Studios Books

This has been a great source of inspiration and solid, practical advice for me. I'm opening my own studio/gallery soon and found Rudd's book to be a constant source of ideas on how to renovate the cheap, but run-down space we found. Although we weren't able to purchase the space as he recommended (I wish we could) it has been a very helpful book.
It's not just the practical advice, but the encouragement to take your own work more seriously that really made this book valuable to me. When he described how more work could be done in a good studio, I knew then that I had to get my work out of the garage and into a better space. Now, after a lot of elbow grease and plenty of cheap white [local store] paint (as Rudd recommended), I'll have a space much more suited to the work I want to do, plus a gallery to show it.

Multi-media artist Eric Rudd has written two books for
artists who feel compelled to produce not just good art, but great art that has potential for recognition on a grand scale in museums and perhaps a legacy in art history. Rudd pulls no punches in his entertaining account of his successes and failures both as an artist and developer of loft art studios from Washington, D.C. to North Adams, Massachussetts. His ideas aren't for the faint-hearted or the Sunday painter but rather for the artist with a strong belief in the greatness of the work and a willingness to take risks to create a space where this can happen. "The Art Studio/Loft Manual for Ambitious Artists and Creators" provides the practical information needed to make it happen, from how to acquire the real estate to how to renovate the space. The accounts of Rudd's achievements, particularly in his present location in North Adams, are inspiring.

Mr. Rudd...

Thank you for writing such helpful books for artists. It is a great thing you've done to improve the conditions for so many who need space to create and live with fewer restrictions.

Cheers.

Every art studio needs a guide to essential drawing and painting materials and how to use them, making AN ARTIST'S HANDBOOK a key acquisition not just for college-level art libraries and individual artists, but for general-interest holdings where patrons would understand the historical and modern techniques the artist needs to master in all media, from sketches to oil and acrylic paints. It's the only in-depth 'materials and techniques' guide oriented to modern art students and should be considered a staple acquisition.

An Artist's Handbook: Materials and Techniques by Margaret Krug is an inspiring and extremely user-friendly reference for both students and teachers of art. The abundant examples of beautifully reproduced artwork, all in color, keep pace with the wide range of drawing and painting techniques Krug describes. The author's vision is expansive; though examples by historical and contemporary masters are in plentiful supply, I was delighted by the inclusion of a concise and lively watercolor by seven-year-old Helen Henry done in 1914 that would not be out of place in a gallery today. For her rich array of offerings, Krug provides historical background and information on materials as well as step-by-step instructions and suggested exercises for getting started.

The various elements of the book - the great reproductions, Pamelia Markwood's wonderful photographs that illustrate the technical processes with clarity and precision, the book's thoughtful structure, and Krug's easily understood instructions - work together to give one the sense of being personally guided by a very gifted and knowledgeable teacher and practitioner of art. The book also helpfully includes a list of further recommended reading, a glossary of terms, an index and safety guidelines. I highly recommend it.

Laurie, Doerner, Wehlte, Hiler, Kay... and now Krug. Not a law firm, but a list of writers about art materials and techniques, who actually have something useful and important to say: art materials don't just mysteriously show up at the store in little tubes, you can make them yourself, as artists have done for centuries, until this part of the creative process was hijacked by manufacturers concerned with shelf life and merchandising. Margaret's coverage of casein, distemper, and encaustic are worthy of particular note; these techniques are rarely explored in print, and the recipes and demonstrations for distemper (painting with glue, like Dieric Bouts or Bonnard) and distemper as underpainting for encaustic (like the Fayum paintings of Egypt) are both scholarly and artistically exciting. Fabulous! Get this book, and get painting!

The Asian female as long been extolled as the perfect beauty in the world, a mixture of elegance, purity of line, and mystery of appearance. The popularity of the book and film 'Memoirs of a Geisha' is but one example of this appreciation. And now photographer Norm Yip opens the other side of the physical panorama to place the Asian male on the art platform.

This book of beautifully sculpted male nudes from Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea and Malaysia is not only an artistically successful presentation of a photographer's gifts, it is also an example of just how fine photography books can be made. The quality of the reproductions is near perfect with both black and white and richly full color images on the finest of paper. The models are not only beautiful; they also appear to be in complete communication with Yip's concepts. The result is a group of forty sensuous, erotically charged photographs that stand with the finest of portfolios of the male nude. Norm Yip is a refreshing new talent who here shares his work from 1999 to 2004. Let's hope there is more! Recommended. Grady Harp, December 05

Very frankly, it is my very first time, as a Hong Kong local, to see such a publication related to Asian male, in a natural, sensual, tasteful, and artistic way. Every photograph seems to be meant to deliver a message, or in other words, to 'speak' through the posture of the model, the body, and the facial expression. Personally, it is nothing else but 'Art of the Art'.

I have seen and heard more than a few Asian American men express feelings of self-doubt and low self-esteem about themselves and their physical attributes. As an Asian-American who grew up in Asia more than in America, I suspect that the portrayal of the Asian male by mass media has a lot to do with this lack of confidence. Intentionally or not, Norm Yip's book takes one big step in the opposite direction. By depicting the Asian male as powerful and free with this collection of moving and tasteful images, he empowers us all. But Yip's images transcend issues of politics and do not scream out for undue attention--and that is where the true value of his book lies. "The Asian Male" quietly and forcefully addresses not only issues of beauty, but also of the brain.

This is a lovely book which shows beautiful colour illustrations of the human body and its various parts. For a layman like myself, it is great to know how I am constructed! I already had many hours of pleasure studying the pictures and working out where things are in me, and I expect many more. My friends are also all fascinated by these lovely pictures.

Well written and illustrated book for those in the medical field. I bought this book when I was taking Anatomy & Physiology along with my Myology class. It helped me to see and understand areas of the body that my text book didn't really focused on. This book makes a great gift for anyone just starting out in the medical field.

Barron's Educational Series,Inc. contacted me to translate the Atlas from Spanish to English. I am a Biologist specialized in Immunology and working in the research field and teaching graduate and undergraduate students for about twenty years. Translating the Atlas was an interesting and challenging project, not as straightforward as I thought it would be in the beggining! After all, it's just a translation, right? Wrong! Putting somebody else's work into another language is a great responsibility. I checked and recheked my work to make sure everything was correct and in the right place. I really appreciate the translator's job much better now than before I translated the Atlas. The part that demanded most of my organizational skills was the Index. After translating all of it (about 12 printed pages, tiny letters, six columns per page), the index had to be ordered alphabetically again!! The computer helped me to sort the words alphabetically, but the checking was up to me. The Atlas has wonderful color drawings and detail. It is easy to use and not overwhelming.Some parts not only describe a particular organ or tissue, but also briefly explain how it works (for example, besides eye anatomy, the visual path is shown in page 62. Main defects of sight and their correction is shown on page 63. How the fetus progressively changes and grows during pregnancy is on page 87). Translating the Atlas was a great experience for me. I hope you enjoy it and learn from it as well.

Ana Maria Soler-Rodriguez, PhD

I quite enjoyed this book and actually read it twice and a couple of times to my granddaughter and my niece - and would love to read more from Mr. Lawruk
Frances Graham, Langley, B.C. Canada

A delightful story and twist at the end. Enjoyable reading to children and for older children to read themselves. very descriptive making the reader feel totally connected with "Bark".

I was very impressed with this book. The moral message within is a strong and positive one for children of all ages. It's a great book for young children and should be incorporated into required education for all!

This is such a good book. Its funny how pooh gets rabbit so frustrated when his singing keeps waking rabbit up in the morning. So, when pooh stops walking past his house in the morning, rabbit realizes he misses the silly old tune, when some unexpected visitors drop in for a visit. Sometimes it seems that the littlest things annoy people. But it sometimes takes a different point of view to get over it and realizes how great it can be. I would recommend this book to kids who have brothers and sister because it teaches them how to deal with sibling rivalry. Especially for ages 4-7.

This truly is a great book. Itýs about how pooh gets rabbit mad by singing and waking him up in the morning. But when Pooh stops Rabbit miss it. After all that hard work to get him t stoop too. I recommend this book because it teaches you how much you miss something until after its gone. For ages2-6.

An excellent First Reader Book!! This story is about Pooh being his merrily self. He takes a walk each morning singing a silly tune, when he wakes up Rabbit. Rabbit gets so mad. Then the one day Pooh decides not to walk by, Rabbit misses his morning encounters with Pooh. This is a very cute story with catchy words. It is also very funny!! My two-year old son laughs histerically everytime we read this book. He loves it and takes it everywhere we go. In the back of the book is a picture and word matching game with objects in the story. There is also a word letter recognition activity. A great educational book with lots of humor and fun!

Cemeteries are like galleries of the dead, mausoleums and tombstones etched with the intricacy of a sculptor's chisel. Art of the Cemetery is a gorgeous visual journey into some of the most elegant and quaint gravesides around the world. Horror writer Dean Koontz reflects upon mortality while discussing his personal insights about death, and speaks about the sense of quiet charms that permeate cemeteries from New Orleans to tiny cemeteries hidden away in corners of the world. The pictures in the book represent lavish and sometimes forgotten memorials, and serve as ceremonials to the dead, whether the dearly departed are famous graves buried within Paris' Pere Lachaise cemetery or unmarked tombs decorated in simple yet loving care. Many of the tombs are studies in beauty, and photographer David Robinson's pictures paint an ethereal eye over many of the locations, giving testimony to cemeteries as artistic havens of extraordinary form and decadence. Koontz explores the perceptions of death and the afterlife by reflecting on the history of cemeteries, his eloquent words giving a sense of humanity to the imagery of death. The pictures show remarkably beautiful cemeteries, such as the Montmartre in Paris and the Jewish cemetery in Prague. The idea of transcendence is evoked through the pages, with images of exquisite emblems of wreaths and personal items left on graves to remember the dead. There seems to be a story behind many of the grave sites shown, which makes the book a fascinating exploration each time it's looked at. While the book does depict symbols and artwork of the silent world of the cemetery, it's not a somber portrayal that will sadden. The book's depictions of angelic statues and carven marble resting places serves to uplift the common misconception about death as a final end. To view the pictures and epitaphs from tombs of lovers and children is to visit an unknown soul's home, leaving your thoughts like flowers at their feet.

To appreciate this is book of art you have to be able to look past all preconceived ideas of cemetaries and dying and look further into a higher realm of spirituality. The monuments featured in this book speak of something other than death - they speak of the person that lives on and the people that are left behind to remember them. Looking through the pages I felt a connection to another world that was very much alive. When you look at each picture you can feel the emotion. The monuments whisper to you from beneath the vines and the algae that threaten to keep their secrets forever. Looking at all of this one must wonder why so many feel the need to express their grief in such a manner? When I look at the pictures, the beautiful aged monuments tell a story of their own and possess their own mortality, especially the ones that mimic our image. Seeing their bodies covered in snow or their faces that have aged like our mortal ones instill a sense of fragility among the living and the dead alike. There is no escaping the inevitable and if you could just look past the marble and granite you would see the souls that are trying to tell you their story. After I read this book I longed to see Pere-Lachaise in Paris. I finally got the opportunity five months ago. Being there was the most surreal experience I have ever had. I found many of the monuments shown and I have to say David Robinson's photography speaks to us in a way that no spoken language can. Pere-Lachaise is over 105 acres of remarkable ethereal beauty. Cemetaries are usually thought of as the land of the dead but this book will show you how alive death can be. After you view this book you will not only see beauty, you will feel it. And if you are one of the lucky ones you will realize that cemetaries are alive and if you listen closely, you will feel what they have to say.

Dean Koontz did a beautiful job with this book of photographs of cemeteries, writing words that whisper softly into the ear and which match the photos perfectly. This is a lovely book.

I am a gay teen, and when I first picked up this fascinating book I was in the library, searching for a missplaced encyclopedia. I picked it up (gingerly enough, there was a rather abrasive looking...person...nearby), and thumbed through it. I came upon images of physicue magazines from the forties, pride parades, AIDS awareness, sepia toned photos of 19th century couples. It was strangely inviting, it's blinding pink cover I mean (it's even worse in person, like BLIN-DING!). Taking it home and reading it with my Mom was a strange experience. I kept the book overdue for seven months, it had become such a part of me. Recently I ordered a used copy off of here (they are fantasticly new-looking), I just got it yesterday. If you are interested in a broad, ecclectic, and less plitically centered piece on gay history (after Stonewall), this is a great book. It's "no sides" approach on issues is a change of pace from radical and pointless ramblings in scattered encyclopedias. Buy it. BUY IT! BUY IT!!!!

Some of my LGBT friends gave me this book when they heard I would like to learn about their history and the civil rights movement we all work in. I enjoyed it cover to cover and would recomend it without hesitation to other heterosexuals who wanted to get an introduction about the importance of LGBT history without feeling like they were reading a textbook.

this book is an excelent survey of gay and lesbian history through words and images, which are especially worth viewing. the writing is eloquent and concise. i recommend this book to everyone, gay or straight, for an enlightening and well thought out depiction of a history that tends to be so overlooked.

Great photography, classic decoys from Lake St. Clair to NY. This is where a collector learn what quality decoys are, and sets a standard of what a good collection should look like. The other fish decoy books contain more text info than quality decoys/photos. This book is an artwork in itself. This book was published a few years ago to promote fish decoys and for a while supply exceeded demand. However, as new collectors find this book an artwork in itself, with others buying them up, the book is becoming very difficult to find. Good luck on your search. If you have one, cherish it. If you have more than one, e-mail me.

Absolutely a once in a lifetime chance to view true folk art thatwas never intended to be. Nearlyanyone will be entranced by theethereal visual qualities of thesephotographs and text.anyone will be mesmerized by thestunning photography as well.

Beneath The Ice is a catalog that every fish decoy and folk artcollector must have. The text is informative and well written. Thephotographs are excellent. And the work surveyed is terrific. Too bad they printed so few copies. With the recent growth in fish decoy collecting, this is a book that should have a new edition. Until that time, it's worth the wait if you have to special order as an out-of-print book.

This book reads like a poem. Its fine in every way, a relaxing reading- experience and very fine photography. Gardening at its best.

After so many years of having, through necessity, to read only technical and quick reference gardening books. It was such a great pleasure to find a quite place in my garden and be totally engrossed in Beth Chatto's Gravel Garden. Billed by the publisher, Blooming Books as ' a book for Australian conditions ' which is true but this book pertaining to gardening with drought resistant plants will be of interest to anyone who gardens in an arid or low rainfall area, or to those who want to have 'a good read' about one gardeners' vision. Who, as she describes, gardens in the 'driest and most windswept piece of soil in England'

Beth's book has all the requirements of any good reference book but it is more than that. I can only describe it as a cross between a novel, diary and reference book. It is an autobiography of her garden, the trials and tribulations, if you will, of creating a specialised area. This is a great benefit to the reader as she has made all the mistakes and now passes on the right way and what to do, to avoid disappointment. We travel through descriptions of the garden as the four seasons come and go. Descriptions that could hold their own in any non fiction novel. Beth paints with words the obvious love of her garden and gardening.

Any great diva needs an equally great accompanist. Beth certainly is blessed, for the photography of Stephen Wooster compliments her book so well and any adjective I use to describe his images would not do him justice. They have to be seen to take in their beauty and his artistry. When I review books I have one main criteria in mind. What is on the front cover is delivered within. Beth Chatto's Gravel Garden past this one in the first 5 pages.

Finally, a book that lives up to, and exceeds, all expectations. Beth Chatto is one of a highly respected group of plantsmen and women in Britain who knows what she is doing, isn't afraid of making mistakes and doesn't mind sharing it all with us. This book is easy to follow, logically set out, and even the use of taxonomy in naming plants makes you eager to look them up to see what Ms Chatto is describing. The descriptions of plantings through the seasons are like the development of a symphony, from the debut of a plant in its season, through its performance and twilight, to the entrance of its successor in the drama, with punctuations and particular mention of any encore performances of which a plant is capable. Ms Chatto knows her stuff. Anyone living in similar conditions to Ms Chatto's in Britain, Australia or America should find this book a must.