Artists Books

Your book will definetly help students and patrons alike find information on a period of American art that has not been fully covered.

Carl W. Peters: Ameican Scene Painter from Rochester to Rockport is magnificent and as a seasoned bibliophile it's a superb production in every respect. My highest praise for its scholarship, reproduction, and encyclopedic content about Peters.

In Carl W. Peters: American Scene Painter from Rochester to Rockport, Richard H. Love, with scholarly expertise, tells the story of a pioneer American regionalist whose career developed amid the conflict between modernisn and realism. Not just about Carl Peters, Love's book is rich with stories of American art. His coverage of the art scene in Woodstock and Cape Ann, America's first art colony, is a fascinating contribution to art history. What a place Gloucester must have been in the early twentieth century! John Sloan's description gave unique insight, "there was an artist's shadow beside every cow in Gloucester, and the cows themselves were dying from eating paint-rags."

Carl W. Peters, American Scene Painter from Rochester to Rockport.is the first comprehensive look at the American Scene and mural painter. Art historian, artist, gallery owner, and former media personality Richard Love, a consummate scholar and cultural commentator, contrasts the European-inspired traditions and modern movement with "home-grown" American realism. Throughout the book, Love's extraordinary grasp of American artistic and cultural events enriches the story of Peters' life and art in a marvelous way. We conclude that Peters was a distinctive American artist. This remarkable book, beautiful in design, dense in delineation of all aspects of American culture, and rich in expression will long be the scholarly standard for the life and works of Carl W. Peters, who rose from humble origins on a farm in the Genesee country to become an outstanding painter of the American Scene.

This book was sooooooooooo funny!
It's about Alfie Mason, who lives with his topsy-turvy family. His mother is somewhat drunk and his grandfather, who has a point but never shuts up, and his sister, Alma. He spends every minute he can get drawing cartoons in the attic. But when his spoiled brother, Bubba, comes back to live with them, he has to sleep in the attic. Alfie decides to keep his beloved attic to himself, by shutting himself up in there. His family tries to get him out, but it is no use. He even skips school to stay in there. But I can't tell anymore, or I'd spoil it.

ISBN 0440410460 - Betsy Byars always does a good job with the various worlds of her young characters, and The Cartoonist is a great, if somewhat disturbing, example.

Alfie isn't just the youngest in his family, he is also the least. His mother loves her oldest son, Bubba, almost to the exclusion of her other two children. His grandfather, who also lives with them, rails against the government and has begun to feel useless, a feeling Alfie's mother reinforces often. Alma, Alfie's sister, is really the only adult in the house and through the book she slowly becomes vocal about Alfie's, and her own, dislike of their older brother, Bubba.

Alfie's family has moved many times, but this time they're in a house with an attic and Alfie has laid claim to it as his own retreat. Alma understands, but no one else seems to. Upstairs, Alfie draws cartoons, which he believes are works of art. Other things take a backseat to his interest in drawing, even school. His drawing and the attic are the most important things to him, so when Alma tells him that Bubba will be moving home, and bringing his wife, and that the couple will be living in the attic, the single thing Alfie has to call his own is threatened. His art isn't impressing people the way he thought it would, and now Bubba's going to take away Alfie's private space unless Alfie can find a way to stop him!

It's interesting that Alfie chooses humorous cartoons as his outlet, when throughout the book, he feels badly about himself that, unlike Bubba, he cannot make his mother laugh - worse, the only time he HAS made her laugh was by telling her a story about Bubba, but Alfie doesn't seem to realize that. Other than Alma, Alfie lives amongst people who don't seem capable of thinking of anyone but themselves. This Byars book is well worth reading, as usual. Richard Cuffari's illustrations are few but perfect.

This is a great example of what children's literature should be about. It tells a lot in a very few pages about how sad a child's life can be when the adults are less responsible than the children. We see Alfie's grim world through his eyes.

Alfie lives with his mother, grandfather and sister. Alfie's only interest in life is to draw cartoons. He draws at night, at school and any other time he can manage to sneak away. In the evening, he climbs up to the attic and closes the world of his loud abusive obnoxious mother behind so he can draw and dream about a better life.

Betsy Byars does a wonderful job of realistically portraying a grim world with an alcoholic mother and grandfather who do nothing but argue and watch television without beating the reader over the head with the harshness of it all. I felt real hope in Alfie as he tried to control his little world and keep it out of the hands of the irritating mother who fails to understand his artistic interests.

This book is really good. It's about a boy who loves to draw cartoons but his mother doesn't. He stays up in the attic drawing all the time. One day he finds out his older brother, who he dislikes, is moving in with them. Also he will be staying in the attic. Read the book to find out how Alfie defends his attic

Cat Tales is unique in showing the cat's psyche though colorful illustrations and humorous words. The mischievous activities of felines will bring a smile and warm your heart.

Cat Tales is delightful and amusing with wonderful illustrations. Ms. Richardson has captured our feline friend in pictures and words. A truly good book for any cat fancier!

Cat Tales is unique in showing the cat's psyche though colorful illustrations and humorous words. The mischievous activities of felines will bring a smile and warm your heart.

Cat Tales is an authentic way of looking at life through cat eyes. The book contains charming illustrations expressing the cat's personality along with a few good words of wisdom. A joy for Cat Lovers of all ages.

"Millions of us have loved B. Kliban's Cat for a couple of decades now, ever since we were first introduced to the frolicky feline in the mid 1970s through the now-classic book 'Cat.' Kliban's Cat is one of the most beloved icons of popular culture. The drawings and paintings Kliban created have lost none of the appeal that first grabbed us back then and that continues to grab initiates today.

"CatDreams brings together the joyfully mesmerizing paintings Kliban executed for a series of calendars first published between 1977 and 1981 and juxtaposes them with many of his irresistible cartoon drawings. A keepsake volume that generations of Cat lovers--and soon-to-be Cat-lovers--will bask in for years to come, it is the first full-color book to compile all of Kliban's calendar paintings, allowing us, at last, to keep all our Cats under one roof. ¶ 96 pages, size: 10.25 x 8.25". 84 full-color painting reproductions and cartoons. Smythe-sewn paperback book with flaps."--© Pomegranate

When I was a grad student and T.A. in the '70s, I had on the wall of my office Kliban's "Love to eat them mousies" poster, which frequently caused passersby to stop in for a closer look. Some laughed while others just shook their heads -- which is pretty much how people have always reacted to what I regard as one of the slyest, most consistently funny cartoon artists around. While he did a lot of terrific non-cat drawings, it's for those chunky, funky cats that he's best known, and this collection should please his many fans. They're all here, too: Cats in red basketball shoes and cowboy boots, cats walking their dogs, cats pursuing mice on cross-country skis, cats feeding wieners to the birds in the park, sumo cats, cats enjoying sushi, disorganized cats competing with mice in outrigger canoes, cats playing Dixieland, cats trying on fashionable tail covers in a cat clothing store, cats painting murals, cats lounging around the campfire, and (of course) cats playing mousie-eating folksongs on the guitar. To put it simply, this is great stuff from a very talented man who died much before his time.

Absolutely fabulous collection of in-full-color surreal cat illustrations that are just plain dreamy. If you're more into the offbeat humor of Kliban's book than his signature artwork, this may not be the book for you; while some of the Kliban humor is there, the focus is definitely on the artwork. These "Catdreams" are simultaneously bizarre and calming. My personal favorites are the Astronaut Cat-Napping in Space, the "Hawaiiana-Cat," with flower & ukelele on the moonlit beach, and the cats having high-tea in the middle of winter. Essential item for anybody who is a fan of Kliban and/or cats.

Pomegranate has done a wonderful job of gathering all of Kliban's paintings from a series of calendars that were published from 1977-1986 and presenting them here in full color for the first time. A true treasure trove for any Kliban fan or cat lover.

A stunningly beautiful and fascinating book, Cats of Africa describes the continent's lions, leopards, cheetahs, and small wild cats. The text is accompanied by numerous gorgeous drawings and paintings. The book is both informative and gripping, with excellent desriptions of the behaviours and characteristics of the animals in the wild, as well as discussions of their futures. I strongly recommend it!

This book is proliferated with Paul Bosman's art. The art includes Paul Bosman's paintings and drawings capturing the moments in the life of the cats. We see the lioness facing it's pray, a leopard resting, a family of cheetahs, a male lion walking through the bush and so on. The illustrations cover lions, leopards, cheetahs, as well as smaller wild cats. I recommend this book for any nature lover, wild cat enthusiast or a person interested in African wildlife.

A stunningly beautiful and fascinating book, Cats of Africa describes the continent's lions, leopards, cheetahs, and small wild cats. The text is accompanied by numerous gorgeous drawings and paintings. The book is both informative and gripping, with excellent desriptions of the behaviours and characteristics of the animals in the wild, as well as discussions of their futures. I strongly recommend it!

Even if there were no text in this book, I would recommend it. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful. The descriptions and information of each family of cats is also well written and overall the book is a must have.

This is a book equally delightful for adults and children. Very playful with a zest for living a life of enjoyment depth Causing a Stir: The Secret Lives & Loves of Kitchen Utensilsand fun. It will reach right to your soul. Beautifully illustrated.

This book is a delight for anyone who has ever saved tableware from their family down through generations. I still use serving pieces from my Nana's kitchen that she brought from England over 102 years ago & from my Bocha who carried her basic kitchen tools in a satchel from Poland when she immigrated to America long ago.

I have my copy next to the napkin holder so that when a friend sits down for tea, they open the pages ...begin to read and smile. This is a keeper AND a gift book for all folks who love to cook.

Food for Thought!! Wonderfully reflective, humorous, and provoking. Written for the young heart or seasoned soul...all shapes and sizes. Delve deep or dream away as the prose can stir up emotions. The whimsical illustrations take you into the clouds. Bev R. Marin, CA

Wonderfully magical illustrations and funny, thought provoking prose. All the personalities that you've always felt come to life in this lovely book. A must for anyone who enjoys time in the kitchen.

Bought this primarily for the color photos of Chardin's work. If you like traditional still life
paintings, you'll love this.

I have to disagree with the above editorial. I compared the reproductions with others that I have, and although there are sometimes subtle differences they are not always to the disadvantage of this book. Some pictures are better than others, but the advantage here is that each reproduction is on a page by itself with commentary on an adjoining page-a catalogue layout that I always prefer in that it give the painting room to breathe and because I'm not reading on one page and finding the relevant painting six pages later. The book is obviously done by true lovers of the painter. Chardin is profound and a painter's painter. You can see and feel why he was adored by Cezanne, Soutine, Manet, Proust, and I'm sure many other significant artists. He has rightly been called a virtuoso of stillness. Even in reproduction, pieces of fruit, kitchenware and game animals are alive and quietly glowing from within with a warmth, compassion and a kind of subtle majesty-it's really deep in an indescribable way. In my opinion a very worthwhile purchase.

This book is simply gorgeous. I had been well acquainted with Chardin a number of years ago, and picked up this book on a whim at the store. Rediscovering this master was a true delight. His paintings are deceptively simple: behind the cool colors and the measured scenes lies a captivating energy. This particular volume is very well done. The reproductions are of superior quality and the accompanying essays by the world's most renowned Chardin expert are enjoyable and enlightening. Art books are expensive, but this is one that is well worth the investment.

I just wanted to add this to the review above: the 1979 catalog can still be found quite easily, but it contains mostly black and white reproductions of the works. There are only 23 colour images of the more than 400 pages in the 1979 book. The 2000 catalog is almost entirely in colour... However, I cannot properly judge the quality of the reproductions in the latter, as I have not seen one of those amazing paintings in reality yet.

John Taliaferro does a great job of separating fact from legend in this well-written, engaging account of Charlie Russell's life. Russell wasn't above embellishing his western credentials (he never, in fact, lived with the Indians, as he once claimed), but Taliaferro shows us that he did have genuine cowboy credentials, cutting his chops over years of nighthawking on the Montana range.

This biography is fair to Russell's wife, Nancy, who was often vilified by Russell's friends for her money-hungry, status-conscious ways. Nancy was a young, uneducated woman who came from dirt-poor circumstances. She took on the sole responsibility for managing her husband's art career. If Nancy made a few enemies over the years, she deserves credit for taking Charlie from being a cowpoke selling his sketches for $25 to a world-renowned artist.

Art critics spend much time arguing about the value of western art and as to whether it can really be classified as art at all. Some of the more snobby critics attempt to discredit western painters by referring to them as "illustrators" as if that changes anything. They argue that if an artist is commissioned by other than the loftiest of patrons or if their work is used primarily to illuminate a story then their art can only be classified as illustration and not as fine art.

As an art student I argued this one ad nauseam with my art professors. And invariably the work of Charles Marion Russell, my favorite ARTIST - period - would arise. But that's enough about small-minded art professors and their unwillingness to accept art wherever they find it.

The work of Charles Marion Russell (hereafter CM Russell) is accepted by thousands as arguably the best of the western genre. It remains the standard against which all other western pieces are judged. Russell also was an accomplished western wit who drew and kept the fast friendship of the king of western wit, Will Rogers. In his book Charles M. Russell: The Life and Legend of America's Cowboy Artist, John Taliaferro not only discusses the art achievements of Russell but also provides a biography that paints the life of the artist and the west Russell knew so well in the most vivid colors possible. And indeed CM Russell was the most colorful of characters.

Read this book and I'll bet you will at least become the owner of a CM Russell print and at most plan a pilgrimage to Great Falls to visit CM Russell's museum, studio and home.

This is a very well written biography of an American Original, Charles M. Russell, cowboy, artist, story teller and someone you would probably like to hang around with for a bit. I have always been rather fond of Western Art, in general, and Russell's work in particular. I have, from time to time read articles on the life of this truly individual man but have before now, been unable to read a complete work on his life that I could give credit to for being valid. John Taliaferro has treated the artist rather fairly as well as the artist's wife Nancy, who I have always suspected has not been appreciated for just what she did for her husband. Truth be told, I doubt if Charles M. Russell would have ever been the artist he was without her. It is good that the author has given credit were credit is due. I have also had some problems with the separation of truth from myth. The author has done a very nice job of this with this work.

This book is a bit more than just the story of the life on one man though. If you pay attention, you can find a pretty good history of the evolution of the Western Artist here, and the role he played in this particular genre of art. I say art, because I believe that is just what it is. I realize that there has been, is, and probably always will be the artist/illustrated argument being pitched back and forth with each new generation of artists and art teachers. Personally, I am one of those people who looks himself in the mirror and says "if I call it art, then by God, it is art." This of course my personal standard and I am sure there are many who would disagree. And that is the way it should be. The purpose of this biography was not to establish the answer to this question one way or another. Let the argument rage on...it just makes things more interesting.

The author of this work does have a very readable style, has well foot noted his sources, and when he simply does not know something, says as such. When he speculates, he specifically states that he is doing so. Now I will warn the reader that the author, Mr. Taliaferro, does love his Thesaurus, aggressively uses it, and does display a quirky sort of vocabulary. I personally like this, as I love words, but some readers may find it just a bit distracting. This is a very minor problem though, if even a problem it is.

I feel it is important to understand our art if we are to understand ourselves as a society and also feel that we need to know and understand those who are able to create this art. Works such as this help greatly with this understanding and by reading them, simply makes life a bit more enjoyable. I know that I will certainly look with new eyes now, each time I view a Russell painting or sculpture after reading this work. A well written biography, informative, fun and a pleasure to read!

As a young boy he heard the words of Horace Greely, and indeed went west to seek fame, fortune, and adventure. After two years with Jake Hoover in the Judith, his dreams of wranglin', and ropin' came true at the O H ranch. Over time the home of the "Big Sky Country" became his perminant domain, and his mother Miss Montana, she blessed her son with a gift that would speek for many of his kind that ventured before him. He illustrated with brush, and canvas. He wrote in scripture, and sculptured in bronze. With his gift, C M Russell was able to protray what it was like to live in a time when spurs, the six-gun, and the feel of leather was a cowhands only cherrished parcel. He became the "Cowboys Cowboy", and the voice of the "Red-Man". Montana's dearest son had done what she wanted him to do. Russell for those who knew him was Loving, Kind, and Loyal. He never forgot his roots, no matter where he traveled. In the end Montana was more than proud of him. For she had raised him as Montanan. Over the years he became a Montanan. And at the end of the trail, he was buried as a Montanan.

As far I can say, this is one of the most charming and beautiful houses in the world. Is not that this is house is grant, or magnificent; Charleston is so special, because it's got character and lots of personality. I love this book.

i stumbled across this book on a beautiful indian summer sunday afternoon....it is a treasure for those unable to physically saunter through the rooms and out to the walled garden that is charleston. all photos in colour, all rooms as they were when vanessa bell, duncan grant, family and friends lived and worked there. inspirational.

I agree with the previous reader, this is it ... the definitive book on Charleston Farmhouse. Although I think this book is more than a glimpse of the house and garden for those unable to visit, it is a surperb reference for those of us that have visited and wish to recall the house, etc. The photography is stunning, the text is informative. A worthwhile addition to any Bloomsbury book collection.

For this genre of books, 5 stars. A nice gift for a Bloomsbury fan, but it is only "nice-to-have," not required for one's library.

Charlotte in Giverny is truly magical--its absolutely transporting! One truly gets the sense of what it must have been like to travel to and live in France as an american girl in the 1890's. The wonderful thing about Charlotte as a character is that she has such a strong and inspired voice--and what a sense of adventure! Lush paintings of the period jump off the pages--and the use of old postcards, stationary, and photgraphs lend to a sense of travelling back in time. Melissa Sweet's drawings complement Charlotte's adventures beautifully. Via Charlotte's keen and curious eye-we see not only Monet the master come to life-but the multitude of American painters who made their lives and art in Giverny. It is the mark of a truly gifted writer to breathe life into those who have long since left us-and Joan Knight has done just that. Monet is mysterious, Charlotte's dog Toby mischievous, and Giverny glaringly alive. There is romance, friendship, and adventure on the pages of this book--it is an absolute classic and should not be missed.

This is the story of Charlotte, a little girl who lived in the 1890s. She travels to Giverny with her parents, who are going to paint. She loves it in Giverny but misses her friend very badly. She lives next door to the Perrys and becomes very good friends with one of their daughters. She loves the dog they own. She wants one just like him. For Christmas her wish comes true. She finds a little dog in her shoe on Christmas morning and names it Toby. Then she gets a letter from her friend that says she is going to go to Giverny to see her. It is a great book that everyone should enjoy. In it you can learn some french words.

For anyone, child or adult, who has even a passing interest in the arts, "Charlotte in Giverny" is a kind of magical time-machine disguised as a children's book that takes the reader into the world of artists and villagers who had the good fortune to find themselves in Giverny, the revered artist's colony outside of Paris, in the late 1800's. Presented as the diary of a young girl who travels to Giverny from Boston with her parents (her father is a painter) in 1892, "Charlotte in Giverny" is rife with the joy of discovery. Charlotte is heartbroken at first because she has to leave her best friend behind. But then her adventures begin: on board ship, in awe-inspiring Paris, and throughout the year in the beautiful Normandy countryside where Charlotte makes new friends, plants a potager and even attends the wedding of Monsieur Monet's daughter. Reproductions of Impressionist paintings, postcards, photographs and ephemera from the period, as well as charming watercolor and collage illustrations by Melissa Sweet lend the book a quality both authentic and eye-pleasing. A rare and unusual treat, a treasure of a book for all ages to enjoy.

For anyone, child or adult, who has even a passing interest in the arts, "Charlotte in Giverny" is a kind of magical time-machine disguised as a children's book that takes the reader into the world of artists and villagers who had the good fortune to find themselves in Giverny, the revered artist's colony outside of Paris, in the late 1800's. Presented as the diary of a young girl who travels to Giverny from Boston with her parents (her father is a painter) in the 1890's, "Charlotte in Giverny" is rife with the joy of discovery. Charlotte (a girl with a sense of mischief) is heartbroken in the beginning at having to leave her best friend behind, but grows eager to explore her new world. Through her eyes, we make new friends, see new places, learn new things. Her shipboard departure from Boston, her awed introduction to Paris, and the year she lives in the beautiful Normandy countryside, are all richly illustrated. Reproductions of Impressionist paintings, postcards, photographs and ephemera from the period, as well as charming watercolor and collage illustrations by Melissa Sweet give the book a visual quality that's authentic and beautiful. The result is a rare and unusual treat, a treasure of a book for all ages to enjoy.