Watson Books

Normally I shy away from how-to art books. They tend to rely too much on gimmicky techniques, and the art sometimes seems to lack sincerity. This book, however, is filled with images of Strisik's small, beautiful oils and informative insights into his methods.

Strisik seems to prefer autumn and winter landscapes, but he travels extensively and captures scenes from around the world. There are many color plates that showcase his lovely muted-yet-rich palette. There are also many black-and-white photos, which is not a problem, since Strisik's tonal scale is so accomplished.

There are demonstrations with the paintings depicted in various stages of completion. I found the comparisons of photos of the painter's on-site locations with the finished painting to be especially revealing.

Strisik comes across as a master painter who is always searching, always striving, for the fullest expression of beauty in nature. Both serious and beginner landscape painters can benefit from this book.

I am an artist and a wine lover so this book is the best of both worlds for me! The book starts out with a brief history of labeling wine. Then it goes through different wines, describes the vineyard owners' ideas about their label and how the designers met their needs.

This is a beautiful book with a lot of intruction on art techniques, writing, and spiritual meditation through writing. Every other page has wonderful artwork including drawings and watercolors. It includes mini-exercises on art and on meditation. I loved it and it has helped me to re-ignite my writing and journaling. It's inspiring and helpful encouraging meditation and art. I love it!

This book is an excellent choice if you are looking for a more personal look at N.B.Forrest and less study of his battle stratgies.
To quote Capt. Morton from his book's introduction: "The difficulties of writing a history which shall treat fully of each of the myriad factors which make up the multiple of fate will be readily seen to be almost insuperable, and in this narrative not effort had been made to study, to weigh, the immumerable actions and influences which contributed to events; but tather has it been chosen to give a simple recital of those occurences in which the writer, a young officer in his teens, under this imcomparable commander was himself engaged. A close association with the remarkable being whose natural genius for the art of war astonished the world even in that period which has never been surpassed for the development of genius, and oft-exchanged reminiscences with old comrades around the bivouac fires and at reunions, have resulted in the hotting down of the author's experiences in the heroic companionship of the 'Wizard of the Saddle'".

No craft worker, artists, professional or otherwise studio should be without this book. For years I thought many of the materials and the environment I worked in was 100 percent safe. As a graphics artist working with not just computers plus being a hands-on jewellery and object designer I've discovered I've been naively exposed to many harmful materials and chemicals. So far no ill-effects but this book enlightened my "ignorance is bliss" attitude and I now read every MSDS that comes with everything I use, plus refer to the book for further advice. Maybe I've gone over the top with ventilation, extraction, clean-up but this book has taught me "better safe than sorry".

While this book covers many already familiar houses, the layout is thoughtful and inventive, the text is informative while including many interesting asides that make it one of the best introductions to the topic that I've seen. If you just want one book on the Arts and Crafts house, this is it.

Ahead of its time when first published 10 years ago, this dazzling off-beat collection has at last come to be recognized as a milestone in Romantic studies. It's worth buying for the contemporary cartoon of Byron posing as a ghost alone.

Experience the romance and adventure of this book.....ivy nesbitt, sweetfaced and modest, has been ruined by a vicious lie. her 1st love has left her, her reputation has been shatterred. all she has to look foward to is a life of spinsterhood.

its her sisters idea to go to califo. ivy doesnt care either way. she cant even consider marriage when her heart is broken 4everm but maybe the change will help.

the change definitly helps. cal. brings out a strenght in ivy she never knew she had. and to her pleasent surporise, justus calhoun has taken a likin 2 her. if she can keep down her inner demons, maybe she'll find happiness.

then, jamie rayburne, ivys 1st luv, steps back in her life. shes torn.. how can ivy choose between her old love and her new?

This book has great text, but is also highly pictorial history of the development of the television series that made the "Austin Sound" in music known worldwide. John Newton, the photographer for the television Austin City Limits (ACL), has documented the history of ACL and performances of some of America's best musicians in his 200 or so colour plates throughout this book.

Willy Nelson was a primary mover in the development of Austin, Texas, as an alternative to Nashville, Tennessee. The book includes details of that liaison, and other background personalities and relationship I had not known before. Out of Austin in the last three decades has come some of the most talented and creative music acts in almost every form of contemporary music.

Notable for blues, and country sounds, as well as certain modern jazz, the city of Austin has produced some creative new styles which have given outlet to some of the new ideas in music in the last quarter of the 20th century. A weekly television program named "Austin City Limits" began broadcasting in 1976.

This book discusses the personalities that have participated in the weekly musical presentations of the program Austin City Limits over the first 25 years of its life. I noticed that the publication date on the edition I bought gives a publication date of 2000, which would mean it would be available for the actual 25th year in 2001. Amazon.com however, reports a date of 1999.

The program is produced weekly in the studios of KLRU-TV, on its own sound stage, in Austin, Texas. ACL gives an amazing benefit to performers in editing the mixes of the programs of their appearances on ACL. Many have released live albums from those performances. The technical quality and love of the music as an art are unique in this approach to a television program.

This prestigious program is now a hallmark of the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) network in the US. Those outside the US may not be aware that this network and its local stations are totally funded by private funds. Local PBS stations have annual fund-raisers and receive grants for operational and programming funds from various indivuduals, foundations and commercial companies.

This means that commercial considerations are not present in the focus of program production. This has enabled ACL to become an innovative and creative nationaide program of contemporary and classic American musical styles. ACL runs a full hour of nothing but music, with a mix of artists across genres that makes for a unique experience every week. This book documents the ofundaiotns and much of the character of the program as an artistic endeavour.

ACL is now syndicated worldwide, nurturing a worldwide fan base for the "Austin Sound" and the individuals and bands responsible for this creative world of musical expression. Includes a foreword by Lyle Lovett, an adept of almost every form of music in his versatile career, with hits and a strong following in - among other areas - Country and Western and Jazz, both big band and contemporary.

I learned very much about some individuals and groups. I also read about many artists and songwriters I had never heard of. ACL has been the start of national recognition for many young artists. I was especially glad to learn details about the Austin Blues community, which is more extensive and dates earlier than I had known.)

This book is magic for people who, like me, love the Australian "outback" and want to take a little bit of it home. But for all those who have never been, and can perhaps only dream of going, then the next best way of experiencing its mystery,its stark beauty, not to mention the warmth of the locals, is through Bill Bachman's marvellous photos. They capture his love for the country and believe me, the colours are real! Outback Australia truly is this red.