Artists Books

"OVER 400 HIRSCHFELD DRAWINGS AND PHOTOGRAPHS MANY NEVER BEFORE COLLECTED
Essays by Whoopi Goldberg, Arthur Miller, Mel Gussow, Kurt Vonnegut, Grace Mirabella, Louise Kerz Hirschfeld, and Nina!

Commentary by Hirschfeld Throughout.
[from the book of the back cover of the jacket]

What a joy of a book. Not just the great grafics but very interestng information about the Great Hirschfeld

I really enjoyed looking through this book. I am absolutely in love with theater and I love seeing how he depicts all of my favorite shows and actors. He's been through the "Golden Age" of theater and has also done so much work for modern entertainment. I also have tons of fun looking for all the hidden "Nina"s. Just in case you might not know what I'm talking about, let me explain. After his daughter was born, Hirschfield began hiding her name in his drawings. The number by his "signiture" indicates the number of "Nina"s in the drawing. "Nina" is also written all in caps. Because of this, this book is not going to be just some ordinary coffee table book that only his fans might check out. It could also be a great deal of amusement for those who like to play the kind of "Where's Waldo" games.

Al Hirschfeld rose above titles like "cartoonist" and "illustrator", and every other tag specifically applied to visual artists who inject design and humor into their work. His intelligent blend of the caricaturist's eye and the designer's sense of the beauty in flat forms add up to an entirely unique contribution to twentieth century popular culture- and a highly influential one. His recent passing at age 99 marks the end of the century that he witnessed and commented upon so wittily and so stylishly. His legions of admirers (and imitators) will be well served by this 1999 book, assembled by the artist himself, with an excellent selection from his career, his invaluable commentary, and a fairly satisying selection of his amazing (and less celebrated) color work. The reproductions are fine here, and the volume is designed and presented well. It can only be hoped that more comprehensive releases and reissues of earlier books are in the near future.

Here is the indispensible Hirschfeld book - a must for any fan of his work, or of line in general. From his earliest pieces, all the way through his long career with New York theatre, his work is showcased - and done so through his eyes. Each piece is described by this great artist - his inspirations, methods, and thoughts. I cannot imagine a better way to present his wonderful drawings, and I am so very, very thankful that this collection was printed before his death. Although, yes, the work would show just as beautifully without, his commentary alongside each piece just opens up an entirely new viewpoint. This is a truly timeless book, and I highly recommend it.

"Holly Bloom felt as grouchy as the thorns on a rosebush.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make her flowers grow."

Holly wants to create her own garden but doesn't know all the secrets of gardening. Her mother, Iris, has a green thumb and her father gives her creative advice. Everyone in the family seems to be participating in the gardening activities. The pictures are filled with bright colors and comforting gardening situations. Her father paints pictures of the flowers while family members cut roses or plant new flowers.

"What I really need, thought Holly, is a green thumb."

So, Holly puts green paint on her thumb. This book has a real sense of humor. Well, when that doesn't work, Holly tries using fertilizer and then a variety of tools. Finally she soaks the flowers with too much water. (Why does this sound like my gardening at times?)

Finally, Holly goes to bed and when everyone thinks she is asleep, she sneaks into her dad's art studio and makes all sorts of paper flowers that fill up the entire room.

Children will enjoy the surprise of Holly finding a way to "grow" her own flowers. The art by Lori Mitchell is healing and calming. She uses just the right colors to set a mood for each page. The illustrations were created using black Prismacolor pencil and acrylic paint on Arches hotpress watercolor paper. The result is vibrant art with a realistic feel.

~The Rebecca Review

This is a beautiful book for children of all ages. I have three nieces ranging in age from 4 to 13 and each enjoyed it at a different level. Wonderful illustrations support a fun and inspiring story. I highly recommend this book!

This is a wonderful story about finding ways to be q part of something even though you don't "appear" to have the talent. Holly finds a wonderful way to express her ability to "grow" flowers. The drawings in this book are absolutely beautiful and the attention to detail is amazing. Anyone who loves flowers or gardening, both young and old, will love this book! A great gift.

What a wonderful story about finding your own personnel way to express yourself when you can't do what everyone else can. A great story for children and adults to remind us to look at things from a different perspective. The book is filled with beautiful, colorful and detailed drawings. Gorgeous drawings of every kind of flower. Makes me want a garden like that. Great book for young and old flower lovers, gardeners and the gardening challenged!!!

I've shared this book a dozen times with my 6-year-old son. He gets greatly discouraged when things don't bloom after he's planted seeds, so "Holly Bloom's Garden" gave him the idea of making his own flowers. The book's illustrations are warm and charming and Ashman and Parent tell a good story that should appeal to both boys and girls.

It's really "The Best How To..." book, because it's not a "The Best How To..." book. Nice to see the "human side" of Design Gurus like Glaser, Bierut, Scher or Vignelli among many others.

This book was informative, insightful and a quick read. A must have for both students and designers alike!

Insights into how world-famous graphic designers come up with winning designs make for an outstanding collection of lively interviews revealing best thought and practice in the world of design. Over twenty designers reveal their designs, outlining how a love of design developed, influenced their lives, and how it translated into a passion for producing better graphic design results. Any library covering graphic design simply must have this, whether it be at the college arts level or the general-interest lending library.

This book is a must read if only to get a glimpse on how real these great graphic designers are. I enjoyed reading milton glaser's not because he's a favorite but because I found his insights humble and encouraging for the not so great graphic designer like myself. I was also bowled over to find a designer from my country and from my college included here, Lucille Tenazas! Great book!

I can't believe only 6 people rated this book. This is such a great book and I had so much fun reading it. I lent it to my program coordinator and it became one of our program's textbooks(graphic design). I totally recommend this to any one interested in design, art or in general, LIFE!
worth EVERY SINGLE PENNY!

I had been introduced to this book years ago by one of my peers. I had always remembered it, but never really had a need to buy it. I had decided this year to have my high school art students create altered books, and I knew it was time to get it so they had some visual references of how you can transform book pages. I am so glad I bought the book. You don't need to read it as a book, although you can. Every time I open it, I find a new treasure. It's just amazing what Phillips has created from an old book. It's an inspiration and a great piece of artwork.

I received this book as a gift about 10 years ago and have yet to tire of it. It is beautiful and funny, surreal, creepy and profound.

I own multiple copies and give them away to worthy friends. Visually, artistically, and intellectually stunning, this masterpiece is unique in the world of art/literature. The author/artist Tom Phillips began this work in the 1960s, and first published it in book form in the 1980s. He called the result of his decades of effort The Humument and it is a completely illustrated version of W. H. Mallock's 19th Century novel A Human Document. Each page is a well conceived and compelling work of art. On each page the author leaves only a few of the original words revealed. These surviving phrases tell, in prose and poetry, the pathetic love story of Bill Toge. Symbiotically linked to the art itself, the preserved text, and its tale of Toge, reveal a story Phillips found submerged within the original text, a story which Mallock neither wrote nor intended. Phillips calls his work `mining for meaning'. Everyone who has received this book from me has had great difficulty putting it down until they had read/absorbed/experienced/lived/studied it from cover to cover. If there is such a thing as a priceless book, The Humument would be a good candidate for the category.

Truly an elegant, messy piece of work.
Tom Phillips' Humument is one of the most affecting marriages of image and text that I have viewed/read. Visaully, it is stunning, with its layers of subsumed text and inventive imagery. Moments of profundity bordering on Zen surface intermittently, whilst bawdy puns [...] up beside.
If you're looking for sustained, easily interpreted narrative, then this book simply is not for you. If, on the other hand, you long for a story that is as much in your head/heart, as on the page, I can heartily recommend A Humument.

I love this book. I first learnt of Tom Phillips when he recently did the cover of an album by a band called Dark Star, and then was introduced to his work whilst on work experience last summer. I hunted down a copy of this book, and then devoured it completely. at times moving, at times funny, and all the time completely incredible to just look and marvel at. the art work is great. ingenuitive, original and inspired. this book seems to be getting harder and harder to find... buy one while you can.

This book should be reprinted. It contains a glorious cross section
of childrens literature. From "Little Miss Muffet", "The Story of the
Three Little Pigs", "The Walrus and the Carpenter". Excerpts from
"The Story of Babar", "Raggedy Andy Stories", "Robinson Crusoe" to
"Gulliver's Travels" most with the orginal illustrations.
A book for all from infant to adult. A book for those with a love
of literature or to develope a love of literature in children.

I loved this book as a child. Unfortunately my copy was lost, but a family member who had received the same book gave hers to my son. Reading through the book has brought back many happy memories-- I hadn't looked at the illustrations or read many of the stories in over 20 years, but I still remember them. I look forward to years of reading this book with my son and am thrilled the book is still available so that I can buy it for friends and family.

I have become the keeper of the family copy of this wonderful book. It is filled with some of the greatest fables and stories that you'll want to share with your child. I'm trying to find a new copy for my daughter to keep for the rest of her life. Meanwhile, I'm going to have the one we have rebound. < a native New Englander >

I loved this book so much as a child (of the 1970's) that I had the foresight to save it for my own children. It is one of three books I saved, the other two being "A Child's Garden of Verse" by Robert Louis Stevenson, and D'aulaire's "Greek Myths". These are classic stories that have not been softened and dumbed down or made politically correct like so many modern children's books. They really pack a punch and evoke thought, and the illustrations are gorgeous.

This book was given to my mother by my great aunt when I was 2 1/2 years old (my sisters were 1 and 5). We have fought over it ever since. I have been unable to find it for years (my mother kept the original copy and it is now a favorite of her grandchildren). I was fortunate enough to obtain a copy from a used books dealer in New Hampshire last year. I am ordering two from Amazon.com so that I can surprise my sisters at Christmas (amen!). With everything from Aesop to Wordsworth, and stories, poems and songs from Mother Goose to Rudyard Kipling, there is someting in this book for any child of any age. These are the classic tales of Peter Pan, Winne The Pooh, The Velveteen Rabbit, Heidi and Gulliver, to mention a few. My mother would read aloud from this book every night - "The Goops" on page 65 was a favorie poem and "Over in the Meadow" on page 101 was a favorite song - I know my mother enjoyed reading it equally as much as we girls. The illustrations are wonderful, and most are reproductions from the original books. Finding this book has meant finding a part of my childhood, and I'm sure anyone else who grows up with it will feel the same.

The Inspired Heart and In the Hands of Alchemy:The Art and Life of Jerry Wennstrom

"One of the most magnificent things about Jerry is his profound and courageous innocence. He has created a friendship with a part of himself which is in love with the world, and his art displays that. Jerry is one of the few people I know who, in a very quiet way, has actually claimed his happiness in existence." - David Whyte author- The Heart Aroused and Crossing the Unknown Sea

"In the Hands of Alchemy is a delightful film, an alchemical mixture in itself of inspiration, spirituality, art and the story of a remarkable human being." David Spangler, author of Blessings; Parent as Mystic, Mystic as Parent and Everyday Miracles.

"When Jerry Wennstrom destroyed his art in 1979, he threw himself into the great unknown searching for a more authentic life. Walking the road of radical emptiness, the result was the emergence of a completely genuine voice, gentle, sensitive to the stirrings of the divine in everyday life, and creative beyond reasonable bounds. Wedding compassion and creativity, In the Hands of Alchemy is a rare celebration of life and the joy of spiritual surrender." Chris Bache, author, Dark Night, Early Dawn
Jerry Wennstrom is one of a kind - and his point is that any of us can be that. We can, like him, walk straight into the heart of mystery and emerge more ourselves than we could ever imagine. His tells his story of being called to destroy his art, of struggling to hear any message but that one, of surrendering his will and allowing the soft something beyond will to guide him. It's all a fabulous tale worth hearing again and again like a great myth, and it's a deep, simple instruction for how to find ourselves in the middle of a life that seems real, but is often missing the central character. Jerry's amazing recent artwork, and his extraordinarily beautiful and talented wife Marilyn swirl around this story of a courageous soul, making it even more compelling. Best would be to know Jerry as I am privileged to do, second best is watching this film. -Vicki Robin - Co-author, Your Money or Your Life

"Few of us have emptied our cup as completely as Jerry Wennstrom did when he destroyed his art in 1979, and therefore few have experienced as deep a reawakening to the subtle stirrings of the divine in everyday life. It's hard for me to convey how deeply I respect what Jerry shares with us in his book /,The Inspired Heart, /in his art, and above all in his person. Here is a completely genuine voice of creative spirit." Chris Bache, author of "Dark Night, Early Dawn."

"The Inspired Heart; An Artist's Journey of Transformation" by Jerry Wennstrom is an unexpected gift and complete experience to read. There are many books written about the artist's spiritual/creative/intellectual journey. This book IS the journey! Selene

Autobiographically written by Jerry Wennstrom, The Inspired Heart: An Artist's Journey Of Transformation is the story of an artist's journey in search of truth. In 1979, New York artist Jerry Wennstrom destroyed his own paintings, gave away his money and possessions, and sought to purge his personal identity, and in the process, open himself to wonder. This remarkable artist's memoir is enhanced with black-and-white photographs and a 16-page inset section of full-color plates showcasing a series of magnificent interactive box art. The Inspired Heart is a unique and quite remarkable contribution to 20th Century Art History reading lists.

Artist Jerry Wennstrom shocked the New York art community in 1979 when he destroyed his paintings at the pinnacle of his illustrious career. Guided by an inner passion to connect directly to divine consciousness, Wennstrom gave away his possessions and began a journey based on complete surrender to life experience. THE INSPIRED HEART shares Wennstrom's personal journal of how he lived for years in a state of grace and faith, discovering divine intelligence and inspiration in a wide breadth of experiences. Wennstrom at various times fasted, experienced the sublime joys of sharing special moments with neighborhood children, and faced potential muggers with loving kindness... to receive loving kindness in return. THE INSPIRED HEART shows us how, "Enlightenment is not a grand finale that leaves us blissfully risen, Buddha-like, above the suffering of the world. It is a deep and unconditional surrender to what already exists and total trust in the larger inherent intelligence, which is willing to lead the way."

I love the color pictures of Wennstrom's art in the middle of this book, and the way Wennstrom's autobiographical short stories weave themselves in dreamy fashion through the places and times of his fascinating life. THE INSPIRED HEART shares the raw and simple beauty of one man's pure heart as it shows us how miraculous, magnificent and rich our lives can be when we let go of everything and allow ourselves to be fully present in this moment, now.

-- Cynthia Sue Larson
author of "AURA ADVANTAGE: How the Colors in Your Aura Can Help You Attain What You Desire and Attract Success"

After I graduated from art school, I realized I'd taken that massive library for granted, and that I was going to have to invest in my own art books if I wanted to retain them as a source of inspiration and instruction. Of the fine artists, Sargent was my first target, not just because of his exceptional art, but also because the apparent explosion of interest in his work that has occurred in the last decade or so means that books about him are easy to find. This is the second Sargent book I've purchased, and what I like best about it is the quality and variety of the reproductions: there are oil paintings both famous and obscure, lovely watercolors, and a nice collection of incredible nude figure drawings. While it is hardly a comprehensive view of Sargent's work, this is a great overview for anyone with a passing interest in the artist and a wonderful addition to any enthusiast's collection. Highly recommended.

This is my 3rd book on Sargent purchased from Amazon so I might have been expecting something more. It's very well prepared, though I think that no painting should be printed in black and white! I found the few black and white images quite annoying actually. The rest of the book is well presented, but I found the occasional reference and clear bias about Sargent's private life is quite irrelevant for me.

Singer es un pintor a quien debe verse en vivo en los museos; el único inconveniente que encuentro en el libro es su tamaño, esas pinturas se disrutan mucho más en formatos más grandes

Handsome and powerfully built, American painter John Singer Sargent (1856 - 1925) epitomized the versatility of the Realist approach. Noted for his luminous portraits of the wealthy and famous on both sides of the Atlantic, he astonished viewers and critics alike with his powers of observation and deft renderings. A visitor to his studio once noted that he had painted his model's scarf with one sweep of his brush.

Trevor Fairbrother has prepared a rich and meticulous analysis of this expatriate painter in "John Singer Sargent," a volume in Abrams' acclaimed Library of American Art Series. In his preface Fairbrother states, "I want this book to reflect the complexity of Sargent's affiliations and practices as an artist. I will try to provide a balanced representation of the man and his art, in the hope of understanding the unusual highs and lows of his reputation." Fairbrother accomplishes these goals admirably.

Born in Florence, educated in Florence and Dresden, influenced by Velasquez, Sargent's career as a portraitist began in Paris. He later settled in London where he maintained a rigorous schedule, adding watercolors and drawings to his expanding oeuvre. His portraits were commissioned by the Rockefeller family, statesmen, authors, and actors, enhancing Sargent's celebrity. It was argued snobbishly "that Sargent was most useful to people with new money or foreign blood who want to buy social recognition."

In a day that paid homage to power and physical beauty, very much as we do today, Sargent knew no peer. With some 100 illustrations and well crafted text, this beautiful volume represents him well.

- Gail Cooke

The reproductions of Mr. Singer's drawings are worth the price alone. A wonderful collection of work which needs to be in the library of all serious artists. The main thought of the text, however, makes an issue of Mr. Sargent's personal life regarding his sexual orientation which as depicted in this book may or may not be accurate. It saddens me when an author speaks in great authority on deeply personal areas of a celebrity when they never met the person and do not know if their theories are accurate.

Other than that, there is a great deal of valuable information in the text which is very interesting in regards to giving insight into the history involving many of Mr. Sargent's paintings. The reproductions are very well done and the tonal studies in the back of the book are master courses on human form, anatomical structure, body movement and emotional impact.

I highly recommend this collection of reproductions and must say the price is insignificant compared to the wealth of art inside. If you sketch his tonal drawings in your own hand, you will learn a great deal and open yourself to a new realm of artistic achievement. Mr. Sargent continues to earn respect for his artistic achievements which very few have attained.

I have owned this book since it came off of the presses and thoroughly enjoy the collection of stories as told by the 24 featured Kenpoists.

Kenpo Karate is a longer and harder Journey, I think, for a martial artist. There is a head-ful (and a half) of information you must learn in order to get through the belt ranking system. What it inevitably teaches you, though, is that you do what it takes to perfect each step you're learning. THAT is the true Journey.

This attitude applies to your own every day life, also. It makes for a more open minded person in the end. A lifetime scholar.

These Masters (all of them, regardless of their rank) share their personal Journey. It is NOT a learning manual.

The true-to-life portraits by Ed Parker, Jr. are beautifully drawn. The personal photos give us insight into days gone by.

I have used it as an autograph book and have most of the pictures signed, and all other spaces signed by other Martial Artists.

Only so many of this book was printed, and from what I've heard, that's it. If you are balking at the price here, you will soon be left out of owning a great book!

The usual trip to a marital arts book section reveals an overabundance of books on how to disarm a knife attacker, how to punch a board in two, how to throw a two hundred pound attacker, how to immobilize an opponent, but seldom, except for the life and times of Bruce Lee, do we find stories on the experts themselves. Tom Bleecker and Joe Hyams have collected the stories of twenty-four prominent kenpoists, two of whom are female, and all of whom are in some way connected to Ed Parker, the founder of American Kenpo. Hyams has interviewed each of the featured black belts, allowed them the opportunity to redline but not to add to their stories before including the material, rewritten in an easy-to-read narrative style, to the book.

What emerges from reading this book are personal statements of each individual's journey toward his or her individual enlightenment. These are strongly narrative and autobiographical, with pauses to discuss issues important to each of the martial artists. What also emerges is a broad, general understanding of the kenpo/karate movement in America. We see the growth of kenpo from its earliest Asian and Hawaiian beginnings and Parker's introduction to it. The first chapter is historically interesting, for most of us prior to 1960 had little or no knowledge of martial arts beyond the existence of judo in the Japanese American communities and some quiet suspicions of secret Chinese boxing societies deep in Chinatown.

The late fifties and early sixties were years when esoteric arts like aikido were introduced into Hawaii, kendo reappeared in Seattle and Los Angeles, and in Seattle Bruce Lee moved into Ruby Chow's and one day appeared on the University of Washington campus, to give the first of several kung-fu demonstrations after having spent several years teaching the art to a small group of Seattle students circa 1961. Ten years before Bruce surfaced in Seattle, Parker was already studying and planning to open American Kenpo schools.

Through this book, we understand and appreciate Parker's role in the growth of martial arts in the late 50's and early 60's, before he founded the first Long Beach International Tournament. We see the positive influence of Parker on his many students, now elders of the school themselves, whose stories verify the notion that being involved in the martial arts is a life changing experience.

These elder statesmen candidly describe themselves as troubled, angry, or confused youths in search of the men they would grow to be. In the background we see how the American style of martial arts has been a fluid, growing, dynamic system that grew complex, and has been simplified to its basics, depending upon the individual stylist and his approach to the art. We understand that these are men and women searching for a way to contribute their knowledge and skill to improve kenpo and its teaching, and who have found ways to contribute to the society with which they were at odds during their youth. The women discuss how Kenpo has challenged them and given them confidence. Doreen Cogliandro quotes the other woman, Dian Tanaka, " Wouldn't you rather be considered the 99th best black belt on the mat than have someone say you're the best female out there?"

Some are teachers like Bob White, who has a reputation for creating martial artists who win tournaments, or Chuck Sullivan and others who worked with Parker to create new ways to teach the art. Others, like Frank Trejo, have used their art in helping the less successful and the disabled. Trejo worked with the Lincoln School for disabled Children. He says, "I've seen Kenpo change their lives-physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually -- Kenpo has made a difference." Sean Kelly has worked with the Guardian Angels, a work which has "taken on a sense of civil and moral responsibility that goes beyond my immediate family." Bryan Hawkins co-founded Martial Arts for Peace, and Dennis Conatser has been involved with the Boy Scouts.

Others have earned their living from Kenpo. Jeff Speakman has been the most successful of the kenpoists in films, but others have had brief celluloid moments, including Parker, Dian Tanaka, Chuck Sullivan, and Stephen LaBounty. I think I saw Steve Muhammad briefly in the opening sequences of Enter the Dragon. Muhammad, and Sullivan have done police work, and Dave Hebler worked as Elvis Presley's bodyguard. And, of course, all have earned food, room, board and income from teaching the art.
While there is little discussion of techniques, there are interesting discussions about the yin/yang of martial arts, of developing speed as described by both Paul Mills (as a fast draw specialist) and Larry Tatum. Dian Tanaka talks about forms competitions and what competitors can do to draw the eye of the judges.

The book's appetizer and dessert feature an early recollection of Bruce Lee by Hyams and concludes with a segment on Elvis Presley. Bruce Lee met Parker shortly after leaving Seattle, and Joe Hyams' personal experiences in training with Bruce are vividly described in the foreword We are reminded in the final chapter that Presley was thoroughly fascinated with karate and ended up training with Parker privately.

For those who know these men and women, the book is well worth reading. The general reader and neophyte kenpoist may well find inspiration in the words of those portrayed in the book's pages. I found it fascinating to read about the changes and development of the art, seeing it as an organic, growing, changing body of knowledge.

Whether you are a kenpoist, a martial artist of another style, or someone just looking for an inspirational story, this book is for you. Many of the masters from this book came from troubled childhoods. Others needed a push in the right direction in their lives. All at one time or another, they all found Ed Parker and discovered that kenpo isn't just about self defense, but its about the journey of life as well. An outstanding read for all.

Whenever I am feeling unmotivated to train I read a chapter or two of this book. Its like travelling back in time and being a fly on the wall in Ed Parkers dojo's. The most inspiring and motivating martial arts book I have ever read. You do not need to be a Kenpo stylist to enjoy it.

It doesn't make a difference if you practice Kenpo, the honest insights from these individuals are worth their weight in...platinum. This is not a hit here; strike this way book; however it is as bold and direct as a strike. You may not like all of the people in the book, their way of looking at the world, or you may just think Kenpo is not worth your time. However if you are a martial artist, this is a must read and a must have. If you don't have a profound respect for what Ed Parker has done, you will once you have read this book.

Definately an essential resource for any fan or artist involved with the fantasy genre. Also look for his more recent book, Kingsgate. His work is in a class of it's own.

_Knightsbridge_ by Keith Parkinson is a book of his fantasy art. It contains 51 plates of his paintings. Of those, most were used as fantasy novel covers or game covers. There are also some smaller miscellaneous plates of paintings & sketches, and a couple of paintings that were done just for fun.

I have a number of fantasy art books, and if I could keep only one, it would be this one. Parkinson's art is very detailed & realistic. His facial expressions & body language are quite good. As evidenced both by the paintings themselves and his commentary, he goes out of his way to get good visual references. Technically, he is very adept and uses value control, rhythm, diagonal lines, forced perspective, and a number of other visual tricks to make sure the viewer's eye is directed where it needs to be.

His commentary about how he goes about his paintings is worth the price of the book alone. The section at the beginning about compositional thumbnails was very intriguing and thought-provoking. For book covers, he almost always reads the manuscripts before beginning his drawing. This results in a very good match between his cover art and the book itself, both in subject & tone. He was the cover artist for the Elenium trilogy by David Eddings, and his comment about the themes on the cover of the middle book ("There are three things pictured here that have returned after once being banished.") demonstrates how thoroughly he understood the book itself.

Parkinson also states that he likes drawing and painting dragons, armor, architecture, and wooded scenes (among other things). In all these cases, his enjoyment shows and the subject matter is done both beautifully and realistically.

If you like fantasy art, get this book. You won't be disappointed.

This book is incredible. Keith Parkinson is a master with capturing both action scenes and poses. The flow of movement and expressive faces in his art are some of the best. His images are very creative and inspiring. Anyone who loves art and fantasy should definately own one of these books.

Any artist interested in the Fantasy genre needs to have this book in their resource library. Keith's solutions to common problems are amazing.

Keith Parkinson is perhaps one of the handful of fantasy artists on par with the legendary Jeff Easley, and his art is easily the most realistic and visually enthralling of all that have been recently created by other artists. Knightsbridge does complete justice to the incredible abilities demonstrated by K. Parkinson, including his mastery with fantasy creatures that appear completely cliche in the work of others: dragons, werebeasts, elves, etc.

Legend of the Red Wolf successfully combines elements of nature and Native American wisdom in a realistic story of conflict resolution. The author's teaching experience is evident in this story about family situations, art, animals and the environment, bullies, and problem solving. Tony, the main character, is a real kid with real problems who considers various ways of handling those problems and creates a workable solution. A fine addition to the growing field of Latino-authored books for children and young adults.

This story reminds me of one of my nephews and how he uses his imagination to create beautiful things. I would love for him to have copy of this book, so he can see how his imagination can be used to resolve conflict and promote peace. As Gandi once said: "if we are to reach real peace in this world, we shall have to begin with the children." The author has definitely sent this strong message to our children, Gandi would be proud.

I read this book to my second graders at the beginning of the year and it fit perfectly with our conflict resolution unit. It deals with peer pressure, and how a young boy avoids violence and turns the situation into something positive. The use of art as a way to channel childrens' energy is a great lesson for us all.

I am a second grade teacher working with a latino population in LAUSD.I found this book to be an excellent tool to use at the beginning of the school year. It was a great piece of literature that fit well with a program called Getting Along Together, which is the initial component of our reading program called Success For All (S.F.A.). This component teaches social skills that are so often lacking in many of our students in today's crazy, dysfuntional society. This book was a terrific example of how a child can avoid violence, even under such extreme peer pressure, and rechannel that energy in a positive way with the outcome being a beautiful mural for all to enjoy. It really sends out a stong message that there are alternatives to violence, and if you look hard enough, you can find one.

This is a great book for upper elementary and jr. high kids. The characters are easy to relate to and the situations are familiar to kids. My 10 year old son recommended it to all his friends. It teaches a great lesson about peace and getting along with others.