5 comments about Gemstone Buying Guide, Second Edition: How to Evaluate, Identify, Select & Care for Colored Gems.

1. This book is an excellent source of easy to understand information. The information is easy to follow but is also very specific and well written. I recommend this book to anyone buying colored stones even if it is already in jewelry.



2. This is an excellent book for a beginner such as I. It goes into detail on all aspects of gems, but not to such an extent that it would get boring. The color photographs are beautiful, and whet the appetite for more knowledge on the subject of gems. Highly recommended.



3. I have worn this one out. I need to pick up another copy. This is a MUST BUY!!!



4. This book is a must have for the beginner collector of gemstones. I refer to it practically everyday.



5. This book is a GREAT resource for gem buying. I'm hooked on the jewelry shows on TV and I think this book has given me the "edge" I need when purchasing gems.

5 comments about 500 Bowls: Contemporary Explorations of a Timeless Design.

1. This is a great book for inspiration. I love the photos and descriptions. This is not the book for the how-to lessons, but is great eye-candy for any artist working with a bowl form.



2. Beautifully presented, with 500 timeless ideas and references. If you are a potter and looking for inspiration - this book is a gold mine.



3. I'm a clay artist who does hand building...My teacher brought in this book to share with our
   pottery class. I and the rest of the class were simply blown away by the originality and brilliance of these clay artists. We spent half the class passing the book around and saying to one anothr "how about THIS one?"
   None of us wanted to put the book down and get back to working on our own pieces.
   
   The book is quite reasonable in price and I was so captivated by these beautiful photographs that I went ahead and bought the the other two books in the series which are specific to animals and teapots...The photographs on each page are simply spectacular...memorable....something I wouldn't directly copy in my own work, but much of it is just insipirational...and informative. Description of how the piece was fired...the method for it's execution (whether hand or wheel built). These books are a collection of the most original works I've ever seen. Although I don't build animals of out clay, I'm as thrilled to own each book from this series as I am
   "500 Bowls".



4. This book is beautifully photgraphed, like all the 500 series books, and weather you put it on your coffee table or in your studio, it lights up the imagination and inspires the artist.



5. It is the simplicity of the bowl on the cover that draw us in, though it is difficult, as there is no cover credit in the edition I own, to find who that artist is. Deep inside we find that bowl and another by potter/artist Judy Motzkin. Patient searching pays off. This elegant little book, with this elegant saggar fired bowl on the cover is a treasure.

3 comments about 500 Metal Vessels: Contemporary Explorations of Containment (500 Series).

1. I got this book for my husband, a blacksmith, to inspire him. Even though he may not always be creating vessels, the variety of forms, surface treatments, and overall concepts is fabulous. We both loved looking through it. We wished there was more description of process by the artists (there were quotes from them just sporadically), so that we could further investigate!



2. I love ALL of the 500 books from Lark. They are great for inspiration and for learning new artists. I have almost the whole series!



3. I really like this book, there is a lot of good work. For those of you who had a fit about the unwearable jewelry in the various 500 jewelry books: many of these vessels are non functional. So I don't want to hear your complaints like, "I don't see how anyone could use that teapot..."

No comments about New Media Art (Taschen Basic Art Series).

5 comments about Making Concrete Garden Ornaments.

1. I've already made about 10 projects from this book. If you are a gardener, or like to 'ornament' your yard with tasteful items, this may be your book.



2. As soon as this book came, I had to go through it cover to cover. I love the projects, and the way everything is explained step by step. You are also given advice on using different mixes and techniques. I feel that the author not only teaches you how to do the projects in her book, but gives you the knowledge, skills, and encouragement to go beyond that. And that is exciting!



3. This is a good book for learning how to make your own hypertufa and concrete ornaments, including how to make the molds or reinforcements. Some of the projects are of overwhelming size for a person who is interested in small things for their garden. I like the planters, but some of the other things in this book are way too modern and gaudy for me.
   
   If you want to learn to do concrete ornaments for your yard, there is an incredible book still in print since 1904 called Concrete Pottery and Garden Furniture by Ralph C. Davison, which shows how to make garden ornaments such as columns, table, benches, planters in the Victorian and Greek styles--more my taste. This little book is packed with valuable photos and diagrams of how it's done.
   
   I would recommend Davison's book over this one, but Warner's book still has some great recipes for hypertufa and unique ways to construct molds for concrete statuary.



4. This is an excellent resource for learning concrete sculpture! Start with this one, then get her other book, "Creative Concrete Ornaments for the Garden: Making pots, birdbaths..." for more advanced projects that reinforce your skill leves.



5. Explicitly exhibits (photographic) the process of concrete ornament construction - even suggests creative alternatives to Ms. Warner-Hunter's designs. You don't have to be an "official" artist to follow these instructions or to create beautiful garden scultpures/containers! Is written for the average-intelligence adult and is not at all "art-speak"!

5 comments about Wood.

1. All the books featuring the works of Goldsworthy are stunning. His work is unexpected and a joy to anyone who loves nature.



2. It's a big and invigorating book. If you like earth art this book (and there are others) offers some of the best of Goldsworthy. The concepts and execution are as inventive as they are cerebral. While I've never seen his work in person the photos and narrative of this book really feel like they capture the detail. In other ways the book itself is as well presented and printed as any book of art I've seen. If you can't afford it (it was expensive for me) try and get your local library to invest. It would be a great contribution to your local enclave.



3. Goldsworthy's art isn't what he makes. It's what he does to things that are already there to make them fresh and beautiful to the jaded eye of an average human. Simple things work best in his art, evoke more raw emotion and longing: he lines tree branches with dandelions and red maple leaves; he hangs large snowballs in trees; ribbons of leaves trail off into the water and spiral icicles circle tree trunks. It's all so simple and captivating, it's really quite astounding. Goldsworthy's art is fleeting. The only reminders of his non-permanent works are photographs. In Wood, Goldsworthy goes beyond the confines of this material and shows us his mastery with the entire spectrum of natural media - snow, ice, rock, leaf, etc. The book is subdivided into sections dealing with each specific medium, the last being Tree - each work is centered around a low-lying branch of a large oak. Nevertheless, I must say that this collection of Goldsworthy's art is slightly inferior to his Collaborations with Nature, which is a better first choice if you are unfamiliar with his principles.



4. This book is so cool! I studied about Andy Goldsworthy for Art, and he is my fav artist. What he does is different and is not boring. When you look at his art it makes you think. They look so beautiful and peacful.



5. Andy Goldsworthy creates forms that echo the patterns of nature so completely the viewer is almost convinced that mother nature herself made them, rather than human hands. Goldsworthy's sculptures are more than works of art. They become integral yet fleeting parts of the lanscape that surrounds them. His shapes are fluid and delicate, and his ideas are deceptively simple,yet appear to defy both time and gravity. His experiments in Wood are gentle and thought-provoking, and prove that beauty exists all around us. Looking at his book makes me appreciate the trees, rocks, and water all around us. Andy Goldsworthy honors the earth with his quiet, sculptural meditations.

5 comments about Complete Origami: An A-Z facts and folds, with step-by-step instructions for over 100 projects.

1. This book is not what I expected. Instead of a collection of origami patterns, it's more of a collection of folding trivia, history, and folding projects, everything from paper cranes to how to put a cloth diaper on a baby.
   
   It is set up A-Z, with at least one entry for every letter of the alphabet. If you are looking strictly for a book of patterns, this is not for you. If you want to find out about the history and quirky side of origami, go for it!



2. I had this book when I was 5 or 6 and absolutely adored it. I lost it and found interest in it again when I sat for an origami class and was reminded of it. The instructions are really easy to follow and there are great models for all ages.



3. The directions in this book can be hard to follow. I don't think there are 100 great projects in this book. Maybe 10? This book is pretty disappointing.



4. I bought this book to learn some simple things to fold in a Kindergarten I used to work in, and it was an instant success! I was sat at the table for hours folding frogs and boats to the kids, and they seemed to really enjoy the creations! This is a great book for parents and pre-school teachers, and it is a great way to learn a little bit about geometry too. Some of the models are difficult to understand, but folding is about taking your time. A great way of finding a corner of peace in our rush-hour lifestyle!



5. If you're looking for nice models to fold, this is not the book you'll want. Instead, if you have some experience with folding and would like to understand the more advanced books and articles you may find on the Internet, you will appreciate the information provided by Complete Origami. As a glossary, it defines most words and concepts of Origami, and the projects complement nicely the definitions.

5 comments about Modelling and Sculpting the Human Figure.

1. this is truly one of those books that should not be judge by its cover, it is a bible of guidance for anyone truly interested in sculpture ,this among my books is one of my favorites, and belive me I own a few...you can't go wrong with this one



2. A little hard to read because of the time it was written, to small of lettering,for a old man like me,but man. This is, in itself, a work of art. Filled with ton,s of information,not only on the physical part of sculpture but the emotional inner feeling of being an artist.



3. It is impossible to read this book and not benefit. The instructions are clear and concise, the photos are very helpful, and the wisdom of the author is unsurpassed. I don't think we will ever have a better book on sculpture technique.



4. this is the essential text for figure sculptors. if you intend to take figure sculpting seriously you must have this book. i've appreciated my copy as a dear friend for many years & regardless of the many other books i've read in the same vein, this is the one book that i'd probably run in & grab from a burning building.. though thanks to amazon & the like i can just order another copy instead. cheers. p.s in fact i got my copy as fire damaged stock from when the local library burned down.



5. A to much classical style for my taste. There is an extreme rigour, out of date nowadays. Besides, it presents few photos and hands and feet are forgotten!

2 comments about Lee Bontecou: A Retrospective.

1. Lee Bontecou is a force. Her sculptural prowess is nearly unmatched. this work has some of the best critical essays I have ever read, and the bountiful photographs are most excellent.



2. This is a terrific 2003 exhibition catalogue of the seminal work of sculptor Lee Bontecou. If you're interested in art and sculpture, you may have seen or heard of the show and already have the this catalogue. If not, it's a great addition to any art library.
   
   Bontecou, a highly influential figure in the 1960s and 1970s especially, can evoke some very personal reactions with her work. For me, her sculptures and drawings have a direct visual connection to the films of Terry Gilliam, particularly the surreal "Brazil."
   
   Whatever your reaction to her work, this is a well-done publication with five interesting essays on the art scene of her heyday as well as 50 photos of her sculptures and more than a hundred drawings.

No comments about Alexander Calder: The Paris Years, 1926-1933 (Whitney Museum of American Art).