Book Description

In a panoramic narrative John Wilmerding has brought together individual studies of the artists who painted Mount Desert Island off the Maine coast in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Wilmerding demonstrates that Mount Desert has had an enduring appeal for artists and visitors, much like other great sites of national geography, such as Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Niagara Falls. This coastal region of the northeast captured the imaginations of several generations of American painters, and each generation attached its own meaning to the island. These changing meanings reveal both the history of American landscape painting as well as cultural concerns of each era. As Wilmerding states, "Part of the island's continuing allure is that a fixed point of geography can inspire such diverse visual responses and stylistic treatments as the romantic realism of the early Hudson River painters, the crystalline luminism of artists in the middle of the nineteenth century, the variants of Impressionism practiced at century's end, and the new modes of representation in the twentieth, approaching aspects of abstraction."

The figures most central to this chronology are the pioneers, Thomas Doughty, Alvan Fisher, and Thomas Cole, who generalized and romanticized nature in their visits of the 1830s and 1840s, Fitz Hugh Lane in the 1850s, and Frederic Edwin Church in the 1850s and 1860s. Each drew and painted extensively at Mount Desert. In particular, they recorded the northern sunsets in forms that made Americans give serious thought to the significance of their country's geography and its destiny. Other artists, among them William Stanley Haseltine, Sanford Gifford, John Marin, Marsden Hartley, and, more recently, Richard Estes, continued to come to Mount Desert and to find in its light, air, and rock formations the kind of scenery that inspired a rich diversity of visual expressions.

Book Description

Folk painting is rich with quaint, picturesque scenery, from rolling hills and rural farmland to old-fashioned barns, churches and country stores. This beautiful guide captures the warm, simplistic style that typifies folk art painting, featuring 10 charming decorative painting projects. Designed to adorn everything from boxes and floor cloths to picnic baskets, each project comes with an easy-to-trace pattern, detailed instructions and step-by-step photos. Painters will find a range of delightful subjects for every season, including scenes illustrating Christmas, weddings, Halloween, Independence Day and more.And there are also tips for embellishing each scene with little decorative elements that celebrate the seasons. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Close to being in Ranson's workshop
If you want to relive Ron Ranson's workshop--which I just concluded in Bend, Oregon--read this book. I plan to reread. Artist Ranson writes justs as he talks to his students. And the demonstration paintings take him less than an hour. So good, I am now going to reread, and I just finished his workshop three days ago. Dick Elam

Well worth studying...
Ranson's concrete advice on how to use photos for subject material is very sensible. It may be true that the best way to paint landscape is "au plein air" but if you live in Canada there are eight months each year when painting outside would not only be a positive health hazard - but the water would freeze on the brush!! Hence I'm glad of a book which acknowledges real life. I produced a pretty nice watercolor in about ten minutes using one of his photos. Well worth reading.

Inspiring and positive approach
This is the second of Ron Ranson's book I've bought--I have the Skies book--and I really like both of them. This book is very encouraging and user friendly. Ranson put a lot of effort into the "how-to" aspect of this book and includes many practical tips and examples, always helpful. Some art books are vague about how to achieve the desired look, but this book includes many concrete suggestions that were very instructive. My only problem is not finding a hake brush I can use--they either shed or rust or both. I hope Mr. Ranson's next book will deal with painting water scenes (seashores, rivers, etc.). ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Must to Avoid
If I can prevent even one person from buying this book, then writing this review will have been worth it. Mr. Fenwick is absolutely, totally unqualified to teach anyone about watercolor painting. All of his paintings look like the first feeble attempts of a fourteen-year old. The colors are insipid and uncoordinated. The drawing is inept. The instructions are simplistic formulas such as "the mountains are a series of letter M's", "the beach is the letter C", and so on. Almost any other book on the subject would be infinitely superior to this one. ... Read more

Book Description

From Athens in the time of the Emperor Hadrian to a bird’s-eye view of the majestic dome of London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral; from the lush Northamptonshire countryside to rugged alpine passes, here is a magnificent assemblage of town and country scenes. Exquisitely rendered, atmospheric, and possessed of photo-like realism, these images capture the world as it was, and will never be again. Invaluable collection of copyright-free illustrations for artists and craftspeople.
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Book Description

American history, New England coastal landscapes, and relaxed summer living are beautifully brought together in On Martha's Vineyard, a book of exquisite watercolors depicting one of America's best-loved island destinations. This book features watercolors of Vineyard landmarks and its famed pastoral beauty and village sites: the Chappy Ferry, Katama, the cliffs at Gay Head, the Black Dog, the Big Tree in West Tisbury, and others. Bowden has captured the true charm of the island without romanticizing it; these watercolors instantly transport the reader to lighthouses and salt marshes and boat-filled harbors. This book is an affordable must-have keepsake for the seasoned resident, the armchair traveler, or anyone who has spent time--or has wanted to spend time--on Martha's Vineyard.
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Book Description

Plein-air painting -- the art of painting outdoors, on-site, and completing the work in one sitting -- became famous with the advent of Impressionism in France in the 1870s. It's still a fresh and spontaneous way to capture the moment -- and an ideal approach for anyone whose appreciation of nature's beauty and variety prompts an impulse to respond with brush, pen, or pencil.

In this lively, easygoing guide, prize-winning artist, author, and instructor Cathy Johnson provides a friendly introduction to all facets of plein-air painting -- from selecting and using basic materials (including pencils, pastels, watercolors, acrylics, brushes, and papers) to weathering outdoor conditions and dealing with the challenges of capturing ever-changing light.

Richly illustrated with delightful studies, sketches, and paintings by the author and others, this book will inspire and guide beginners and accomplished artists alike in the delightful pastime of painting out where the sun touches your face, the wind ruffles your hair (and your paper!), and birdsong provides the background music.

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Reviews (1)

Inspiration to See Nature in a Fresh Way
Here's a great book for painting out of doors. The author, Cathy Johnson, includes information for beginners in a simple, concise manner with an introduction to various media, their use, strengths, and limitations. Suggestions for initial supplies is a very helpful feature. Simple and clear colored pictures illustrate techniques. Included is an excellent bibliography as well as a list of organized painting trips, both domestic and foreign.

The author's wide range of ideas for subject matter in landscape, trees, flowers, birds, butterflies, turtles, frogs and all kinds of small furry fauna is an inspiration to both beginners and experienced painters to get out their brushes and CREATE! Her ideas of simplifying distant landscapes or of taking a close view of a single flower, rock, or tree root will bring fresh ideas to try.

Having worked in the art discipline of a liberal arts college library for many years and currently painting and continuing to study books on painting, I recommend "Painting in Nature" with great enthusiasm. ... Read more

Book Description

Watercolors can capture the subtle and magical nuances of a landscape better than any other medium. Now, amateur artists can explore the natural and exciting affinity of watercolor and landscape with the help of twenty-three talented artists from around the world. Using "inspirational example," this exquisite volume looks at every type of landscape painting, including rural scenes, seascapes and waterways, urban and cityscapes, and rocks and mountainscapes. Through carefully selected, stunning examples of their work, the artists explain their visions and individual methods of creating images that vary from the traditional to the experimental. For each piece, the artists reveal what drew them to their subjects, the thinking behind the materials they chose, and the techniques they used to bring their ideas to life. Sketches, compositional diagrams, and color analyses help highlight the paintings' evolutions.Bonus: a fully illustrated glossary of specific techniques and technical terms.
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Reviews (2)

A rare "piece of art" to enjoy reading and seeing!
I'm an artist,and a book lover too. Maybe a little addicted to buy good books at Amazon. And recently bought a jewel, the book Landscapes in Watercolor by T.Philcox. The images fascinated me. And the content, provided by some leading artists, really worth the price too. I was curious about Theo's books. I was invited to a new one, the still life one. Now I'm eager to see it!

A gorgeous feast of colour and talent
This book moves right away from the tired 'how to do it' approach, and instead takes you right to the artists' studios. Each of the twenty or more artists from all over the world, talk freely about their inspirations and approach to their work, showing a wide diversity of style. Many of the artists are very well known to the UK market - Peter Graham, David Curtis, Trevor Chamberlain, David Bellamy, Alwyn Crawshaw and Brian Lancaster, to name but a few. There are some stupendous works from Australians Greg Allen and Bob Wade, and gorgeous colour studies from the American, Sally Cataldo. The individual entries for each of the artists makes fascinating reading, as their personalities shine through. This compact book will provide inspirational ideas and encourage experimentation. The designer has given the works space to breathe, making the book a pleasure to use. It would make a lovely gift for any aspiring artist, if you could bear to part with it! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Stockwell Scorches
Maximum visual pleasure from this book of stunning landscapes.
As an artist, I have never felt such an affinity with another fellow painter. John made me want to change my whole style of painting completely to dare to capture, if only in minute portions, his magic. This book has never left my sight for the last two months. Stockwell gives a new meaning to abstraction.
Hooray that someone can see landscapes in big, sweeping blocks of color.

Profoundly original and breathtaking...
John Stockwell's work as seen in this remarkable book is beautiful. Be prepared to develop a very strong desire to own one of Stockwell's paintings. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This dreamy children's book celebrates Henri Rousseau, the French customs inspector and self-taught painter whose Sleeping Gypsy is one of the most popular paintings in New York's Museum of Modern Art. A mild yet wonderfully self-confident man, Rousseau was something of a mystery to biographers, and still is. This book weaves bits of biographical information into a delightful tour of some of his most lovable works--his self-portrait on the banks of the Seine, in which the gigantically important artist dwarfs some tiny figures on a nearby path and looms over the Eiffel Tower, for one.

After an introduction in which readers learn that Rousseau liked to take long walks in the country on his Sundays off from work, the story develops into a tall tale. A coworker brings Rousseau a leaf from a plant in the botanical gardens, "where the most wonderful plants from far-off lands" grow. The artist then talks his way into the gardens late one afternoon, and, once inside, falls asleep. Dreaming, he meanders through jungles and fabulous settings--his paintings, of course. The dreamscapes will inspire any young fantasist: there is a Native American woman on a chaise in the jungle, surrounded by astonishing flora and fauna; monkeys swinging on vines; a wide-eyed tiger in a thunderstorm; and outsize blossoms that might have inspired William Steig's Zabajaba Jungle. In the end, Rousseau awakes, leaves the garden, and resolves to paint the wonderful scenes of his dreams forever after, much to the delight of real-life art lovers the world over. --Peggy Moorman ... Read more

Reviews (1)

This book is exquiste!
Just the fact that the pages are matte and not glossy makes my day. Beautiful reproductions, lovely and dreamy story...what more could one ask? I recommend this delightful book for adults (such as myself), as well as children. ... Read more

Book Description

This step–by–step course by artist–teacher David Bellamy shows you how paint successful watercolor landscapes right from the start. ... Read more

Book Description

In this first full-length study of a largely forgotten optical device from the eighteenth century, Arnaud Maillet reconfigures our historical understanding of visual experience and meaning in relation to notions of opacity, transparency, and imagination. Many are familiar with the Claude glass as a small black convex mirror used by artists and spectators of landscape to reflect a view and make tonal values and areas of light and shade visible. In a groundbreaking account, Maillet goes well beyond this particular function of the glass and situates it within a richer archaeology of Western thought, exploring the uncertainties and anxieties about mirrors, reflections, and their potential distortions. He takes us from the magical and occult background of the "black mirror," through a full evaluation of its importance in the age of the picturesque, to its persistence in a range of technological and representational practices, including photography, film, and contemporary art. The Claude Glass is a lasting contribution to the history of Western visual culture. ... Read more

Book Description

Artist Margaret McCrea and her husband are avid sailors, often taking extended cruises. As they progress, she keeps detailed journals, jotting down her thoughts and observations as well as recording the relevant facts of the trip. But what sets her journals apart is that she also illustrates them with beautiful and evocative watercolor sketches. In Maine Sail, highlights of several of her Maine cruise journals have been amalgamated into a single travelogue, illustrated more than 250 of McCrea's watercolors, both her small original studies and the larger, more detailed paintings she makes from them once she returns to her studio ashore. ... Read more