Artists Books

Dinner with Magritte engages the reader at many levels. It is a visually stimulating book with a story that imagines a child's visit to his neighbor Magritte for dinner. Through the childs's eyes you are introduced to the strange & wonderful world of the artist. Many of the illustrations are variations on actual Magritte paintings delightfully interwoven into the plot of the story. You will recognize the bowler hat, blue sky with clouds and the walk through the woods from his actual works. I use the book as part of my volunteer artist awareness class. The book enchants the children from 1st grade through 6th. What a dissappointment to find it out of stock - I was going to buy two as gifts!

Although Dinner at Magritte's is not a biography, it is a fun book for the whole family. The book tells you about two famous artists. One is Rene Magritte and the other is Salvador Dali. It is about a boy, named Pierre, who is bored, so he goes to the Magritte's for dinner. Dali also comes to dinner. They do fun things that will make you laugh.

The illustrations are as good as the writing because each one shows the kind of painting that Dali or Magritte would do, but also tells you the silly story. I would recommend this book to the young and old and artists and non-artists. It is enjoyable for everyone.

Very fun book for lots of different ages. Little kids (3-4) will think the paintings are hilarious; older ones will laugh at the wordplay. A good addition to your child's library.

This book is GREAT. If you know Rene Magritte's work, you will be absolutely delighted. A MUST for true art lovers!

Dinner At Magritte's by Michael Garland is a cool book and will evoke questions from any curious youngster. The story is simple: a bored young boy goes next door to his neighbors and the neighbors happen to be Mr. and Mrs. Rene Magritte. Salvador Dali shows up and the four spend the day together culminating in dinner and charades. However, the world the story takes place in is the surreal world of Dali's and Magritte's paintings. All the illustrations in the story except the first have surrealistic elements in them. Even after the story has been read over and over again, the pictures themselves will continue to provoke the young reader's mind. The book is a fun fantasy and a suprisingly good introduction to surrealism. I had the advantage of having parents who took me to art museums in every city we ever visited and I know that this exposure to a wide variety of art styles helped with the development of this science teacher's mind. Get this book and fire up your child's imagination.

The book is about one of the most well-known peices in Feminist art, Judy Chicago's "The Dinner Party". It not only features photos and accounts of Chicago and her hard-working team of volenteers (both men and women) as they worked for almost eight years on the project and fought to have it exhibited, but it also features detailed sections on each of the place settings and kind of symbolism used in them, and biographies of all the other women whose names around them. A very interesting and exciting book to flip through.

What could be more thrilling than a genius like Judy Chicago as she challenges assumptions and traditions with her own brilliant and harrowingly moving depiction of Womyn's struggles. Truly enthralling, and, as another reviewer noted, a threat to the white male agendas of patriarchy. Give this book to all your friends!

"Dinner Party" is one of the all-time great works of feminist art, and although it proved too threatening to males, especially the white males of congress, it is art which MUST be witnessed by all young women. I applaud the other reviewers who have distributed this great book to other women.

Even though I have rated this book, I have never read it. Why? Well its for the simple fact that I can't find it anywhere. I know that it is out of print but I need it for a class and also for the fact that I want it . Iv heard so many interesting things about The dinner Party. I hope to share this not just with my classmates but with my mom and in the far, far future when I decide to have kids, I would like to share it with my little girl. so hopefuly whom ever reads my review (so to speak) it will be listened to and the people who need the book will have it as well and the people who want it.

A triumph! A long-awaited celebration of truth about all womankind! A must-have for all women. and for men who truly appreciate their worth! Every female in the world should read this book cover-to cover and rejoice. A rare and beautiful work of art--second only to The Dinner Party exhibit itself. I am going to give this book to my daughter, friends of varying ethnic backgrounds, and several lesbian friends. How often do you find a book that speaks to the entire human race about the valuable contributions of the so-called "weaker sex"? Now we must all work to get The Dinner Party exhibit traveling, as it was originally intended to do, so that we can all personally stand in awe at this altar to all Eve's daughters!

I live in North Carolina, where Ross made his home--at least in the fall, winter, and spring. There's almost a holy reverence for the man around here but there's a lot of bluster and phoney-ness too. For example, there are plenty of clubs that say they have a Ross course when they have anything but. I remember a guy at a country club here telling me how fortunate they were to have an original Ross course. At the time, I didn't know any better and so I believed the dafty. I soon discovered that little of the original routing remained. Why? Because Trent Jones came in at some stage and pretty much blew the place to smithereens plus the large oak trees of which members are so fond had changed the original routing beyond recognition. And if you cut down those trees at that club, you're dead. Dead. The original course had a handful of trees.

The beauty of Brad Klein's book is that it demystifies Ross while providing those with Ross courses a blueprint for renovation or restoration. It's a coffee table tome but it's much more than pretty pictures on coated paper. It's a thoroughly-researched thesis from someone with an advanced degree. It's also very well written and even passionate. Klein also resists the temptation to go PC, sensibly preferring to place Ross within the context of his time and place. Ross wasn't the greatest golf course architect (that's HS Colt) but Ross was a brilliant router; he understood the value of a golf course that everyone from the weekend hacker to the scratch man or woman could enjoy. Modern golf course architects need to make their courses easier, not harder. Take a look at one of the few remaining relatively untouched Ross courses. Which living golf course architect could make it better, or, more importantly, more enjoyable? On the 'real' Ross courses I've played, apart from Pinehurst #2, you have to work very hard to bag a lot of big numbers.

Klein's book features details about the man and also discusses several of his courses. There's also a useful directory in the back. The book is also the story of one man's version of The American Dream. Ross arrived here pretty much penniless but managed to build a useful empire through hard work and some smart thinking. The book shows that Ross was a "Canny Scot" who knew how to promote himself and satisfy his clients. Nothing wrong with that. It's a happy story.

It might have been tempting for Klein to get all cuddly with the group that calls itself The Donald Ross Society. I've met some members of said conglomerate, including one of its officers, and they are all a bit full of themselves. Klein mentions the society but it's very much his book, his thoughts, and his ideas. I like books with opinions and character. The book is respectful without being gushy and authoritative without being pompous.

I hope that my buddy at the Donald Ross/Robert Trent Jones golf course that's currently under renovation reads Klein's book. He needs to. So too should anyone who is interested in golf course architecture and wants to know what a real Ross golf course looks like. Hint: it's rarely like Pinehurst #2.

Whereas Bahto in the Evangelist of Golf is focused on the National more and how it came to define C.B. MacDonald, Brad Klein produces a broad overview of Donald Ross and is less focused on any one aspect of his life and career as a golf designer.

Donald Ross was the Henry Ford of golf design. Some 400 courses confirmed to his credit with, of course, Pinehurst being his crown achievement.

I think this is a solid overview of Donald Ross in general, but I was hoping to really appreciate "why" his courses were so special. We get to understand that for Donald Ross, his routings and greens were some of his strong points. However, the Ross hole and green diagrams along with the course plans only convey so much about this. Yes, they're great but the text I feel isn't in depth enough to really bring out what's buried in the diagrams, plans and pics. Instead, we are exposed to tid bits of some of the more popular courses he's produced. There's an attempt to explain Ross strategies and golf design philosophy in chapter 7, but it's high level and general. I also don't quite grasp why chapter 7 wasn't placed sooner in this book. Maybe I was expecting too much on this. Indeed, this is not a "Confidential Guide" of Ross courses as John Conley states in his earlier review.

At any rate, I think the strengths of this book lie within the quality production, tremendously thorough research (especially when it comes to how Ross did things), very good photographs (especially when it comes to before and after course pictures), and the historical perspective.

The Pinehurst section is very interesting from a background and historical perspective, but you won't learn much about why the course is great.

The renovation / restoration segment is also very informative. Some great pictures illustrate what can happen when proper care is given to a renovation / restoration effort.

There's a nice comprehensive compilation list of Ross's courses, but unfortunately it won't help you figure out which one's you can play. Maybe in the next revision, Klein can indicate which courses are public vs. private. Even tracking back some of the courses within the book won't help either, as you're never too sure which one's are public or private.

Overall, I'd recommend this volume in a heartbeat. Just don't have grand expectations about understanding what makes such and such a Ross course so great. Rather, view this work as a very good and thorough review of what was involved in being Ross the person, family man, hard working course designer, and creator of many great golf courses.

Brad Klein has done a superb job in this lavishly illustrarted story of Donald Ross,long recognized as one the original "founding fathers" of the golden era of golf architecture. While it shows dozens of courses in detail,it is much more than a picture book, since it tells the story of Ross right from his earliest days in Scotland. Klein weaves a very readable and interesting picture of the life and accomplishments of Donald Ross.

The book is well named since it a wonderful journey of discovery. There are all kinds of new insights for even the Ross fans who thought they read everything about DJR. But it will hold the interest of any reader who loves to read about a rich, full life told well. About a man who left Scotland for America without enough money to buy his second meal but who worked so hard he became one of the best paid individuals in all of sports.

And it is about a man who never forgot the meaning of family and his employees.

Brad Klein's book is throughly researched, well written and shows a genuine love for golf and for one of the men who made it great. Mr Klein is on his way to join that list.

John Purcell

There is little doubt of the time and effort it took to reasearch this phenominal book on one of Golf's Great Heroes.

Author Brad Klein gives the reader a inside view of not only who Donald Ross was, what he represents to the game of Golf today, as well as a revealing throwback to an age gone by.

Aerial photos, course diagrams, and other pertinent data show the reader just how much the game's playing grounds have changed, and the effort to hold on to their design critieria as was intended by this soft spoken man from the North of Scotland.

I would highly suggest this book to all who love the game of Golf itself, as well as the courses of Donald Ross; and for those who love golf courses, in general.

In "Discovering Donald Ross," Bradley S. Klein has written a book which can be thumbed through and enjoyed as visual entertainment by the casual golfer/reader or closely studied by the ardent student of the old game. Left on the coffee table or the night stand to be used to fill precious spare minutes with golf-related dreaming, the photos and captions alone will captivate and enlighten the reader. Dr. Klein has revealed himself as a talented photo-journalist, equally comfortable telling the story of Donald Ross with pictures or with words. Be prepared to be educated while being entertained. Using wise delineation of chapter headings, Klein walks us through Ross' childhood, family life, and career to the ultimate reason for the book: the author's knowledge of and desire for preservation of classical, especially Donald Ross, golf courses. Anyone who has the blessing of playing one of Klein's cited courses will understand his devotion. Lovers of biography will be fascinated by Klein's stories of Ross' background and personality. History buffs will learn through clearly written text and old black-and-white photos the problems encountered in golf course constuction as well as the societal and economic limitations that Ross faced. Those who get caught up in beautifully photographed golf landscapes will be captivated by the visual journey from windswept Scottish links where Ross was weaned to America's varying terrain where Ross was to be so successful. Klein's book, like a Ross course, represents a value and pleasure for the user, whether casually approached or closely scrutinized.

A great book of twisted pop art. Those of you with a love of the age of characters selling products and differing takes upon such characters will love it. It is a book you will either love or hate.

A simply superb book - gives a real sense of process, of the development of Mr. Schorr's unique style over time, and has nice large repros of the work (including many of the 'detail' insets so necessary to get any real sense of this work). A must-have for anyone interested in modern surrealism or in pop culture generally, plus a pure joyous delight from start to finish.

It would be straightforward and reasonable to write a Ph.D. thesis on the images and characters here selected and manipulated, and their role in American culture -- More revealingly perhaps, children who visit me and see it simply ADORE this book, and there is little or no non-kid-appropriate imagery. I bought a copy of this as a surprise gift for a teenage-artist friend who had mentioned a newfound fascination with Magritte, and she says it 'changed her life'! While I won't promise life changes, I can easily promise that anyone with an interest in how images are used to massage the public psyche, and/or a fully-developed sense of the ridiculous and the sublime, will find a whole lot to love here. CC

Todd Schorr is a great artist!!!
This book is the best recopilation of him

Great book, excellent quality. provacative art images. Cool cover to protect book through time.

I found out about about Todd Schorr through reading Juxtapoz magazine,being a fan of "lowbrow art" I loved how Schorr mixes so many influences from cartoons to hot rod culture to make statements from the personal to our social concerns. "The battle of Holidays" and the Thanksgiving paintings are amongst my faves and are in the book. It's packaging and presentations are great for a hardcover book. Outside of Robert Williams, Todd Schorr is amongst the best artists in the world get this book.

There's something about this guy I really love. His art appears simple at first, but after awhile it can get as complex as I want to imagine it to be. It's funny too. Large book and very well printed and bound. Just an all around great art book, nice on the coffee table too.

Stunningly beautiful comprehensive retrospective of Baseman's relentlessly consistent, yet amazingly entertaining style. Short on verbage, which in this case is a breath of fresh air, this is a must-have for any Baseman fan as well as fans and students of contemporary American graphic arts. A treasure of a book.

I got this book thinking it would be a dinky book with few pics of Gary's work, I was highly surprised when I received it today. It's a thick heavy duty chunky book, filled massively with brightly colored photos of his work, with a combination of black and white photos. A perfect combination. Gary is one of my all time favorite "low brow" comic artists. I fancy Keith Haring, but something about the cheesiness of Gary's work appeals to me. Not only that, but it reminds me of my own kooky poptoon paintings. Many people say that my work is like him... and it's odd that now seeing more detailed examples of his work, I can see the close resemblance in some characters. Definitely check out Gary's work when you get the chance! This book is awesome.

You gotta love Gary Baseman. His stuff is just so damn much fun that it's really no wonder he can parlay it into such diverse projects as Disney films and Starbucks board games. The surprising thing is that I can still look at it after all that - but "Teacher's Pet" IS exceptional for the schlock-factory that is Disney, even though it represents a somewhat cleaned-up version of Baseman's style. But if you prefer the Baseman of Blab! and Juxtapoz, the gritty oil renderings of his bug-eyed psycho cartoon world, here you go. You've got your naked chicks, your "dorks," your devils and skeletons, often in pinata form, often clubbing each other to death or otherwise violently expressing their angst and ennui. Spare yourself the really laughably pretentious forward by Barry Smolin, by the way: "Baseman's multivalent imagination conceives a panoply of diverse characters..." Please give me a break. "Sometimes a nose is just a nose," meaning that sometimes it's obviously a phallus; but we don't really need to invoke Freud to analyze the mysteries of Baseman's work - it's simply not that deep. It's "Dumb Luck." Let's not suck all the fun out of it!

Finally got my hands on this bad boy, and just have to say, Wow. This book is big (in every sense of the word), jam packed with pictures of Baseman's art and designed incredibly well. Coffee table books watch out, there's a new kid on the block.
Paging through this massive tome you become fully immersed in Baseman's World; a world full of amputee Bunnies, drooling ice cream cones, masochistic snowmen, doggie Dunces, feline pinatas, plus unattainable beauty and human desire. Though many aspects of Baseman's career are on display (advertising, animation, editorial, packaging and product art), it is his paintings that truly shine. This is where Baseman can let go, and let go he does with a torrent of cute and fuzzy creatures mired in the most horribly painful human experiences. The humor is oftentimes juvenile and sadistic, but somehow it manages to engender a smile from the viewer, maybe because we're glad it's the Snowman who is getting his heart broken (by a mermaid no-less) and not us. There is something else, that elusive "indefinable" quality, that gives Baseman's work it's mass(ive) appeal. His characterizations harken back to old Warner Bros. cartoons (who hasn't grown up on those?), which tickle the child inside, but the emotions and situations are purely human, which grabs the attention of our grown-up self. Baseman's greatest trick, however, is creating what appear to be very simple paintings. As with most great art repeated viewings are required to be able to peel back all the layers, and really see what's going on. And believe me, there is a lot going on.
I doubt that many people unfamiliar with Baseman's work would get this book, but anyone who has been exposed (a very appropriate term actually) to his paintings, magazine/book covers or toys should jump on it. Highest rating possible from me.

Most people see Ed as an icon, which he was/is, few knew the man. I was very fortunate to have met him when in HS, and almost 40 yrs later 800mi away in another state. He was a talented man, a gifted artist, a somewhat insecure businesman, but a man with a soul. Find what you want to find, Ed Roth was a complex individual; should be more of them.

Bought this as a gift and he loved it. A great collection of info and photos on the one and only Big Daddy. Great shots of him througout his life and career, up and down, (my favorite shot was of him sleeping on the side of the road beside his car on his way to a show). Lots of photos of his wild cars. Great book for all his fans.

This is a great book, a must have for Big Daddy fans and hot rodders alike. A great compainion to "Rat Fink: The Art of Ed "Big Daddy" Roth. I love the hard cover because I hope to have this book to show my kids someday. Ed Roth lives forever through his fans.

For me, a guy, who lived and breathed the hot rod, surf and music scene of the 60's, this book brings back a necessary component of the time. Relive and remember the essence of the time through Ed Roth who's artwork and cars seemed to be on the tip of everyone's tongue. We all knew the "Rat Fink" and we all knew "Big Daddy". Now he lives forever in this definitive work.

This book is a great collection with everything that you want to see and know about the "Big Daddy".
I bought one for a friend and I'll buy for me too.

I was not familiar with this book before I bought it; however, it was recommended by the teachers of the students for which this and several other Ed Emberley books were purchased. From the thank yous I have received, this book was a real hit! It is used in a Native American Mission School with great enthusiasm and even better results. What more could you ask for?

I keep having to order copies of this book! My grandchildren enjoy it so much that I end up sending my current copy home with one them. The many animal pictures keep them busy for hours. Now that they all have a copy I can order one to use in my classroom. The clear directions for preparing materials present excellent oportunities for me to teach fractions. The sequenced step-by-step pictures allow for exact duplication, but munipulation of the pieces encourages creativity. The original PICTURE PIE is good too, but I found this book to be more popular with the little people.

I bought this book a few weeks ago and have really ejoyed it. I just cut out a lot of the shapes, grab a couple of glue sticks, get my kids and they have hours of fun. The shapes and directions make it so easy for my kids (ages 4 & 6) to be successful in their art endevors. This is a good book to have in your collection if you work with kids at school, in your church or just have a child/children in your home.

Picture Pie 2 is a wonderful book that is fun for children and adults. While children make incredibly bright, fun and professional looking animals (bears, butterflies, cats, birds etc.) out of construction paper, they are learning all about fractions and geometry. Simply a must for every home and classroom.

Within minites of receiving this book, my son(6)was cutting out shapes & gluing them together.... with enthusiasm! I always thought all kids love art, but it took this book to get my son interested. The only reason it didn't get 5 stars is the book binding was very poor. The binding (very loosely with only 4 strings) was falling apart after only one use. This is a book for kids, but I was the one using the stencils (I drew the shapes & kids cut them out). I shudder to think what shape the book would be in if I had turned them loose on it! Also, the book would probably hold up better if the stencil detatched from the book (a little pocket for storage in the flap would have been a good idea).

This book is a compassionate portrait of a complex father-daughter relationship, complicated by the father's serious illness.
This book should only be for mature readers because of offensive language and adult content.

I read this book because my 12-year-old only-child male godchild's father has a brain tumor and I wondered if this book might address any issues that he is facing. It does; in a beautiful and uplifting way that makes its dying father-character's suicide understandable and a kind of affirmation of life. It also treats with unsentimental compassion the mother's denial that the man she has held at the center of her world could be dying.

This story throws together the father and only-daughter characters in the crucible of the father's terminal illness in such a way that they finally connect and she accepts the humanness of her parents while *blossoming out of* her own perfectionism and fear to risk being human herself. Heartwarming. Moving. Courage-inspiring.

I read it straight through in one sitting. Compellingly written!

I was moved to tears toward the end, not by sadness but because I identify with the courage and vulnerability it takes to be human and to accept the limitations and recognize the oh-so-human, flawed love that we earthlings bring to our life-journeys.

I picked up this book by chance while wandering around my local library for a good book. Though I enjoy the romance genre more than others, this book touched me so much and had me crying so much from beginning to end. This book is for anyone especially for people who feel that they're parents don't love them cause as you'll read that your parents always love you they just have trouble showing sometimes as the main charcter of this book discovered. Go Pick up this book! Trust me it's amazing!

Lantz's Fade Far Away is a sensitive, unsentimental exploration of a young woman's coming of age in relation to her father's sudden slip from vigor to a fatal illness. Issues such as her artist parents' emotional unavailability to Sienna, an "accidental" child born in their 40's, are shown from Sienna's point of view, yet the parents are not demonized: the emotional needs of all three family members are taken into account. This is a "novel of education" in that Sienna, through an unexpected journey with her father to an isolated family vacation spot, sees her father's needs and weaknesses over the course of several days, and comes to an awareness of her own needs in relation to him and her mother. The novel is, in addition, a real page-turner without in the least catering to violence or prurient interests; the central core is the careful unfolding of Sienna's self-awareness and the interaction with her father. In the course of this journey of self-discovery, the character develops an awareness of the complexity of family members' emotional interdependence, while maintaining an awareness of the essential independence of each of the people. The childlike need for creative expression, which is central to the vocation of any artist, is balanced with the adult need to deal with the given limitations of reality. Ultimately, the complementary poles represented by the need to "do your own thing" in the best sense and, conversely, the importance of acknowledging the needs of others, are balanced in this insightful novel.

I've picked up this book at the library and had to read it for my book report. For the first few days that I had the book in my hands, the story did not seem appealing to me probably because of it's cover, but when I decided to really focus into the book it offered me a lot. And Sienna the character was a strong girl who've moved on with her father's death. Its a must read and its also a book that you can relate to. I was in total sympathy and you will be driven in too...

This is a really cool book. Great for artist. filled with tons of great info, techniques and referrence materials.
i would highly recommend this book to any one who likes to draw. you won't be disappointed.

This is a light-hearted, profusely illustrated book on the making of fantasy art, with a nice gallery of other artist's works in the back.
It is, though, not necessarily a book for present illustrators looking to get into the fantasy market; it is really more for a young person just starting out. Artists who are further along with fundamental skills in drawing and painting would benefit more from John Howe Fantasy Art Workshop, a more in-depth and less elementary approach. But for lovers of fantasy art, either book is a pleasure to see.

This is one of the better art books I have found up to date. It does give some instruction on painting and drawing but I feel is meant more for an advance student of fantasy art than a beginner. Some one with some art experience will find it very helpful in many areas. It is definitely one of my favorite additions to my own reference library.

This book was helpful for determining things like color choices for skin tones, and was inspirational for trees, and different creatures. Their choices of finished artist's works were neat. However, this book did not give much information for techniques in acrylics, which is what I work in. For people who need help drawing fantasy characters, and fleshing them out, this book is great, but I do this naturally, so it wasn't a really big help for me.

I found this book, and a few others like it to be absolutely indespensable when it comes to building a library for the functional artist within this genre. Well written, informative, and lavishly illustrated with how to's as well as finished peices meant to inspire the aspiring and the pros alike. Recommended.
John F Willis

This book is a piece of art and one of the most comprehensive on this amazing woman. It was an inspiring read! I recommend it everyone!

This is a book I intended to glance over just to look at the art, but ended up reading it cover to cover until 3 in the morning. It is a in depth look at this amazing woman's life, as well as the beautiful art she created. This is a must read for anyone wanting to learn about history, and how people cope with major events in their lives.

At first I thought the book, Friedl Dicker-Brandeis by Elena Makarova and Regina Seidman Miller, was just a beautiful exhihibition catalogue.There are hundreds of color plates of paintings so rich in imagination and expressive beauty, and there are designs for theater and costumes as well as plans for houses and rooms. She brought her unique inspirational creativity to every aspect of her life--creating order out of chaos. This was wonderful in itself,but as I read it I realized it was an inspirational biography, the life story of a creative, artistic spirit who despite the most impossible circumstances, which grew more and more intolerable, continued to work creatively and what's more, to teach others--children whose lives had been devastated. For those who managed to survive-- their memories of her are recorded here too. They were forever changed by having been influenced by her and the invaluable medicine she provided. The book offers insight into the influences on her own art education and the development of her approach to inspiring the creativity of children, a wonderful guide for anyone working in an artistic capacity with children. There are so many revealing letters and photographs of hers, and her friends, and from the children she taught which capture so much about this mysterious, irrepressible woman. The book is a treasure, a reassurance. I feel I must hold it close to remind myself that despite the evil in the world there are human beings have wonderful spirit and creative talent, and it will endure despite everything.

It is hard to believe that this woman, artist, inventor, and heroine is not better known in the eyes and hearts of the world. As an educator and member of the Jewish community, I am shocked that I wasn't even aware of the remarkable contributions made by Friedl Dicker-Brandeis. The works portrayed in this book, the heartfelt letters she wrote, and the historical expose of Friedl's life were enriching. She has brought inspiration to many and should continue to be revered as a talented saint. Thank you Regina Seidman Miller and Elena Makarova for opening our eyes to such a remarkable woman of our past.

This book is a piece of art and one of the most comprehensive on this amazing woman. It was an inspiring read! I recommend it everyone!