1 comments about 10 Wire and Canvas Decoy Patterns for Carvers.

1. I wrote this book for people who want to make some different types of decoys. Maybe you don't have access to large chunks of wood, or maybe you don't have the tools to saw out large decoy patterns, even if you have large chunks of wood. This book will show you how a form of decoy was made around the turn of the century by people on the Eastern shore who were in the same predicament. It requires a minimum of materials and carving skill, but when you are done you will have a fine looking decoy. If you are an experienced carver, you can use your skills to add more details to the head area (such as glass eyes, more details on the face and bill, etc.).

1 comments about The Shipcarvers Handbook: How to Design and Execute Traditional Marine Carvings.

1. I am very impressed with the content and the overall knowledge with respect to marine carving by the author. His focus on design and project dimensions would make a huge difference on whether your carving looks good or improperly sized. He also covers techniques in wood bending and mounting scrolls and other objects over curved transoms. I can't wait to build my first nameboard for my boat after reading this gem.

1 comments about Finding Paradise: Island Art in Private Collections, Honolulu Academy of Arts.

1. I ordered this book to learn more about Julene figurines. I am reading it from the beginning. It has beautiful color pictures of various Hawaiian art objects from paintings to whale teeth. A great way to learn about Hawaiian history.

1 comments about Japanese Netsuke.

1. This book is beautiful; well illustrated. If you collect netsuke, ojimi beads, etc., then this book is very informative and well written.

5 comments about Pharoahs of the Sun: Akhenaten, Nefertiti, & Tutankhamen.

1. for those of you like me who may never have the opportunity to travel and see all the various places the many artifacts of egypt are kept worldwide, this brings it all together. the book is basically a nice bringing together of text with information about this time period in egypt as well as fabulous imagery of the artifacts so far discovered. many of these are overseas and i know personally i may never get there to view them in person. a great find, particularly those who want specific info or pictures of tutankhamun, nefertiti, akhenaten, and others all involved in the 18th dynast of egyptian rule



2. This is the finest exhibition catalogue for Egyptian art this reviewer has ever seen. The text is a monument of scholarship for the always-challenging Amarna period, and the objects are sensitively photographed and well explained. The book is also beautifully designed and printed. A must-have for the devotees of Akhenaten, Nefertiti, and Tutankhamen.



3. An intriguing account of the life and rule of Akhenaten, one of the most controversial figures in Egyptian history. Akenaten, who is widely credited with being the world's first monotheist, rejected the well-established pantheon of gods and Egypt's capital to establish a new religious and government center at Aketaten, the "Horizon of the Aten." The authors attribute this to the fact that the priesthood, especially that of Egypt's most powerful god Amun, had grown so as the threaten pharaonic power, and Akenaten's closing of the temples was designed to eclipse this threat.

   Much has been written about Akenaten's possible physical deformities, due to the appearance of surviving sculptures and paintings. The slack belly, prominent hips, almond-shaped eyes, long face, and large lips, not only of Akenaten but of other members of the royal family as well, have engendered discussions as to whether Akenaten actually appeared this way, or if he wished to depart from the traditional methods of depiction in Egyptian art. When Akenaten abolished the old system of worship, and set up the Aten, the disc of the sun, as the one true god, he also appointed himself as the sole intermediary between Aten and the people, thereby deifying himself in the process. (This deification of the person of the pharaoh was not without precendent. Akenaten's father, Amenhotep III, enjoyed such status in his lifetime.) The authors suggest that the unusual appearance of Akenaten was to give himself an instantly recognizable iconography appropriate to his divine status, much like the other gods' peculiar attributes, such as Osiris' mummiform body and green skin. This theory is supported by the fact that Akenaten's appearance in artworks changed throughout his reign, moving from relatively usual examples toward the most extreme depictions in the "high Amarna" style, before returning to a more traditional appearance before the end of his rule. The authors also note the continuing influence of the Amarna style for centuries after Akenaten's death, most notably in the tomb treasures of Tutankhamen.




4. Published as a compliment to the "Pharaohs of the Sun" exhibition that has been making its way across the country this year, this book is a wonderful catalog of Amarnan art, including what lead up to the style change and how it affected art afterwards. It's full of beautiful color photos of all the masterpieces included in the exhibition, plus many other artefacts from the reigns of Amenhotep III, Akhenaten, and Tutankhamen. It also features 14 essays on Akhenaten, his city Akhetaten, and the radical changes he made in religion and art while he was pharaoh. This book is a "must have" for anyone interested in ancient egyptian art.



5. Like the book about Nefertiti by Joyce Tyldesley, this is a must for any modern believer in the Amarnian people - Akhenaten, Nefertiti, etc....and the Aten religion. If you have or haven't seen the related exhibition, then this book is still wonderfully illustrated and interestingly detailed and can be read again and again ! A MUST !!!!

2 comments about Carving Animal Caricatures (Dover Books on Woodworking & Carving).

1. STARTING OUT ESPECIALLY SOME BOOKS ARE FINE TO MOON OVER AND THINK
   "HOW DID HE DO THAT?" THIS BOOK IS A "I CAN DO THAT." I OFTEN FIND IT MISSING AS MY GIRLS LIKE TO LOOK AT IT, AND DISCUSS THE COOL CARVINGS. THEN THEY POINT OUT THERE FAVORITES. SIT THIS BOOK ON YOUR COFFEE TABLE AND ALMOST EVERYONE WILL PICK IT UP AND SPEND AT LEAST 20 MINUTES READING AND LOOKING AT IT. SEEMS CARVING APPEALS TO A BASIC HUMAN INSTINCT. PEOPLE WHO WOULD NEVER DREAM OF CARVING STILL ENJOY IT. IT IS A SOLID WELL WRITTEN BOOK. THE BOTTOM LINE THOUGH FOR CARVING IS THAT YOU HAVE TO PUT BLADE TO WOOD. ALL THE BOOKS IN THE WORLD WILL ONLY TAKE YOU SO FAR. BEBINNERS WORK SMALL AND WHEN YOU CAN A BASIC DESIGN WITH A SCROLL SAW. IT MAKES IT EASIER TO DEFINE THE SHAPE. LITTLE ANIMALS ARE GREAT PROJECTS, AND DON'T THROW AWAY YOUR EARLY STUFF LATER YOU'LL ENJOY COMPARING IT TO SEE WHERE YOU HAVE PROGRESSED.



2. This book is a great start for the beginner. Complete set-by-step instructions with 72 photos & 131 drawings to go by for the 24 projects covered. The projects are really good looking "folk-art" animal caricatures.

5 comments about Origami Inside-Out (Origami).

1. I like the martian. I made one for the fourth of July and then blew him up with a firework tank and we used a piccolo pete for the scream.



2. This book is a little different from most of John Montroll's earlier books (and later books). Fans have been known to say that these models do not seem quite as realistic as many of his others. But they have missed the point.

   As the title suggests, this is inside-out origami. In other words, both sides of the paper are visible in the final model. This allows for a different level of detail (such as an actual chessboard).

   Like Montroll's other books, all models are made from a single sheet of square paper. However, these models really look best if the two sides of the paper are not the same color.

   A fun and fascinating addition to any origami library.




3. This is a very good book with models that have good color change. The racoon, cow, bluejay, and of course the chess set are excellent models. All models are from one square of paper and the diagrams are very clear just like all of John Montroll's books.



4. This book is noteable for the origami chess set, which includes instructions for all the pieces and also features a very clever design for a Chess board. The chessmen are very easy to make. The board is more challenging and before you even start it, there is the further challenge of finding a piece of paper big enough to be folded down to a fraction of its size and still be usable as a chessboard.

   The animal designs all make use of paper that is coloured on one side and white (or a different colour) on the other. The results are generally good, however the detail given to producing the tiger's stripes means that sacrifices have been made elsewhere. The end result is a rather unrealistic model. It suffers greatly in comparison to Peter Engel's stripeless tiger.

   There is a lovely elephant. Montroll seems to have a thing for elephants and the design in this book is my favourite. The Canada Goose is another well thought-out design, making good use of the dark and light sides of the paper. The penguin model is better than the one in Origami sculptures I've made about ten of them. I like penguins.

   The book begins with three terrible creations - a ghost, a 'martian', and a snowman. The latter is guaranteed to terrify small children. There are also a few geometric shapes to fold - worthy but boring.

   But the chess set - the chess set is amazing, and if you lose any of the pieces you can always fold some more.




5. It is a challenge to make the model colorful, useing two sides of a standard origami paper. Montroll shows us many wonderful examples. A complete chess-set and an incredible chess board constitutes the most exciting part of the book, as well as some well-designed animals.But the pace of the whole book seems unbalanced, with too many boring models in the first half of it

1 comments about Doorstops: Identification and Values.

1. One must first be able to get past the problems that this is an old book with out of date values and poorly focused, washed-out photography. But its value lies in the fact that there are very few books on this subject and it has some pieces and color variations not found elsewhere.

No comments about Essential Woodcarving Techniques (Woodcarving).

2 comments about Designing Jewelry: Brooches, Bracelets, Necklaces and Accessories.

1. This is my second book by the same people who drew and painted those necklaces and bracelets in the book. One of the person in the book was also a professor of mine at FIT(Fashion Institute of Technology,NYC). He was a wonderful teacher and his works are just amazing.
   
   I recommend this book to anyone who is starting out in something like mechanical drafting or jewelry design. Which is what I am in now. It helps alot. If you need to know how to render a bracelet or a necklace, just look up the book and follow. Its simple enough. It also shows you all varieties of bracelets and necklaces that you can get inspirations and ideas out of if you have problems thinking of your designs.
   
   It helps to have this book at hand because it shows you the techniques and everything.



2. This book guides you through the art of jewelry designing. A must have for aspiring jewelry designers. Full of pictures of designs and finished pieces