Art & Photography Books

Book SynopsisAt a moment of unprecedented creativity in men's fashion, and continuing reflections on gender, contemporary designers are questioning established forms, seeking to liberate wearers from traditional models of masculine dress. This book combines fashion with artistic and broader cultural histories - looking at the designers, tailors and artists who have constructed and performed masculinity from the Renaissance to the present day. It traces connections across and beyond European menswear, celebrating both rich traditions and daring individualists. Divided into three parts, Undressed reveals the role of the body and underwear in fashioning masculinities. Overdressed explores the power dynamics of sartorial bravado, while Redressed deconstructs a modern masculine uniform: the black suit. Featuring a staggering range of cultural touchstones from Hercules to Virgil Abloh, Giovanni Battista Moroni to Jawaharlal Nehru, Yves Saint Laurent to Kehinde Wiley, Marcus Rashford, Marlene Dietrich and even Captain America, Fashioning Masculinities challenges our preconceptions about menswear, revealing the fascinating historical roots beneath the power, artistry and diversity of masculine attire and appearance today.Trade ReviewThe book contains short, savvy essays exploring aspects of masculine fashion. And it is beautiful: full of crisply rendered images of paintings, photojournalism and photographs of garments from the V&A's unparalleled collection. Richard Thompson Ford, South China Morning Post, 26th September 2022 -- The glossy, coffee-table-sized work is a visual feast but doesn't shirk the exhibition's intellectual side., Eric Twardzik, The Robb Report, The 8 Best Menswear Books of the Year, 19th December 2022 -- #2 in '45 fashion books for style-conscious men to read now', Zak Maoui, GQ, 3rd March 2023Table of ContentsDirector's Foreword, Tristram Hunt -- Introduction, Rosalind McKever -- UNDRESSED -- Marble Marvels and Classical Ideals, Susan Goldsmith -- A Polished Impression, Alun Withey -- Behind Clothes: Fashioning Men at the Museum, Satish Padiyar -- A Developed Muscle: Photographing Physique, Zorian Clayton -- Underpinnings: The Next Best Thing to Naked, Shaun Cole -- OVERDRESSED - Young Englishmen Behaving Badly (and Dressing Outrageously), Susan North - A Well-Turned Leg, Elisabeth Gernerd - Fine and Dandy, Claire Wilcox - Braggadocio: A Brief History of Swagger, Elizabeth Currie - Orlando as a Boyette, Rosalind McKever - Sartorial Encounters: The Kimono and Masculine Style, Anna Jackson - A Hibiscus Print, Cher Potter -- REDRESSED -- Monochrome Man, Christopher Breward -- A Full Monty, Miriam Phelan -- A Suitable Hat, Oriole Cullen -- Black, British and Stylish, Ekow Eshun -- A Tailored Sari, Avalon Fortheringham -- A Broken Suit, Marta Franceschini -- The Jacket Eroded, Borrowed, Evolved, Alastair O'Neill -- What Ever Happened to Contemporary Menswear?, Charlie Porter -- Epilogue, Gus-Casely Hayford -- Fashioning the Future -- Afterword, Virgil Abloh

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Book SynopsisTrue beauty is found in nature, making this the perfect sketch book for your art inspiration!As if being responsible for dazzling sunsets and the aurora borealis were not enough, nature is also guardian to the universal principals of design. With mathematical perfection, its recurring structures seem to magically adapt as they show up in hundreds of ways: the radial star at the center of snowflakes, fruits and flowers, and the arms of starfish; spirals at the heart of nautilus shells, unfurling plants, and swirling storm systems.Borrowing the beauty of nature's forms can help you create beautiful artwork. Observing the structure of nature's forms can help you to be a better designer. The inspiration is limitless. Nature's design magic is a balancing act found in its perfect ratios. The sections of this sketchbook--Star, Branch, Spiral, and Fan--focus on four of those disceptively simple design principles and why they work. Author/artist Yellena James uses her own nature-based drawings to guide readers toward looking closely at each design form and the places where it occurs. Readers will discover ways to use each form in their own artwork, realistically, abstractly, or as motifs in repeat borders and patterns. In a non-academic fashion, the text explains nature's beautiful balances, and the art of using them when you draw and design.Table of ContentsIntroduction Elements of Design Principles of Design Introducing four shapes Chapter 1: Stars Introduction to Stars Looking at stars: -star shaped sea life -star shaped plants -star shaped seeds and fruits -star shaped crystals -3d stars -snowflakes Draw a perfect five-point star Draw nearly perfect star by hand Draw star ornaments Add stars to underwater scene Draw star shaped ornaments Draw a star centered sea anemone Add star shaped elements Add black and white star motifs Finish this composition Animated sea creature Draw your own sea creature Chapter 2: Branches introduction to Branches Fractal branching Draw a branch Looking at branches: - plants - corals Inflorescence Draw branches based on inflorescence Sketching branches Movement in branches exercise Add branches to composition Finish this drawing Add branching to leaves Branch pattern exercise Chapter 3: Spiral Introduction to spirals Fibonacci spirals Different types of spirals Draw some fern exercise Looking at spirals: - spiral shaped shells - spiral shaped sea life - spiral shaped plants Draw your own pinwheels How to draw a shell step by step Add color to shells Draw spiral seashells Draw spiral ornaments Add spirals to jellyfish Finish this composition Chapter 4: Fans Introduction to Fan chapter Looking at fans: - fan shaped branches - fan shaped sea life - fan shaped plants - fan shaped mushrooms Fan mushrooms exercise Modify this fan shape exercise Draw fan shaped plants Draw black and white fan motifs for patterns How to make a perfect tile for pattern Add fan elements to composition Complete this fish drawing Guided fan drawing exercise Chapter 5: Putting it all together Introduction to putting it all together Coloring page Guided drawings Finish this composition Background for sketching About the author Resources Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisThe House of Chanel is synonymous with not one, but two, iconic designers. First there was Gabrielle, and then there was Karl. Chanel is a house known for its signatures that not only changed the course of fashion history but still resonate today – the Little Black Dress, the tweed suit, costume jewellery, Chanel No5. These signatures were inspired by Gabrielle Chanel's taste, life experience and travels – but it was Karl Lagerfeld who took these signatures and ingeniously adapted them for the twenty-first century woman. From his first days at the helm of Chanel in the 1980s, to his creative application of the Chanel logo to everything from biker boots to a space rocket, King Karl's reign at Chanel is nothing if not legendary.Little Book of Chanel by Lagerfeld covers his most exquisite pieces, breathtaking catwalk shows and constant reinvention that have maintained Chanel as the most illustrious couture house in the world. Written by the bestselling author of Little Book of Chanel, this beautifully illustrated book is the essential guide to Lagerfeld's tenure at Chanel.Table of ContentsEarly Years • The Chanel Challenge • Evolution of the Brand • Global Identity • Chanel Muses • Advertising • Atelier • Blockbuster Shows

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Book SynopsisThis volume brings together twenty-five of R. Crumb’s most ambitious, acclaimed, and profound comics, all produced at the height of the underground comix movement and which are out of print. One of the most influential and iconic cartoonists of our time, R. Crumb is celebrated for pushing the boundaries of representation, mass consumerism, and polite society. Exemplifying the peak of Crumb’s creative output, the comics in this volume blend meticulous research with insights gained from the artist’s experimentation in the 1960s and 1970s. The comics collected here depict characters searching for an understanding of the world around and within themselves. Through adaptation, autobiography, biography, and short fiction, Crumb—much like his subjects—demands we pay attention to our darkest desires, compulsions, fears, and obsessions. Editor Dan Nadel’s introduction weaves together Crumb’s life, career, and influences, delving into the creative environment that informed some of the artist’s most illustrious comics.

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Book SynopsisDiscover how artists used machines and algorithms to create mesmerising and mind-bending art between the 1950s and the early 1990s. From collaged punch cards to early experiments with virtual reality, artists have found inspiration in technology to invent new forms and new ways to engage the senses. Bringing together works by groundbreaking artists from across Asia, Europe and the Americas, Electric Dreams celebrates the innovators of optical, kinetic, programmed and digital art, who imagined the visual languages of the future through immersive, responsive and automatically generated works. Their circuits of connections and creativity, of new thinking and tinkering are illuminated here through the perspectives of artists, curators and art historians. Hundreds of illustrations of intriguing and often stunningly beautiful artworks are accompanied by newly researched archival images, casting fresh light on this extraordinary period. From Rebecca Allen to Edward Zajec, from Katsuhiro Yamaguchi to Suzanne Treister, these artists were unafraid to push boundaries. They redefined what art can be, channelling how electronics and computation radically transformed everyday life before the dawn of the internet age.

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Book SynopsisBring to life legendary creatures from around the world in this manga-inspired adult colouring book. Camilla d'Errico adds her signature, manga-inspired twist to creatures from myth, folklore, and legend-as well as from her own imagination. From European favorites such as gryphons, fauns, and centauresses, to her particular take on the Persian manticore and the Asian kinnaris and kirin, fans and colouring enthusiasts can embolden these fabled creatures with their own palette and turn striking full-page spreads with dramatic details into one-of-a-kind art.

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Book SynopsisSince its inception in 1982, Stone Island has acquired a worldwide cult following for its cutting-edge outerwear by combining fashion, luxury, and streetwear. In this updated edition of Rizzoli s best-selling monograph, a chapter celebrating the latest collaborations highlights the brand s ever-expanding universe.

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Book SynopsisA sumptuous biography, history and gallery of the acclaimed 16th-century artist Hans Holbein the Younger, with 500 fine-art reproductions

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Book SynopsisIan Ritchie is recognized as one of the UK's most visionary architects, renowned for his innovative approach that synthesises multiple creative disciplines to articulate the essence of his architectural projects. A poet and artist as well as an architect, Ritchie distills his concepts and design principles into verse, exploring the interplay between the complexities of architectural commissions and the art of composition. In Life, Ritchie's poems are complemented by his monotypes, vivid expressions of his passion for colour and artistic expression. The collection traces Ritchie's personal journey, his evolution from youth to mentor, navigating themes of love, loss, and his passion for art and architecture. Yet, above all, the works invite readers to share in his unique perspective on the natural and built environment, transcending conventional boundaries to contemplate the realms of architecture and the spirit.

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Book SynopsisA passionate and purposeful book on finding real creativity through nature. An essential book for our times and all artists at whatever level. In her most passionate and personal book to date, acclaimed watercolour artist Ann Blockley takes both budding and more experienced artists through a series of ideas for working with nature – in its widest sense – to nurture our creativity, inspire us, make us more sustainable artists, and replenish energy and flow when our artistic streams run dry. In ‘Go Outside and Play’, the author exhorts artists to recapture a fun, no-pressure way of being outside and use that feeling when creating. In ’Connecting Materials to Place’ she creates her own paint from the local pond. In ‘The Slow Movement’, the artist reveals her year of working on a specific local hedgerow and painting a series of different interpretation in its every-changing detail. She created regular creative rituals, using her weekly playing card as a starting point for a new painting to reflect the season each week. She reuses old paintings, and tissue and paper – wabi-sabi style – to create new textures and even new paintings. Including work from other artists as well as her own, she shows the ideas and work from textile and mixed-media artists. From allotment inspiration to reusing old painting and from nature prints to the alchemy of found materials, this is a journey to find new creativity through our connection with our natural world.Trade Review‘[An] impassioned paean to recycled papers, foraged materials and mindful methods’ -- Artists & Illustrators‘A plea to all to stimulate creativity by rejuvenating out awareness of nature … illustrated throughout with Ann’s wonderfully evocative paintings’ -- Leisure Painter'Genuinely fascinating and enlightening’ – Henry Malt' -- The Artist

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Book SynopsisOne of Europe's most beautiful cities is celebrated through the talents of artist Tom Mairs The city of Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, is a historic city with cobblestone streets lined with buildings that tell the story of past centuries, offering an architecture that blends Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance styles. Prague is an open-air museum, where each building tells a story and each street reveals an architectural treasure, offering its visitors a journey through history and showcasing the timeless beauty of this city with its thousand towers, thousand spires, and colorful buildings.

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Book SynopsisSir Norman Rosenthal is an independent curator and art historian. He was Exhibitions Secretary at the Royal Academy, London, from 1977 to 2008.

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Book SynopsisA step-by-step guide to the human figure!

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Book SynopsisA step-by-step guide to creating caricatures!

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Book Synopsis***'Are you aging fabulously? Here's how.' Anna Murphy, The Times'A lovely book celebrating female beauty over 40.' Top Sante'You become what you see. What you see determines what you believe - and the most powerful way of inspiring people is with images. My goal with AndBloom is to motivate women to embrace life without fear. To provide examples of women between the age of 40 and, currently, 100, so that any woman can open this book and see themselves recognized.' Denise Boomkens launched the AndBloom project on Instagram in 2018, to create a 'happy place for women over 40' - a community where women can be themselves and where aging is celebrated instead of feared. In this, her first book, she shares her own experiences of aging and brings together portraits and interviews with more than 100 extraordinary 'ordinary' women to create both a gloriously illustrated celebration of female beauty over 40 and an empowering handbook to aging happily.Trade ReviewThe account is dedicated to celebrating the beauty of women over 40 years old and we're absolutely in love with it. Boomkens shares self-portraits and portraits of other women over 40 in an attempt to show that all women are beautiful and that all women deserve to look and feel their best, no matter their age. * My Daily Magazine *

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Book SynopsisA beautiful and inspirational celebration of creativity by the dynamic and popular artist Mark Hearld. This beautiful book throws open the doors to the wonderfully vibrant and energetic world of Mark Hearld. He is a highly versatile artist, using a wide range of media and design projects to explore his love of nature, his interest in English popular art and his belief in the importance of living life visually. Hearld's exuberance, the endless inspiration he finds in the natural world, and his unbridled passion for making are evident on every page. Featuring his distinctive collages, textile designs, linocut prints, wallpapers and sculptures (to name just a few), Raucous Invention is a celebration of and insight into Hearld's recent work and extraordinary creativity. As Alan Powers explains in his introduction, this art is imperfect in the best way, messy and not prone to explaining itself, but the sound of singing and laughter is in the air.'

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Book SynopsisFor many people who want to keep a journal, the fear of the blank page can be a very real stumbling block, but is definitely something that can be resolved. In this essential reference guide, journaling expert Helen Colebrook offers up all her knowledge, tips and tricks to ensure you get truly bitten by the journaling bug.Table of Contents Welcome Tools and Materials Be Grateful Track Those Habits Monitor Your Mood Getting Organized A New Chapter The Month Ahead The Week Ahead Daily Planning Reflective Journaling Memory Keeping Currently Loving Be Proud of Yourself Health & Well-being Make a Difference Goal Setting Project Planning Junk Journals Fun Watercolour Pages Art Journal Pages About the Author Suppliers Index

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Book SynopsisThis calendar highlights 12 images of this serene and much-loved colour pairing. A fine new art calendar from Flame Tree. Informative text accompanies each work and the datepad features previous and next month's views. Printed on FSC-certified paper, with plastic-free packaging.

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Book SynopsisContemporary Chinese art is a subject of sustained and growing significance in present-day culture across the globe. This new volume in the World of Art series reframes Chinese art since the end of China?s Cultural Revolution more than four decades ago, placing it in the context of the nation?s unprecedented cultural, political, and urban transformation.The Art of Contemporary ChinaWhat emerges are revelations on art, and new insights into contemporary China. Fulfilling a need for an accessible, affordable introduction to contemporary Chinese art, this volume offers a concise but far-reaching survey of the movement.Trade Review'The author achieves a fresh and nuanced approach to introducing contemporary Chinese art, and the book is a testament to his extensive knowledge of the field' - Art QuarterlyTable of ContentsIntroduction • 1.The Collective • 2. Reinventing Tradition • 3. The Art of Urbanization • 4. Art At Large • Notes, Glossary, Select Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThis calendar showcases a selection of the ever-popular, light-filled, richly hued impressionist landscapes from the Courtauld's collection, by Monet, Cézanne, Renoir, Pissarro and more. Informative text accompanies each work and the datepad features previous and next month's views. Printed on FSC-certified paper, with plastic-free packaging.

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Book SynopsisA delightful, richly illustrated calendar featuring paintings of wildlife from the incredibly talented rural Staffordshire-based illustrator Bex Parkin. Informative text from the artist herself accompanies each work and the datepad features previous and next month's views. Printed on FSC-certified paper, with plastic-free packaging.

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Book SynopsisDiscover 12 of Jason Engle's Lovecraft-inspired artworks in this eye-catching wall calendar. Informative text accompanies each work and the datepad features previous and next month's views. Printed on FSC-certified paper, with plastic-free packaging.

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Book SynopsisThis mini wall calendar features a selection of artist and designer Sally King's fantastical and wondrous shoe designs. Sally's fashion training combines with her imagination and graphic skill to create wondrous heeled confections. The datepad features previous and next month's views. Printed on FSC-certified paper, with plastic-free packaging.

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Book SynopsisTwenty-five leading artist duos and collectives give insight into how and why to work collaborativelyTrade Review"The notion that the best art can only come from a single artist working alone is something of a myth."—Linda Yablonsky, W Magazine"Even if artists collectives are not actually proliferating more than before, they are certainly gaining in traction." —Nicholas Cullinan, Artforum"Collaboration isn’t, for most artists, a recipe for making masterpieces but rather a way of breaking habits –and new ground."—Griselda Murray Brown, Financial Times"Leaves readers with an augmented understanding of how creative, and others, can cultivate collectively."—Aesthetica"More than 20 artistic duos, trios and collectives that De Wachter interviewed for this illuminating book tell their own stories of how their stars aligned."—TheArtNewspaper.com"Themes of anonymity, security and identity guide the course of the book, while love - that of friendship, romance or familial relationships - emerges as a driving force for creative works. From symbiotic duos to amorphous collectives, it seems that great work can come from sharing."—AnOtherMag.com"Ellen Mara de Wachter celebrates how artists join forces - and in a manner that quickly dispels the "lone genius" theory."—Monocle"In the past 50 years the number of artists working as duos and collective has increased... Through insightful interviews [Co-Art] puts the artists centre stage... The content of Mara De Wachter's essays is informative and her style refreshingly clear. It might be that in an art world, where an artist's recognisable brand is key to growing a collector base, the artists doing something differently are the ones worth paying attention to."—Art Quarterly"Nicely presented with different voices, the book allows readers to form their own opinions and perhaps draw inspiration from the multiple possibilities and modalities of collaborating in creative work." —Canvas (Dubai)

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsBefore 1300. Introduction: What is Art History? 1. Art in the Stone Age. 2. Ancient Mesopotamia and Persia. 3. Egypt from Narmer to Cleopatra. 4. The Prehistoric Aegean. 5. Ancient Greece. 6. The Etruscans. 7. The Roman Empire. 8. Late Antiquity. 9. Byzantium. 10. The Islamic World. 11. Early Medieval Europe. 12. Romanesque Europe. 13. Gothic Europe North of the Alps. 14. Late Medieval Italy. 15. South and Southeast Asia before 1200. 16. China and Korea to 1279. 17. Japan before 1333. 18. Native American Cultures before 1300. 19. Africa before 1800. 20. Late Medieval and Early Renaissance Northern Europe. 21. The Renaissance in Quattrocento Italy. 22. Renaissance and Mannerism in Cinquecento Italy. 23. High Renaissance and Mannerism in Northern Europe and Spain. 24. The Baroque in Italy and Spain. 25. The Baroque in Northern Europe. 26. Rococo to Neoclassicism: The 18th Century in Europe and America. 27. Romanticism, Realism, Photography: Europe and America, 1800 to 1870. 28. Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Symbolism: Europe and America, 1870 to 1900. 29. Modernism in Europe, 1900 to 1945. 30. Modernism in the United States and Mexico, 1900 to 1945. 31. Modernism and Postmodernism in Europe and America, 1945 to 1980. 32. Contemporary Art Worldwide. 33. South and Southeast Asia, 1200 to 1980. 34. China and Korea, 1279 to 1980. 35. Japan, 1333 to 1980. 36. Native American Cultures, 1300 to 1980. 37. Oceania before 1980. 38. Africa, 1800 to 1980.

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Book SynopsisThe Haggadot commissioned by wealthy patrons in the Middle Ages are among the most beautifully decorated Hebrew manuscripts, and The 'Brother' Haggadah is one of the finest of these to have survived. This facsimile edition sets out the background to the Passover and provides an analysis of the manuscript's iconographic scheme.

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Book SynopsisLearn the basics of cartoon animation from acclaimed animator Preston Blair with Animation 1! Join acclaimed cartoon animator Preston Blair as he explains and demonstrates the magic of cartoon animation. Learn to develop a cartoon character’s shape, personality, features, and mannerisms; how to create movements, such as walking, running, skipping, and sneaking; and tips on using lines of action and creating realistic motion. From cartooning basics to more advanced animation techniques, Animation 1 is a welcome introduction for artists ready to bring their drawings to life. Full of step-by-step sketches, tips, and drawing techniques, this is a comprehensive guide that no cartoon animation enthusiast should be without. Subjects covered in Animation 1 are: Tools & Materials Construction of the Head The Stretch & Squash Principle Facial Expressions Line of Action The Skeleton Foundation Hand Construction Character Construction The “Pugnacious” Character The “Cute” Character The “Screwball” Type The “Goofy” Character Movement of Body Masses Birds Taking Flight The “Take” Movements of the Two-Legged Figure Movements of the Four-Legged Figure Front & Rear Views of Movements The Skip The Sneak The Walk & The Run Dialogue Designed for beginners, the How to Draw & Paint series offers an easy-to-follow guide that introduces artists to basic tools and materials and includes simple step-by-step lessons for a variety of projects suitable for the aspiring artist. Animation 1 allows artists to widen the scope of their abilities, demonstrating how to animate a character, from character development to movement and dialogue.

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Book Synopsis"The photographs of William Claxton define the essence of cool." - Jason Ankeny (AllMusic) "Claxton's innovative choices and airy style, which he called 'jazz for your eyes', worked sublimely to document and promote the rise of trumpeter and singer Chet Baker, especially." - Howard Mandel Born in Pasadena, California, photographer William Claxton (1927-2008) is best known for his dozens of splendid portraits of jazz stars (especially those of Chet Baker, of whom he made the first professional photos) and Hollywood stars (such as his friend Steve McQueen). In 1952, while shooting Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker at the Haig Club, he met Richard Bock, founder of Pacific Jazz, who quickly hired him as art director and house photographer. During his time at the label, Claxton snapped and designed album covers at a rate of roughly one per week, in the process establishing the visual identity of the West Coast jazz movement. Where previous jazz photographers captured their subjects in the dark, smoky environs of nightclubs, Claxton capitalised on the sun and surf of southern California, posing artists in unorthodox outdoor settings to represent a new era in the music's continued evolution. Claxton's images graced the covers of numerous music albums, and his work regularly appeared in such magazines as Life, Paris Match and Vogue. Claxton wrote 13 books, held dozens of exhibitions of his photographs around the world, and won numerous photography awards. This book presents a selection of more than 150 superb images by the great photographer. Among the multiple artists portrayed are Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker, Art Blakey, Clifford Brown, Dave Brubeck, Ray Charles, Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Stan Getz, Billie Holiday, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Wes Montgomery, Lee Morgan, Art Pepper, Sonny Rollins, Dinah Washington, and Muddy Waters. Text in English, with an introduction in English, French and Spanish.

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Book SynopsisNudes, portraits, still lives, narratives: loyal to his Leica, Ralph Gibson ranges between genres and creates new categories of vision. The most comprehensive collection of this highly acclaimed and prolific American photographer, this book offers the fruit of six decades of image-making.

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Book SynopsisMindful Artist: Sumi-e Painting teaches you to create your own beautiful, Japanese-inspired ink wash paintings while cultivating a mindful approach to making art. Centuries ago, Buddhist monks used black ink and brushes to practice mindfulness and create gorgeously harmonious works of art called "sumi-e paintings." The popularity of sumi-e, or ink wash painting, continues to this day. Mindfulness remains an essential element of sumi-e painting, allowing artists to focus on their surroundings, live in the moment, and feel present—thereby reducing their stress. Walter Foster’s new Mindful Artist series encourages you to enjoy working in your favorite media to create art from a reflective point of view—an inspiring, relaxing experience that emphasizes the creative process, rather than the end result. These books are designed to help you move past creative obstacles, like a perfectionist attitude toward making art or self-defeating concerns about your personal talent and abilities. These guides will not only help you stay mindful throughout the process, but also to find personal meaning in the artwork you create. Mindful Artist: Birds & Botanicals publishes in November 2021.Mindful Artist: Sumi-e Painting opens with an introduction explaining the links between mindfulness and sumi-e and how they enhance one another. Sections on “The Four Treasures,” as the tools needed for sumi-e painting are called; brushstrokes and painting techniques; and “The Four Gentlemen,” or the most common subjects in sumi-e painting, ensure that you have a solid background before getting started on the simple, approachable step-by-step painting projects. Throughout the book you can find stunning full-page artwork, tips for remaining mindful while you work, creative prompts and exercises, inspirational ideas, and suggestions on how to add color to black ink pieces. Learn to practice mindfulness while you master the popular art of ink wash painting with this inspiring and supportive guide.Table of ContentsIntroduction Tools & Materials Preparing to Paint Introduction to Brushes, Ink & Paper Painting Subjects The Four Gentlemen Bamboo Orchid Plum Chrysanthemum Iris Peony Insects Wisteria Grapes Lotus & Kingfisher Bird Basics Bird Adventures Rocks & Waterfalls Signing Your Painting Suggestions from My Library About the Artist Dedication & Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisIn the dusk hours of a November evening in 2020, James Crombie set out for the shore of Lough Ennell, Co. Westmeath with no goal except to find a brief reprieve from the chaos of modern life. One of Ireland?s most lauded sports photographers, Crombie had spent months each year travelling the globe, snapping glimpses of sporting glory amid roaring crowds. Once the pandemic arrived however, he found himself suspended in an unfamiliar moment of stillness, where his focus could roam beyond the pitch. When a close friend came to him in a moment of grief, the pair made for the lake.What Crombie found on the shore that evening - an undulating murmuration of starlings, dancing above the surface of the water - would change his life forever.Desperate to capture the beauty of the murmurations, and to better understand this phenomenon and the surroundings of the lake itself, Crombie began a four-year journey, travelling to lake shore for over 100 days per year. In his efforts to capture the formations of the magical birds, Crombie managed to chart the stunning natural cycles of the lake and the surrounding countryside. An incredible combination of narrative and photography, this is a book about one man?s quest to capture the beauty of an Irish natural phenomenon, and about how our local environments harbour a wealth of beauty and complexity, if only we?re able to look closely enough. The book also features an introduction by pioneering ornithologist Seán Ronayne.

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