ms. Baker does go into areas not generally covered...hair combs, hat pins and beaded purse are investigated although in a flash in the pan sort of way. Possibly the major advantage of the book is the Glossary of Terms. If you are brand spanking new to collecting jewelry, this may be the most helpful and informative portion of the book. Overall I would recommend the book for it's reasonable price and easy to chew small bites of information, but if you are interested in a compelling, in-depth view of the history of jewelry, this book is not for you.

1 comments about The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army.

1. 
   The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army is the catalog of the British Museum's exhibition September 2007 through April 2008. (Much of the material is archived on its website.) The exhibition featured the largest group of important objects relating to the First Emperor ever loaned abroad by China.
   
   Most of the 120 objects displayed in the exhibit and book came from the tomb of Qin Shihuangdi, the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty. He reigned from 221 BCE when he unified China to 210 BCE. One of the key points of the exhibit -- apart from the marvelous art which is displayed in superb reproductions -- is to correct "[t]he written record [which] is distorted by bias, and the 'portraits' of him [that] date from the Ming dynasty onwards (AD 1368-1644) and are purely imaginary." The first half of the exhibit and catalog focus on his accomplishments and the second half focuses on the contents of his tomb.
   
   The photographs and text are much too rich to summarize here; one of the best illustrations is of two recently discovered terracotta musicians, one sitting, one kneeling, with three bronze birds. The musicians are about to play and the tame, trained birds -- a swan, a goose and a crane -- are about to dance.
   
   This short extract gives a fair indication of the quality of the text:
   
   "Today his large burial mound occupies the centre of the compound. This artificial hill has the shape of a truncated pyramid, with a base of approximately 350 square metres, planted with bushes and trees. The terracotta army is buried in four pits to the east of the tomb mound, outside the walls of the tomb complex. It is as if it were placed there to guard the tomb from attack from the east, where all the conquered states lay. The four pits seem to represent a complete garrison: the total number of figures is estimated at over 7,000. All the warriors originally carried lifesize real weapons, many of which disappeared when the pits were looted and burned in the rebellions after the first emperor's death.
   
   "It is perhaps the enormous scale of the terracotta army as well as the quality of the depiction and manufacture of its members that moves visitors so greatly. These mature, life-size sculptures seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, as there was no tradition of such large or such realistic sculptures in the centuries preceding the Qin. Although the warriors have been described by some as individual portraits in clay of actual soldiers, it has now been shown that their manufacture was a great and early feat of mass production: a small and quite limited repertoire of body parts was produced using moulds, coiling and slab building. (3) They were joined together in a multitude of combinations, with details worked by hand afterwards before the whole figure was painted. Endless variety, for example of costumes, hairstyles, hand positions or facial features, was therefore possible (Figs. 5-10), but in no way are the figures individual portraits."
   
   The catalog contains eight pages of bibliography with four pages devoted to a glossary and to a chronology. (The over-all chronology covers 3000 years so the short portion for the Emperor's life is crammed and difficult to read, and sometimes not expanded in the text.) The maps are superficial and not particularly helpful to a general reader. Nonetheless, this is a very good survey of the First Emperor, and as Jane Portal writes:
   
   "It is predicted that excavations at the site of the tomb will continue for generations, as new discoveries are made year after year and new techniques of conservation and scientific research are introduced and perfected. It will doubtless take longer to excavate the first emperor's tomb complex than the approximate 36 years it took to build."
   
   Consequently, the general reader will have to continue to buy new books to keep up with the discoveries. This wonderful catalog is a great way to survey the current state of knowledge.
   
   I've given this catalog only four stars, not to reflect any real weakness in the book, but merely to recognize the greatness of The Eternal Army: The Terracotta Army of the First Chinese Emperor (Timeless Treasures). The reviews here on Amazon are accurate and glowing; Roberto Ciarla's text is fuller and much more detailed, and there are more photographs, some in extraordinary detail.
   
   That written, the best approach is to buy both books. I learned a great deal from both of them.
   
   Robert C. Ross 2008
   
   Robert C. Ross 2008

5 comments about Painted Ponies.

1. This is an excellent A-Z book on everything you would want to know about carousels. It's very well presented and very informative and makes a great coffee table book. Highly recommended if you're interested in the subject.



2. This book is a must have for any carousel enthusiast or anyone interested in the art of wood carving. All major carvers/manufacturers of the golden age of carousel building are covered. The photography is wonderful and there is a census of operating carousels in the back of the book. Since the book is written in 1986, many of the carousels that are listed have dissappeared. Check National Carousel Association for an updated list.



3. Awesome book! An absolute must for anyone interested in American Carousel Art! Loaded with close up photos of all the love of labor that went into these beautiful animals! Brings back many memories of the Great Danbury Fair in Danbury, CT which now unfortunately is a shopping mall.



4. OK I gotta give the book a great review as one of the authors is a very dear friend. (Marianne Stevens) I love the photos of the carousel that she purchased from my cousins!
   
   Seriously though this book is an absolute must have for anybody not only interested in Carousels but also in amusement park history. It's a wonderful coffe table book with to die for color photographs and fascinating information.
   
   Even children will love this book! It's beautifully done with glossy photos. Absolutely super.
   
   Warren Crandall



5. This an excellent book giving a good insight into the history of carousels from their early beginnings. Crammed with beautiful photographs of the various animals and some rare photographs of the carvers and their workshops. A must reference book if you are into carousels.

3 comments about Ceramics.

1. The book itself is informative but not all that captivating. Other than that the item was brand new and arrived in fabulous condition in a short amount of time. I was very happy with the sender.



2. This book is not a glossy full-color presentation of the world's spectacular ceramic pieces. It does contain a hundred or so black and white illustrations of ceramics from almost all cultures; ancient and modern. Philip Rawson writes about the general concept of ceramics, the techniques, and the philosophy and symbolism. I found this book to be very helpful in that it gives an overview of all types of ceramics and allows the interested potter or sculptor to survey Rawson's intriguing perceptions. This book promotes ideas and facilitates their coming to the reader through discussions of his seemingly infinite observations. Rawson was a brilliant art professor and brings amazing viewpoints to his readers. Ideas, after all, are the most important factor in creating works of art.



3. Every potter and vessel maker, every student and teacher of ceramics, every person interested in ceramics should read CERAMICS by Philip Rawson. In fact, you will want to own a copy of this book so you can re-read it and loan it to other people. (I received no compensation for that statement.) CERAMICS is an exceptional source for expanding your knowledge of and vocabulary for critically viewing, appreciating, discussing, and writing about ceramics.

   In CERAMICS, Philip Rawson, a prolific writer and art critic, gives a fascinating and lucid examination of the evolution and aesthetics of ceramic form. He states, "One of the prime reasons why ceramics is such an interesting art is that it fills the gap which now yawns between art and life as most people understand their relationship."(6) Rawson then introduces ideas critical to looking at and fully understanding ceramics such as the relationship of function to the origins of most ceramic forms and how that relationship affects our experience of ceramic objects. He also addresses the inherent attraction of a recognizable material transformed by the human hand into a new object with symbolic or metaphorical value.

   Following a comprehensive but concise overview of the techniques and processes involved in making ceramics, Rawson gives an in-depth discussion of how form, surface and design, combined with the ideas of transformation and forms' residual relationships to function, create meaning in pottery. Well-chosen photographs, illustrations, and vessel profiles accompany the text.

1 comments about Joseph Cornell's Dreams.

1. In general I feel about dream journals rather the way that Edmund Wilson did about Agatha Christie, for what is more boring than reading the dreams of another? Even one's own dreams are notable only for their evanescence and mind-boggling vapidity--and they're long, like life. Therefore I turned to this volume with trepidation, but as it happens it's become one of my favorite little books.
   
   It's not as though the boxkunstler Joseph Cornell decided to pen a dream journal. Instead it fell to editor Catherine Corman to come up with the sharp idea of mining Cornell's voluminous diaries, and finding the parts where he describes his dreams--and perhaps the most telling ones, for this is a "selected" book on two counts. Corman has a winning, sincere way of expressing her thoughts on Cornell; she is not as ambitious as Deborah Solomon, who wrote the much-praised biography UTOPIA PARKWAY, or "How I Proved That Cornell Might Have Been Heterosexually Inclined," and yet Corman has a few gaucheries of her own, like that guide to the themes of Cornell's dreams that serves as an afterword, filled with such crushingly banal wisdom as "Water inspires images of sinking and floating." Well really, what else is there? But even this catalogue has its own virtues, for Corman is unexpectedly poetic and terse, and something of Cornell's own eccentricity seems to have rubbed off on her like wet gilt. The book itself is lovely as only the people at Exact Change know how, though I might have skipped the idea to print every word of the text in the indigo Linda Darnell wore playing the Virgin Mary in THE SONG OF BERNADETTE. What's nice on a star sometimes proves hard to read on slick white paper.
   
   Cornell's assistants used to speak of witnessing him waking from a nap and rising from his day bed, eyes still closed, hands reaching out like the zombies of the living dead, towards his works in progress, new inspiration from his dreams focussing his unconscious energies. The diary entries seem sometimes rushed as though he were hurrying to write it all down before he forgot--nouns and adjectives speed-jotted into abbreviations ("presum." for "presumable," "y'day" for "yesterday," "bks" for "books"). One doesn't often get a glimpse of Cornell at top speed, for his projects always seem so considered, meditative. It's rather thrilling to see him up and down on a roller coaster ride.