Studios Books

This book of interviews with the German director Fritz Lang represents the best introduction to his career. Lang spells out what to work for the movies really means. Lang analyzes the magic of the Hollywood productions as well as the shadows of the star system. These interviews illustrate the nightmares and despair of a creative director struggling with the Hollywood tycoons. In this respect, Lang presents the Hollywood producters of the 1940s and 50s as being more interested in money than in cinema. His portrait of them is somewhat bitter but represents an essential guide to understand the very entrails of Hollywood's production.The book is an invitation to appreciate the ethical and aesthetic dimensions of Lang's cinema. The book will represent a source of inspiration for new directors.

Since 1998 when I first found furi furi on the internet, I was reborn as a designer because the amount of detail and amount of passion their illustrations and work held. The quality of work hasn't changed since. This book is a must if you love vector illustration and admire the spirit of Japanese cute. This is a pure must have on your book shelf of inspiration. Visit Furifuri.com if you need to be entised

Joshua
http://www.hydro74.com

This is a richly illustrated, panorama of contemporary English furniture makers and their designs. Several pages of color photos are devoted to each artesian. If there is a focus it is on lamination and the blending of several materials with wood, such as metals and glass. The quality of the illustrations could allow one to faithfully adopt proportions and curves to ones own designs. I look foreward to similar books dealing with other cultures and countries.

I love this book and have found it makes a wonderful gift for the gardener in your life--especially a gardener who appreciates literature. In itself, this colorful, beautiful book is a garden of riches.

Impeccably put together, it features short stories by Katherine Mansfield, Eudora Welty, John Steinbeck, Nathaniel Hawthorn and Saki. Each story is illustrated with vivid photography that is relevant to each piece. The Chrysanthemums, by Steinbeck, for example, is punctuated with scenes of autumn color.

Highly recommended by the author of I'm Living Your Dream Life and The Things I Wish I'd Said, McKenna Publishing Group.

Upon a visit to Park City, Utah this year, I had the opportunity to personally purchase Gingerbread Jimmi at the first book signing, Nov. 26. I purchased 2 books for the children of each of my daughters. When I reviewed the book, it revealed a story worthy of the Newberry Award and illustrations worthy of the Caldecott Award. This is my official nomination. It is obvious that sequel books will follow. I look forward to sharing future books with my grandchildren, as well as the Kindergarten children in my classes.
Sincerely,
Carolyn Langley
Grandmother, Kindergarten Teacher (20 years)

"The Gist of Art" is one of my all-time favorite books about art and art-technique. What fascinated me in this book was his treatment of the color wheel. He ditches it in favor of a color triangle, which is more useful for analyzing color. The midpoint between blue and red is purple, and so on... I especially liked how he broke the color triangle into smaller triangles, which he calls "limited palletes". Each of these limited palettes he assigns a mood, which I find fascinating. For example, you can work with all of the colors in the triangle bounded by the points red-orange-purple (or any other triad that is a subset of the color triangle). Working with limitations brings out your inventiveness. Maybe I haven't done it justice here, but the color triangle is something that I've relied on ever since I've studied Sloan's great book. I found it very useful with mixing up a limited set of watercolor paints for my own book called "Israel in Watercolors" (look it up!), where I worked with a very limited set of colors (just eight), yet came up with a myriad of mixtures. A little color mixing knowlege goes a long way. Also, Sloan is very avuncular; he's like the art-loving grandfather that I never had. He has some fine anecdotes about Robert Henri (another fave artist), and some opinions that crack me up, such as "all nudity in art is pornography". There's a charm to a man like that. I love this guy, and I've got to thank him once again for turning me on to the color triangle.

Did you know Coco Chanel designed costumes for three films? Do you know the difference between a first, second, and third AD? Do you know what a key light is? Can you tell the difference between a Paramount film and an MGM film? This book addresses them all beautifully and entertainingly. It is immensely readable and is based on oral histories kept in the collections of SMU -- all the Hollywood greats are quoted extensively. The book is broken down into logical chapters (actors, costumes, music, the set, etc) and you'll have trouble putting it down. Good for any film buff's collection.

My 3 year old Barbie fan loves this book. It keeps her entertained with tons of formal fashions for Barbie she can create by flipping portions of a page--in 3 sections: hair, upper body, and lower body. It's great to take along on outings. The outfits are gorgeous. More fun than any ordinary book.

Sophisticated, elegant, and luxurous! These are the words that immediately come to mind when I hear the name Lalique. Lalique's glass was commissioned by kings and connoisseurs alike. This book focuses on his designs, and the manufacture of this glorious glass. The photographs feature everything from the very simple, to what is known as "Prestige Pieces." You will be in awe when you go through this book!

Art collectors living in Cleveland have been well exposed to sculpture made from glass both through the efforts of Tom Reiley of the Reiley-Hawk Galleries and the passion of a group of collectors, most notably Francine & Benson Pilloff and Mike Belkin. A few years ago, the Cleveland Museum exhibited a significant amount of material from local collections in one of the Museum's most popular shows. This is the beautifully illustrated catalog that accompanied the show...and if you enjoy contemporary art, this is a must