Celtic Books

BZ-Bravo Zulu means "Well Done" in Navy speak.

I can't anymore than the previous reviews.So I will just say Bravo Zulu!

Hutch

Getting the knowledge of THIS book into your hands IS THE PLOT of this "fictional" tale. One gets the impression that this is only classified as fiction out of courtesy (to whom?). Sure, there are villains and heroes, and even a little chase scene, but most of this book is monologue by Wise Ones, explaining their knowledge to the layperson who is about to release it to the world, and why he shouldn't do so. So, by virtue of the fact that you get to read their explanations, you are privy to their knowledge, and that you're reading is its announcement to the world. Full of interesting facts, quotes, & suppositions, that is great reading for anyone interested in religious history, the military-industrial complex, the dysfunctional society, and ancient arts & sciences. Now that you have the knowledge, what's the next step?

A more radical and convincing speculative work than The Da Vinci Code. Plausible explanations and scientific evidence uncover the earth's cataclysmic past (& future), an ancient global civilization, and the mythical origin of religion. Other excellent books: Secret Destiny of America, The Christ Conspiracy and Golden Thread of Time.

This book is a must have for any carver interested in spoons. There are so many patterns of different shapes and sizes. I started out carving spoons, it is an easier, gratifying piece to carve for beginners. Spoons make wonderful gifts.

I love hobbies and I'm hooked on wood carving patterns. I bought the Welsh Spoon patterns thinking what a wonder project, but I didn't have a clue on the depth to make the spoons or where to begin. Carving Spoons is a wonderful resource. It provides pictures and instructions on wood carving that I will use in making my spoons in clay. It's started my creative juices to flow and I'm ready to start. I highly recommend the book.

This book was a gift and my husband has enjoyed it. The book was in excellent condition.

Item well packaged therefore arrived in very, very good condition, item in better condition than described, item arrived well within time expected. Would deal with seller again!

Not a bad book (for its price), but you should note the following:
1 It's a facsimile of the Second edition, published in 1912. As you'd expect from a book that's almost a century old, the writing is somewhat dated and can be difficult to follow at times. Similarly, neither the number nor the quality of the illustrations is what one would expect in a modern book.
2 Despite its title, the book is, in fact, entirely concerned with Celtic art in Great Britain and Ireland. Continental art receives no attention whatsoever.

J. Romilly Allen is a renowned scholar in the development of Celtic art in the United kingdom and Celtic Art In Pagan & Christian Times provides a scholarly, yet completely "reader friendly" review of both Celtic history and the development of unique aspects of Celtic art. Over forty photos and line drawings in black and white accompany this outstanding, highly recommended history of Celtic art.

These stencils are perfectly cut from heavy flexible vinyl. The Celtic designs are lovely. All of them are straight. Two are narrow (about 2 1/4 inches wide) and two are wide (from 3 1/2 to 4 inches.) One of the wide borders is a complex interlaced bird. All of these stencils would add beauty to your walls, quilts, leather, or other projects.

I found the stencils very easy to use and clear I could not find any thing like them in Ireland

These stencils are perfectly cut from heavy flexible vinyl. The Celtic designs are lovely. All of them are straight. Two are narrow (about 2 1/4 inches wide) and two are wide (from 3 1/2 to 4 inches.) One of the wide borders is a complex interlaced bird. All of these stencils would add beauty to your walls, quilts, leather, or other projects.

Not my favorite in this series, and not one I've been able to do much with. Your art may vary. As with all, a bit of history and then a lot on constructing the various animals used in Celtic illustration. If you want to know how to build your own knotted dragon, to fit the dimenions of your artwork, this is the book to own.

It's four stars if you're doing Celtic animal work. If not, you may not need to own this one.

This is an excellent book for those looking to create celtic designs.

This book teaches the origins of animal style. It shows various belt, buckle and brooch designs. It then goes into dog, bird, and people patterns.

The book is best used when accompianied by Aidan's other Celtic Design books. I have 7 of the books in this series and love them all!

All in all this is a great book for someone looking to create celtic designs.

Aidan Meehan has made himself into an advocate for the resurgence of Celtic design. After years spent studying art in Ireland and Scotland, Meehan can claim not only historical expertise, but a wealth of technical expertise as well. Meehan writes of the elements of Celtic design as something alive and vibrant that can be a welcome addition or inspiration to any artist's palette.

This small volume is a presentation of the use of animal patterns in jewelry and decoration from the Sutton Hoo burial, the Celtic gospels, and many other sources. Meehan provides a basic historical discussion, but his focus is on how the designs were created. Using a patient style and countless pen-and-ink drawings in a book that is an essay in the calligrapher's art, Meehan has produced another valuable, living reference in a long series.

Whether you are a jeweler, designer, or a tattoo specialist, there is much to draw on here. The only thing I ever miss in Meehan's books is the inclusion of photographs of the original works. I'm sure Meehan has very good reason's for the omission, but for the curious, this is a bit of a challenge.

The book's about 1/4 running and infill designs, 1/2 medallion, and 1/4 history of spiral design. Useful stuff, and powerful in an ancient way. The work I've carved based on this material sold the first time out.

This is an excellent book for those looking to create celtic designs.

This book teaches about the prehistoric spiral, the megalithic spiral then goes through early & middle celtic spirals. It then follows into the insular and golden age spirals.

The book is best used when accompianied by Aidan's other Celtic Design books. I have 7 of the books in this series and love them all!

All in all this is a great book for someone looking to create celtic designs.

Meehan is not only the most proflific writer of celtic pattern books, but one of my favorite to read. A warning here, these are fairly serious books for people that are truly caught by the art of the Celts and wish to know more about it. These are not clip art books nor stencils. Meehan does a beautiful job of joining historical information and the construction. In reading books you know that he loves this subject. His books are full of tantalizing hints into another world that throws around terms like 'the Waldalgesheim pattern'. Which he does explain, but leaves one with the desire to run out and find a book specific to that subject and learn more. Short of doing what I suspect might be doctoral work on the subject, reading Meehan's books are the way to go. He also has a useful appendix of terms in the back. My favorites in this book however are the discussion on the triskele, the triple sprial patterns, which are not considered knotwork per se, and are therefore not to be found in the standard books on knotwork. This book also covers some of the more freeform curving designs that do not come under the knotwork category. Well worth the read.

This book is a classic because it is all inclusive in what it is giving the quilter. A method and patterns to make the 20 blocks all included.

The patterns are large enough that the beginner isn't going to be handling sharp tiny precision areas and yet intricate enough that your fans will wonder how you did anything that "LOOKS" so complicated.

If you want to try hand applique I would highly recommend Celtic because the results are spectacular and the method is very simple.

The graphics for this book are really great, showing the author's use of the multi-colored fabrics. The patterns are very easy to follow. The complete pattern is displayed first, then each part of the pattern is then shown. This makes it really easy to transfer the pattern pieces. The only thing that disappointed me: I would have liked to have more patterns. But I still recommend this to someone who is interested in applique and celtic patterns.

This book shows you how to combine the technique of Celtic quilting with traditional applique to create some lovely flower blocks. It provides 13 different flower designs along with detailed instructions. There are also suggested layouts for complete projects which bring together the different flower designs. I highly recommend it.

While I'm not thrilled with the portrayal of the Druids in this book, the traditions portrayed (Celtic warriors, farmers, slaves) and even the Roman politics surrounding their invasion of the Druid Isle and the subsequent anhialation of many living there made this a fascinating read. The story of Anghus and Kordelina is at once heartbreaking and strange - definately not like anything else I've read!

I found this book by accident. I picked it up because I wanted to learn more about the Celtic ways. I was in for a ride. I LOVE IT. Not only did I had a hard time putting it down, I learned quite a deal of informations I didn't know about the Celtics. I felt like I was living through it.
Well written. I hope to find more of Kathryn Cocquyt's work! If anyone knows more about any books she might of published, please let us know!

The Celtic Heart is an epic tale set in the first century AD, in a Celtic tribe off the coast of England. This fantasy book keeps you engaged, and I felt it difficult to put the book down after finishing a chapter. The images are vivid and I feel extremely knowledgeable about the Celtic people of that time, their religions, rituals and moral values. This is my favourite type of book - an absorbing novel with historical significance from which I really feel as though I have learnt something important.

I had a few books by George and Ian Bain but could never figure out what they were trying to get at. This book finally broke it down in a way I could understand. Now that I know the basic technique, I have expanded to all sorts of interesting knots. I can also go back to my Bain books and figure out where the break lines are so I can reproduce those knots without driving myself crazy.

I agree with the other reviewers that at first the system seems a bit complicated, but the break-line and center-line drawing methods in this book have made it really easy for me to freehand knots on anything. I like not being a slave to clip art or stencils. I've gone to those pottery painting places and just plopped a gridwork of dots out and then penciled out my outline on uneven or unusual shapes. When I'm in meetings, I doodle knots on scratch paper.

I gave the book four stars instead of five because I bailed out after 2/3 of the book, when it got to making corners, 3-cord and 5-cord plaits. After I understood the basic method, I figured out how to turn corners all by myself. The 3-cord and 5-cord plaits aren't as interesting to me because they can't be used in standalone knots. Also, Meehan tends to document every single variation on a knot even if it's not very pretty.

I definitely recommend this as a way to train your brain. I am hoping to find a similar book that makes it easier to do triangular and circular knots.

In a day when computer programs can generate knotwork and clip-art sources for Celtic art abound, it is refreshing to see a new and serious effort being made to train the hand, eye and mind in the skill and understanding of this art form. The technique is interesting in an historical sense because it shows how human hands could accomplish 'the work of angels' and it is also of great value to the modern hand-craftsman who wishes to continue in this tradition. The method of knotwork construction that Meehan teaches is remarkable for a reason that the author only casually mentions. This is that the layout marks are absorbed into the finish piece. An artist working in permanent ink, as did the medieval scribes who illuminated such masterpieces as the Book of Kells, after they have mastered the technique, can draw complicated knots without erasing or leaving messy layout marks. The book begins with a series of three grids, illustrated by dots and lines. These are necessary to illustrate the system, but unfortunately may give the reader the impression that the system is overwrought. Perhaps the author says a bit more than is needed at first, because the system is pretty easy to use once you understand it. In fact, by thoroughly illustrating the simplest knots in relationship to the grids in the first lessons, Meehan is making it possible (if the student perseveres) to layout more complicated knots with an economy of effort and ink. I highly recommend the book, but with the caution that the first lessons require patience. Had he cut to the chase without quite so much preliminary analysis I would gladly give it 5 stars. Stephen Walker

Agree with the reviewer below; the construction methods can seem a bit complex. But this ain't clip art, and the meditation needed to grasp the framework is part of why we're doing this particular form of art in the first place, no?

Even as a straightforward source of material to adapt to your own artwork (I work at a scale of roughly 1/4" to 1'), it's rich. I love the pages of permutations.

I think this is my third favorite Meehan (fils?) book, after Knots and Spirals.

I am really enjoying this book. The arrangements are great for mandolin and Irish bouzouki. The CD that is supplied with it makes the whold thing complete. The only 'slight' problem that I have with it is that some of the arrangements may be a bit too 'classical' for the strong traditionalist.

This is a very nice book and CD. It is not session music per se, and might not be welcomed at sessions. The CD is interesting, and you can tell the artist's Russian heritage from the playing. I found myself listening to the CD for pleasure, along with my family.

The tunes are lovely, well-arranged and make for great playing. It is a beautiful book CD combo, and highly recommended for the player of slow airs in the Celtic and early music.

I normally play a guitar for personal enjoyment (that means I am the only one who will listen to me play). I bought a mandolin in September and I wanted something other than Blue Grass so my wife bought me this book for Christmas.
You have to have some idea on how to play mandolin before jumping into this book. Fortunately I already had a beginners book that taught about what pick to use, how to hold the instrument and pick, etc. This book is strictly music and tab. It is flat-pickin all the way.
None of the songs were familiar, I had not heard any of them before. But the book comes with a CD so you can hear them all played. The songs cover a range of moods and tempos. The level of difficulty varies also. The final challenge is conveying emotion through the music.
None of these songs are going to make the pop charts, but they are fun to play and I find myself humming them during the day.