Landscapes / seascapes in the arts Books

Book SynopsisHighly illustrated, full colour book showcasing what is unique about the North Coast 500. Striking images and descriptive text of the best places to visit are shown along with a simple route map showing locations.100 of the best places to stop on route including; Beaches and bays; Sandwood Bay to Red Point Beach Engineering and architecture; Caledonian Canal to Noss Head Lighthouse Historic sites; Culloden battlefield to Dunrobin Castle Off the beaten track; Cape Wrath to Traligill Caves Urban areas: Ullapool to John o' Groats Wildlife and nature: Dunnet Head to SuilvenA book to help plan your trip around the dramatic North Scotland. An indication of how long to spend at each place is given along with full description and photograph.

Read more less

Book SynopsisInnovative techniques in painting woodlands from renowned artist Ann Blockley. Watercolourist Ann Blockley is known for her striking and intriguing paintings of natural landscapes. In this beautiful guide she explores woodlands in a variety of interpretations, from tangled groves and ancient trees to fiery leaves and springtime orchards. With simple instructions and easy-to-follow demonstrations throughout, the book draws inspiration from forest poetry, birdsong and folklore. There’s practical advice on working outside, experimenting with mixing colours (especially greens), playing with water effects, using salt and granulation, mark-making and spattering with found objects such as leaves and twigs, creating texture with gesso and working with collage. Other techniques include working with oak gall ink and charcoal, and how to incorporate words, text and photo transfer. The book is illustrated throughout with stunning examples of Blockley’s colourful, expressive work, including a case study of her own woodland garden. Also showcased are works by fellow artists from The Arborealist group, the Royal Institute, and the Pastel Society to inspire you further. Pushing the boundaries of watercolour and other mixed media, this delightful wander through the woods is the ideal companion for both beginners and the more experienced landscape painter who wishes to take their painting to the next level.

Read more less

Book SynopsisSebastião Salgado’s haunting black-and-white photographs from the GENESIS project record landscapes and people unchanged in the devastating onslaught of modern society and development. Salgado calls GENESIS “my love letter to the planet.”

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis comprehensive guide to painting landscapes in watercolour features the expert tuition of six renowned watercolour artists. It covers all aspects of painting, from materials and techniques through to planning a painting, sketching and perspective. Learn the techniques of wet into wet, spattering, dry brushing, lifting out and using salt to create texture and interest, and follow the step-by-step demonstrations to create realistic water, skies, reflections and buildings, as well as mood and atmosphere. With nine beautiful projects to try, and numerous examples of the authors' work to inspire you, this is the ideal introduction to landscape painting for artists of all abilities. This book includes material previously published in the highly successful Step-by-Step Leisure Arts series and the Watercolour Tips and Techniques series.Trade ReviewApr 14 This is another of Search Press’s bind-ups of previous material and I’m still not sure whether I’ve reviewed it before or not – or maybe in a slightly different guise. They’ve got very good at this latterly and, rather than obvious joins where one book ends and another begins, the whole thing is now seamless. The material may not be new, but it’s still sound and the reproduction is as fresh as it ever was, so this isn’t resurrecting a corpse but bringing excellent material to a potential new audience at a very affordable price. As well as some technical pieces on things like perspective and composition, demonstrations from popular authors cover trees, water, snow, buildings and so on (and on). If you have other books by these authors, you’d need to check for duplication but, equally, there’s so much here, you probably won’t be getting too much cross-over. If you only have a small library and are on a budget into the bargain, you could do a great deal worse than invest in this. * Artbookreview.net *July 14 This new compilation offers a comprehensive guide to painting landscapes in watercolour, showing the results achievable with very different painting styles. There is information on materials, colour mixing, techniques – including spattering and dry brush, sketching, composition, perspective and tone. Eleven step-by-step demonstrations put all this information into practice. * Leisure Painter, The *Table of ContentsMaterials Techniques Colour Tone Composition Planning a painting Sketching Perspective Snow scene step-by-step Trees Water Deep water step-by-step Lively water step-by-step Shallow water step-by-step Sea and sky Gower coast step-by-step Reflections in the sand step-by-step Buildings in the landscape step-by-step Oast houses step-by-step The fish market, Venice step-by-step Mood and atmosphere Frosty morning step-by-step Index

Read more less

Book Synopsis"Swiss explorer and photographer Stefan Forster admits that he is no stranger to dodging alligators and hiking for weeks in pursuit of the perfect photo. And an impressive new photobook shows that his efforts pay off handsomely." — Sarah Holt, Mail Online "This tome is a potential classic in the making and a masterclass in how straightforward landscape imagery should be done." — Amateur Photographer "Stunning pictures...luminous images..." — Examiner "Unbelievable...just amazing..." — WGN TV Chicago Captured in vivid colour and magnificent quality, the unique moments that photographer Stefan Forster discovers in out-of-the-way places in nature take place on adventurous backcountry trips far from civilisation, with Forster lugging up to 80 pounds in camera gear and camping equipment. With enormous enthusiasm and prepared for anything, he often hikes through remote areas for weeks at a time on his search for the extraordinary. He has taken long solo kayak expeditions along Greenland’s west coast, hopped from island to island in Micronesia, and slogged through the swamps of Louisiana and Texas to find the area’s most beautiful cypress trees, dodging alligators all the while. The results are unique and fascinating photos. This book presents this young photographer’s most beautiful experiences to date, including everything from rare rainstorms in the world’s driest desert and the Northern Lights shimmering through icebergs to spectacular shots of the Rocky Mountains. Forster was one of the first photographers to use state-of-the-art quadcopter drones, giving his pictures fresh, new perspectives. Stefan Forster published some of these aerial shots for the first time in Above the World – Earth Through a Drone’s Eye, released by teNeues in September 2016. The following locations are included in the book: Switzerland Iceland Greenland Antarctica Peninsula Utah Colorado South Dakota Louisiana Washington Namibia Westcoast, Scotland Uganda New Zealand Seychelles La Gomera Tasmania Philippines Australia Indonesia Text in English, French and German.Trade Review"Swiss explorer and photographer Stefan Forster admits that he is no stranger to dodging alligators and hiking for weeks in pursuit of the perfect photo. And an impressive new photobook shows that his efforts pay off handsomely." - Sarah Holt, Mail Online"This tome is a potential classic in the making and a masterclass in how straightforward landscape imagery should be done." - Amateur Photographer"These are beautifully presented in Chasing Light, which will appeal to anyone who loves spectacular landscape photography." - Outdoor Photography"Stunning pictures...luminous images..." - Examiner"Unbelievable...just amazing..." - WGN TV ChicagoTable of ContentsIntroduction Forests and Trees Sand Dunes and Deserts Ice and Snow Canyons, Cliffs, and Volcanoes Mountains The World from Above Rivers, Lakes and Coasts Night Lights - Aurora Borealis World Map Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisA unique artist's reference offering easy-to-follow, ingenious ideas and techniques for painting 50 popular landscapes in watercolour.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Watercolour Sourcebook is a compilation of four selected titles from the What to Paint series, chosen specially to illustrate the wide range of scenes and subjects that can be captured in watercolour. The works of four master watercolourists – Geoff Kersey, Terry Harrison, Peter Woolley and Wendy Tait – are brought together in a collection of 60 beautiful, detailed projects on the subjects of trees, woodlands and forests; landscapes; hills and mountains and flowers respectively. Each project results in a full painting that is accompanied at the end of the book by a full-size outline that can be copied and applied to the artist's own watercolour paper using tracedown paper and pencil. The Watercolour Sourcebook aims to provide a wealth of inspiration to the painter who struggles to decide upon their subject matter, and arms the artist with everything they need to know about what they're about to paint, from colour palette to useful techniques.Trade ReviewIn this exciting and informative book, four of your favourite artists present easy to follow demonstrations of landscapes, flowers, trees and mountains. Each one is accompanied by an outline drawing for you to trace onto watercolour paper, getting the composition right every time. By keeping everything simple, the instructions can be kept to a single two-page spread. In this way, you're not constantly switching about and trying to work out where you are. You can see everything from the colour palette to the finished result at all times, with highlights of the important details picked out just where you need them. Terry Harrison works with rural scenes that include buildings, water, sunshine, clouds and snow. Wendy Tait's flowers demonstrate single varieties as well as settings and bouquets, taking full advantage of the variety of colours available. Geoff Kersey paints trees in all seasons from bare branches to full canopy and he includes spring flowers as well as boats and figures. Peter Woolley illustrates wide mountain vistas and single crags and shows you how to create effective foregrounds and skies in a variety of weather conditions. This is packed with subjects, projects and ideas and will give you as much material to work with as you could wish. * SAA Catalogue *The Watercolour Sourcebook contains material previously published in Search Press's What to Paint series, including the work of four popular watercolourists, Geoff Kersey, Terry Harrison, Peter Wooley and Wendy Tait. This new book contains 60 detailed projects, each of them resulting in a full painting, in a range of subject, from trees, woodlands and landscapes to hills, mountains and flowers. Full-size outlines are included at the end of the book so that you can get painting straight away. The book follows a well-tested formula, that allows painters to build their confidence and produce work they are proud of with helpful tips, techniques and colour palette information shred along the way. * Leisure Painter *Another great release! This book has given me the renewed interest to try painting subjects other than landscapes, such as different flowers, woods and cottages. So many to choose from, with sketches in the back of the book to get you started and advice at the front of the book. You can even merge two pictures so that you have different flowers in one picture. I’ve regained my interest in painting, have purchased new paintbrushes, I’m going to try in both watercolour and acrylic paints, even my mum and sister have read with interest and want to give it a go. I’d recommend this book as it offers great pictures and advice. Search Press have excelled again in releasing a great book. -- Jenny Nixon * Customer Review *With 60 images ready to trace and get the composition right before you start, there’s plenty of variety in this attractive compilation. It’s also worth saying that the material comes from the What to Paint series, so, if you have those, you probably won’t need this. If you haven’t, however, you’ll find Terry Harrison on landscapes, Wendy Tait on flowers, Geoff Kersey on trees and woodlands and Peter Woolley on hills and mountains. All these experienced and popular teachers include more than just the basics, with surroundings, perspectives and settings, providing images that should satisfy the most demanding student. * Paint Magazine (SAA) *Table of ContentsIntroduction 6 Transferring the image 8, Composing from the outlines 10, Techniques and effects 12 Landscapes 16 Poppies by the Track 18, Millstream Cottage 20, Winter's Day 22, First Footprints 24, After the Rain 26, Tide Mill 28, A Walk Along the Lane 30, Cornish Harbour 32, Waterside Walk 34, Cooling Off 36, Hard Day's Work 38, Castle Combe 40, The Village Gossips 42, Another Winter 44, The Mountain Stream 46 Flowers 48 Tulips 50, Snake's Head Fritillary 52, Anemones 54, Pansies 56, Canary Bird Roses 58, Fuchsias 60, Sweet Peas 62, Cherry Blossom in Glass Jar 64, Oriental Poppies 66, Snowdrops 68, Golden Lilies 70, Pink & White Roses 72, Hollyhocks 74, Japanese Anemones & Lavender 76, Sunflowers 78 Trees, Woodlands & Forests 80 Woodland Stream 82, Manhattan Park 84, Footbridge in the Woods 86, Winter Silhouettes 88, Rowing Boats 90, Winter Walkers 92, Golden Light 94, Kensington Gardens 96, Autumn at Chatsworth 98, Winter Glow 100, Woodland Bridge 102, Bluebell Wood 104, Forest Firs 106, New Forest Ponies 108, Woodland Reflections 110 Hills & Mountains 112 Mountain Mist 114, Snowy Peaks 116, Sea of Cloud 118, Winter Crags 120, The View from the Summit 122, The Last of the Sun 124, Rocks and Scree 126, Mountain Stream 128, Traversing the Ridge 130, Sunset: Best Time of Day 132, Snow and Shadows 134, The Illusion of Space 136, Hills and Lakes 138, The Weather in the Hills 140, Iconic Peak 142 Index & Outlines 144

Read more less

Book SynopsisAs downhill skiing became popular in 20th-century Europe, resorts in the Austrian, German, French, and Swiss Alps commissioned paintings of their ski runs to turn into maps. The best of these paintings are now featured in this book showing the artists’ ability to combine technical virtuosity, geographic information, and creative flair. The undoubted master of panoramic map painting is H. C. Berann, and many examples of his works are shown in this beautiful volume, along with a select handful of artists from throughout Europe. Detailing scenes of the Alpine range from Slovenia to France, each of these images was created by hand from aerial photography, mostly shot by the artists on helicopter rides through the mountains. The paintings themselves cleverly combine multiple perspectives so that all trails, terrain, and mountain features are visible. In these exquisite reproductions, the paintings have been stripped of all references to the ski trails, allowing viewers to focus entirely on the beauty of the colours, composition, and detail. A joy to study and savour, these dramatic and vivid paintings recall a time when the human hand was the best means of translating the Alps’ towering beauty to the general public.

Read more less

Book SynopsisArtists wishing to capture the excitement and power of the sea in their artwork will find this book invaluable. Judith Yates uses a mix of traditional and more experimental techniques to create her dynamic seascapes, all of which are explained in clear, step-by-step sequences, annotated examples and Judith's stunning artworks. With sections on colour, composition, and creating atmosphere, this book is a comprehensive approach to painting the tumultuous ocean with a mix of acrylics, watercolour and acrylic inks. Judith's varied, mixed media approach gives this book wide appeal to watercolour and acrylics artists looking to expand their creative horizons. This book demystifies all aspects of painting the sea, including details on the form and anatomy of a wave; bringing light, atmosphere and drama into the sky; and choosing colours to create a mood. It also provides a great source of inspiration to artists who are drawn to the sea as a subject for their own paintings.Trade ReviewLose yourself in the excitement and power of seascapes with Judith Yates' latest release Dynamic Seascapes. With sections on colour, composition, and creating atmosphere, this book is a comprehensive approach to painting the tumultuous ocean with a mix of acrylics, watercolour and acrylic inks. Judith uses a mix of traditional and more experimental techniques, and this combined with her mixed media approach means this is perfect for anyone looking to expand their creative horizons. * Crafts Beautiful * Social media gets a bad press. However, it was also responsible for the genesis of this book. The publishers of Leisure Painter and The Artist magazines put one of Judith's pictures on Twitter. I thought it looked interesting and decided to investigate further. It quickly became apparent that she is one of the best seascape artists I'd seen for a long time, so I suggested that Search Press might like to talk to her. And here, a couple of years later, we are. Water is one of the hardest subjects to paint. It's hardly ever static, has no real substance and no colour of its own, yet it presents in many different moods, almost all of them related to movement and surroundings. So, how do you represent that in a single image? Well, that's what the book is all about. The subtitle is "how to paint seas and skies with drama and energy" and it has that in spades. Working in watercolour, acrylic, ink and mixed media, Judith will show you how to capture all the forms and moods of the sea, from a calm evening estuary to storm-blown waves breaking on a rocky shore. Although water is the primary subject, Judith does not forget the shorelines, landscapes and of course skies that make up a complete seascape. She'll show you how light both affects the appearance of water and is affected by it through refraction and reflection. She'll also demonstrate ways of capturing the solid appearance of a breaking wave and how to create the sense of power and movement that are essential to giving your image a feeling of being anything but static and two-dimensional. There are plenty of examples, exercises and demonstrations as well as explanations of the way water behaves in just about every situation. The book is every bit as exciting as its subject. -- Henry Malt * Artbookreview.net * Colourful and inspiring. This book is packed full of beautiful colour paintings using the artist's preferred water based paints and acrylics, each with a handy description explaining how the effects were achieved. There are chapters covering observation and materials followed by a very useful section on colour mixing and palettes to create mood and atmosphere. It describes how to first understand the sea with a section on capturing light through waves and how to paint the swell of the sea. There are some good ideas about using different brush and palette knife strokes and some clever tricks to give texture to your painting along with chapters on composition and foreground extras. There are also two detailed step-by-step paintings that you can follow. -- Lyla Horley * Amazon * In her new book, Dynamic Seascapes, Judith Yates demystifies all aspects of painting the sea and shows you how to start painting your own successful seascapes full of atmosphere and drama. Judith is a professional artist and runs painting workshops from her home studio as well as tutoring art holidays in the Dordogne so she understands many of the problems faced by artists trying to capture a volatile environment. A mixture of traditional and more experimental techniques are employed and clearly explained in step-by-step sequences, using a range of media, including acrylic inks. There's detailed information on how to capture form and anatomy of a wave, as well as ways to use colour and light to add drama to the scene. Step-by-step projects include a wild seascape and shimmering mist, which will inspire you to create dynamic seascapes of your own. * Leisure Painter * Most "how to" books I've come across tend to have step-by-step instructions, but don't necessarily explain why a particular technique is used. In this book however, Judith Yates goes into detail on the paints, surfaces and techniques, so you can learn the skills to paint your own seas as well. I've never been overly confident on mixing paints to get the exact colours I need, but Judith even includes a section on mixing for subtle tones, so you aren't left floundering. The two step-by-step projects break down what looks like a "that's beyond my skill level" painting into much easier steps, where it feels like I can actually end up with something that looks like a dynamic sea at the end! Overall I think this is a fantastic book, and it's also inspired me to try painting on different surfaces rather than just sticking with canvas. * Amazon * There's an old adage that you can never step in the same river twice. It could also be said that you can never actually see a wave. It is, after all, just a movement, albeit one given form by that least and most solid of substances: water. As a form, it's constantly changing and it's that change that makes it what it is. To paint a wave, therefore, requires the artist to freeze an infinitely small moment while also conveying the sense of motion and drama that a wave produces. Judith meets this seemingly impossible challenge head-on in watercolour and acrylic, explaining techniques both of creation and application, She considers drama, serenity, light and reflections as well as skies, buildings and landforms. This is an exciting and thoroughly practical guide to painting seascapes that covers all the moods of the sea and a huge variety of ways to depict them. -- Henry Malt * The Artist *Table of ContentsIntroduction 6 My inspiration 8 Materials 14 Colour 24 Understanding the sea 32 Mark-making 40 Expression and dynamism 50 Wild seascape - Step-by-step project 70 Shimmering mist - Step-by-step project 84 Composition 96 Compositional basics 98, Point of view 100, Creating drama 104, Skies and light 110, Foreground: added elements 116, Texture, tricks and illusions 122 Creating mood and atmosphere 128 Elements of atmosphere 128, Stormy raging seas 130, Misty, ethereal atmosphere 132, Calm, shimmering waters 134, Dreamy atmosphere 136, Brooding mystery 138, Dreamy nostalgia 140 Afterword 142 Index 144

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewWhen this arrived, I felt the need to create a new term for the style and came up with Soft Realism. That’s to say: detailed, sharp outlines in ink with a more impressionistic background supplied with pleasantly subtle pencil work. It’s not pen & wash because pencils capture a lot more detail as well as graduation and shading. There’s no shortage of books on coloured pencil work, but this is, I think, unique and Helen Hanson explains both her aims and working methods thoroughly. -- Henry Malt, The Artist * The Artist *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTake a 30-day art challenge and build watercolor skills while creating 30 gorgeous skies for every time of day and light effect. Art challenges are a popular way for artists at all skill levels to learn about and master a medium and establish a consistent creative practice. Written and illustrated by Zaneena Nabeel, popular Instagram artist and online art instructor also known as Aurora by Z, Bold and Beautiful Watercolor Skies teaches aspiring artists how to master simple techniques to create inspiring images of striking skies through 30 sky projects.   Getting to Know Watercolor. Learn about the essential supplies, techniques, and color knowledge through easy exercises that give you the skills you’ll need to create the projects. Bold and Beautiful Skies: 30 Days, 30 Projects. Explore what an art challenge can help you achieve as an artist, then follow the 30 step-by-step tutorials to create a range of stunning,Trade Review"The book is organized into clear, step-by-step instructions and you’ll simply love the color combinations. You start understanding the skies immediately and may find yourself watching the sunset with a whole new mindset." * GeekDad *"An ideal and effective DIY introduction to painting with watercolors." * Midwest Book Review *

Read more less

Book SynopsisRevealing the best of Lonely Planet’s travel photography from across the globe, this pictorial does more than display beautiful photographs of classic scenes and locations. Our photographers – in their words – share the backstories of how they got the perfect shot, making this an inspirational and illuminating photography book for every kind of traveller.Featuring over 200 photographs from renowned photographers such as Philip Lee Harvey and Jonathan Gregson, discover the stories behind what makes a good photo and exactly how each photograph was taken. From off-the-map locations barely touched by tourism to iconic cityscapes and UNESCO World Heritage Sites, be transported on a photographic journey all around the world. From the Temples of Angkor to the enchanting Faroe Islands, no corner of the world will be left unturned.This must-have pictorial book is a celebration of classic travel photography and the stories behind the images; get inspired to escape.About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world’s number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we’ve printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You’ll also find our content online, on mobile, video and in 14 languages, 12 international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, eBooks, and more.

Read more less

Book SynopsisNew and experimental ways to capture landscape in acrylics. Landscape artist Paul Bailey's fascination with the natural world is sensationally conveyed in his colourful and semi-abstract paintings. In Experimental Nature in Acrylics, he reveals his techniques for the first time – making it simple for readers to produce their own work that is abstract, evocative and full of vivid colour. Through easy-to-follow explanations and step-by-step demonstrations, Paul describes how to manipulate the medium in surprising – yet often simple – ways. Readers will learn how distil craggy cliffs, rolling farmland hills, tidal rivers or flat, open-skied wilderness in striking and unusual colour palettes. There are tips on how to paint organic shapes and using abstract elements in the natural landscape as the basis for a painting, and how to create a compositional sense of rhythm. Paul’s beautiful and contemporary work appears throughout the book and acts as a masterclass in scraping, pulling, weathering and splattering the paint. As well as showing how to build layer upon layer, the process of construction and how to tease a sense of movement from a static image. This essential guide is a must for anyone wishing to augment their understanding of the acrylic medium and appreciation of composition and colour, and to liberate their own beautiful paintings.

Read more less

Book SynopsisBy the bestselling author of Storyland.Sheer cliffs, salt spray, explosive sea spume, thunderous clouds, icy waves, whales with mountains on their backs, sleet, bitter winds, bleak, impenetrable marshes, howling wolves, forests, the unceasing cries of birds and the death grip of subterranean vaults that have never seen the sun: these are wild landscapes of a world almost familiar.In Wild, Amy Jeffs journeys - on foot and through medieval texts - from landscapes of desolation to hope, offering the reader an insight into a world at once distant and profoundly close to home. The seven chapters, entitled Earth, Ocean, Forest, Beast, Fen, Catastrophe, Paradise, open with fiction and close with reflection. They blend reflections of travels through fen, forest and cave, with retelling of medieval texts that offer rich depictions of the natural world. From the Old English elegies to the englynion and immrama of the Celtic world - stories that largely represent figures whose voices are not generally heard in the corpus of medieval literature: women, outcasts, animals.Illustrated with original wood engravings, evoking an atmospheric world of whales, wolves, caves, cuckoos and reeds, Wild: Tales From Early Medieval Britain will leave readers feeling 'westendream': delight in the wilderness.Trade ReviewA beautiful retelling of British myths and exquisitely illustrated too. -- James Holland on Storyland, Daily Express (Book of the Year)This gorgeous book should live on the bookshelves in every house that cares about "the idea of Britain, what is was and where it came from." -- The Times (On Storyland)Marries words and images to create a special echo of this country's rich past. * The Times *Jeffs is the narrator, providing a reading that is suffused with portent and otherworldliness. Listeners gain a series of folk songs, written and performed by Jeffs, each of which adds a thrilling new dimension to these ancient fables. * Guardian (Audiobook of the Week) *Across seven themed chapters the Storyland author presents an inspiring excavation of the British countryside through diverse medieval texts. * Waterstones (The Best History Books of 2022) *Jeffs teases out nuance, divining moral and metaphorical meaning from each story, and questions ways that this living history of Britain impacts upon our present-day understanding of landscape. The writing throughout is celebratory and evocative. * Art Quarterly *Jeffs has a gift for breathing new life into ancient stories through her lyrical writing, deep research and evocative woodcuts. She connects our mythic history to the landscape with delicacy and humour. Reading Wild feels like being led by the hand through a gnarled, old growth forest, along empty shoreflats, and along the edge of windswept cliffs - and shown how to experience them through medieval eyes. It's a jewel of a book. -- Natalie Lawrence - co-author of Planta Sapiens: Unmasking Plant IntelligenceImmersive . . . Her stories are arranged across seven chapters - Earth, Ocean, Forest, Beast, Fen, Catastrophe and Paradise. Jeffs, a medieval scholar with her own wild streak, introduces each in confident, forceful tones. She also sings six of her songs, accompanied by early musical instruments. Lucy Paterson, who has one of those warm, low,rich voices that can hold you mesmerised, tells the tales. * The Times (Audiobook of the Week) *An extraordinarily multidimensional work, moving seamlessly from creative retellings of the stories to explanations of the texts and where they came from, underpinned all the time by sound academic understanding. Those reading the print version can marvel at the extraordinary black-and-white wood cuttings that break up the chapters, while those enjoying the audiobook version can listen to music inspired by the same tales. * Countryfile Magazine (Best nature and wildlife books for 2023) *This beautiful book . . . takes the reader back into the medieval mind, exploring ancient myths and poems rooted deep in the British landscape. * Wiltshire Life *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA guide to landscape painting for complete beginners with simple exercises. Hazel Soan is a hugely successful painter and an outstanding teacher and author of art books, which have introduced the wonders of art to a generation of amateur artists. In this book she teaches you how to get to grips with watercolour landscapes in the space of an afternoon. The book explores the basics of watercolour landscapes with lots of simple exercises and step-by-step demonstrations that are perfect for beginners. That life-long ambition of painting somewhere that is important to you can become a possibility with the help of this nifty little book. Topics covered include creating space, composition and focus, light and shadows, colours of the landscape and the mixing of watercolours. Watercolour painting techniques such as painting en plein air, brushwork, creating texture, wet into wet and wet on dry are explained. The book also explores specific landscape themes such as skies, foliage, forests, gardens, seascapes, wilderness, sunsets, urban landscapes, panoramas, sunsets and many more.Trade Review'Refreshingly cuts through the mystique and, frankly, waffle you may find elsewhere. … It’s little short of magic' -- Henry Malt, * The Artist *'Quite simply one of the best guides to landscape painting you’ll find' * Art Book Review *'Hazel, with her years of teaching experience, is the ideal person to teach good habits from the outset' * Leisure Painter *'Perfect for recreating your favourite places' * Crafts Beautiful *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen Georgia O'Keeffe first visited New Mexico in 1917, she was instantly drawn to the stark beauty of its unusual architectural and landscape forms. This book analyzes the artist's famous depictions of these Southwestern landscapes. It accompanies an exhibition of the same name at the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico.Trade ReviewWinner of the 2005 Book Award in Fine Art, Independent Publisher Book Awards "The illustrations are beautifully reproduced, and the book's three essays are intelligent, carefully researched, and elegantly presented."--Roxana Robinson, The Wilson Quarterly "In her meticulous account, Lesley Poling-Kempes discusses the geophysical origins of this land of 'extremes and contrast,' analyzing the layered stone formations and matching them up with O'Keeffe's keen observations of red shales, sandshales and silt stones created 200 million years ago... Frederich W. Turner steps more intimately into O'Keeffe's preserve, discussing her eccentricities, her remoteness from others sharing the land ... and the mythology she did much to create... Once installed in New Mexico, though, she became an authentic new conquistador, he concludes, and entered her true final domain."--Dore Ashton, Times Literary SupplementTable of ContentsDirector's Foreward 7 Georgia O'Keefe and New Mexica: A Sense of Place by Barbara Buhler Lynes 11 A Sense of Place I: Toas, Alcalde, Tierra Azul, Ghost Ranch, Black Place 59 A Call to Place by Lesley Poling-Kempes 77 A Sense of Place II: Chama River, White Place, Abiquiu, Ghost Ranch 89 On Her Conquest of Space by Frederick W. Turner 109 Chronology 125 Checklist 128 Suggestions for Further Reading 134 Acknowledgments 136 Index 138 Photography Credits 143

Read more less

Book SynopsisLearn how to create your own Deep Impasto® masterpieces using a palette knife and oil paints with this book featuring tips, techniques, and 8 complete step-by-step projects.Professional artist Lisa Elley works from her studio in the San Francisco Bay Area with the purpose of inspiring and bringing joy to people through her art. In Palette Knife Painting: Deep Impasto, Lisa shares her techniques with you through easy-to-follow step-by-step projects.Learn to paint:   Art inspired by Vincent van Gogh Seascapes and landscapes A Tuscan vineyard Flower fields Wet-into-wet (alla prima) With texture And more! Also included in the book are:   Primers on the best palette knives and paints to use Color mixing and color theory instructions Beautiful, textured artwork that seems to lTrade Review"An ideal, comprehensive, and thoroughly 'user friendly' DIY course of instruction for artists of all skill levels looking to learn to paint and scrape with oil paint." * Midwest Book Review *"Far from a how-to for beginners, this book includes projects that expertly teach processes, such as color blocking, blending, and multiple effects that can be executed with a knife." * Library Journal *Table of ContentsContents Introduction Why Paint with a Palette Knife? Getting Started Hokusai–Inspired Ocean Wave Van Gogh–Inspired Poppy Field Van Gogh–Inspired Irises Piccola Casa (The Little House) Summer Peonies Birch Tree Forest in the Fall Coastal Landscape with Wildflowers Tuscan Vineyard Landscape with Sunflowers Cleanup & Care Signing Your Art Varnishing Presenting Wiring a Painting About the Artist

Read more less

Book SynopsisAs inviting and sensual as a warm summer day, this opulent exhibition catalog offers a deep appreciation of Klimt's ornate, exquisitely detailed, and atmospheric landscape paintings. For the last twenty years of his career, Gustav Klimt devoted considerable energy to painting landscapes during his summer vacations-and these bucolic scenes became some of his most sought-after pictures. Filled with vibrant high-quality reproductions and featuring engaging essays by leading scholars in the field, this exhibition catalog situates Klimt's landscapes alongside fin-de-sie cle fashion, photography, and decorative arts of the Wiener Werksta tte in particular. Klimt's landscapes are examined within the context of his larger oeuvre and traces the evolution of his style: from one informed by the academic tradition, to his ornate "golden style" decorative approach influenced by the ideal of the Gesamtkunstwerk, and then to a more painterly manner of working in pure color. The book also considers Klimt's relationship with his muse, fashion designer Emilie Flo ge; his deep engagement with the Viennese avant-garde; and the specific techniques he employed to achieve mesmerizing, harmonious works that literally shimmer with light and color.

Read more less

Book SynopsisFulfilling a lifetime dream of finding a house by the sea, Pearl Lowe now brings her laid-back decorating style to coastal living with Faded Glamour by the Sea. Pearl Lowe's gloriously decadent yet perfectly lived-in decorating style was featured in her bestselling interiors book Faded Glamour. Now Pearl is taking us to the coast, and in Faded Glamour by the Sea we get the first glimpse of her new home – a beautiful renovation project that she and her husband, musician Danny Goffey, have created in East Sussex. Built in the 1940s for an artist whose shell sculptures are still dotted round the garden, the house and adjacent cabins have been lovingly restored by Pearl. The house may have been a life-long dream for the couple, who have always loved the solace of water, but it has only been just over a year in the making, thanks to the inspiration Pearl has drawn from many friends who live in the area and also further afield. And so she takes us on a tour of their seaside homes. A pair of antique dealers whose love of all things French inspired them to set up their own brocante in Kent; an artist with a love of beach huts; an author who swapped London life for a clifftop house with his own writer’s hut. Add to this the Malibu beachfront home of stylist Rachel Ashwell, the hippy-chic style of supermodel Helena Christensen’s waterside retreat and the ‘punk noir Victorian’ vibe of the hotel created by friends from rock band The Libertines. In Faded Glamour by the Sea Pearl visits these properties, and as the owners tell their stories she explains how she found inspiration for this new chapter in her life.

Read more less

Book SynopsisHokusai’s series depicting Mount Fuji is widely considered to be the pinnacle of his career. This beautiful boxed accordion- fold edition comprises the full set of forty-six prints (the original thirty-six and ten more that were completed later) and features a luxurious silken binding along with a separate explanatory booklet. The book and booklet are packaged in an elegant slipcase. Devoted entirely to landscapes, Hokusai’s series shows Mount Fuji from various viewpoints, framed in different ways. An indefatigable traveler who was passionate about nature, Hokusai explored every vantage point and season at the volcano. He presented it both as a solitary and majestic snow-capped peak and as a smaller object on a distant horizon. Hokusai also portrayed the mountain as an element in Japanese daily life and as an imposing force of nature that can be peaceful and beneficent, or ferocious and unforgiving. These impeccably reproduced prints invite readers to examine Hokusai’s virtuosic use of color and composition, his talent for contrasting perspectives, and his interest in the dueling roles of man and nature. An exquisite objet d’art, this volume is the perfect vehicle for appreciating Hokusai’s crowning achievement in all its lasting and subtle beauty.Trade Review"Hokusai: Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, compactly presented in a handsome slipcase, opens up like a nigh-on infinitely expandable concertina of a book...This magnificent suite of woodblock prints feels as homey as it is exalted." —Hyperallergic"Hokusai: Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, compactly presented in a handsome slipcase, opens up like a nigh-on infinitely expandable concertina of a book, in wave after wave after wave of images of daily life as it proceeded in the eye of that dreamily cloud-wreathed sacred mountain...This magnificent suite of woodblock prints feels as homey as it is exalted. And how magically alluring is its oh so dominant Prussian Blue!"—Best Design Books

Read more less

Book SynopsisDiscover the history, legends and folklore of Britain's most intriguing landmarksThis beautifully illustrated book reveals the secrets and stories of fifty icons of Britain's landscape.Some are natural wonders, such as Cheddar Gorge, Sherwood Forest and the white cliffs of Dover. Others were made by our distant ancestors: the standing stones of Avebury and Calanais, the Uffington White Horse, the burial mounds of Sutton Hoo.Discover how they came to be, the legends and traditions that surround them, and how they have inspired famous writers and poets. Reconnect with our ancient landscape with this fascinating and surprising guide..

Read more less

Book SynopsisA fresh perspective on British landscape drawing in the Victorian and Modern eras. The attempts by artists of the Victorian and early Modern period to convey not merely the physical properties of a landscape but also its emotional and spiritual impact - landscape as 'places of the mind', as the critic Geoffrey Grigson put it - is the focus of this fascinating new study of British watercolours produced between 1850 and 1950. Drawing on the British Museum's impressive collection, this book explores artists' spiritual quests to capture the essence of landscape and convey a sense of place. Artists of the later nineteenth and early twentieth centuries drew on earlier traditions but developed and extended the genre through their imaginative, personal responses to the artistic, cultural and social upheavals of the time. The book includes works by Victorian artists Edward Burne-Jones, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Edward Poynter and by many well known twentieth-century artists, such as Trade Review'One of the best surveys of British landscape painting you are likely to find' - The Artist'Fascinating and original ' - Times Literary Supplement'Not merely a catalogue, but stands alone as a very interesting read' - The LadyTable of ContentsIntroduction The ‘tormentingly elusive’ art of drawing landscape, Kim Sloan A new ‘golden age’ : The ‘modern’ landscape watercolour, Jessica Feather South Country and other Imagined Places, Anna Gruetzner Robins Representation and reality in West Country landscapes, Sam Smiles Some Versions of Pastoral, Frances Carey

Read more less

Book SynopsisPresents a study of an important genre of Ming-dynasty Chinese painting in which landscapes are actually disguised portraits that celebrate an individual and his achievements, ambitions, and tastes in an open effort to win recognition, support, and social status.Trade Review"A detailed and insightful essay on a type of occasional painting popular in later China... In addition to its erudition, this book is a most enjoyable read."--Patricia Eichenbaum Karetzky, Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African StudiesTable of ContentsForeword 7 Preface and Acknowledgments 9 List of Illustrations 11 Chapter One 15 Early Commemorative Landscape in the Song Dynasty Chapter Two 41 Conspicuous Seclusion Chapter Three 79 What's in a Name? The Biehao Painting Notes 111 Selected Bibliography 117 Glossary of Chinese Names and Terms 125 Index 131

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"The book is wonderfully printed on an eggshell tinted paper, providing a soft warmth to the many images and heightens the effects of the warmer toned images that Gowin has created, varying from a neutral grayscale to a very warm tint. . . . I find the photographs ethereal and surreal."---Douglas Stockdale, PhotoBook Journal

Read more less

Book SynopsisDespite the famously uncooperative Irish weather, John Hinde's postcards of Ireland featured bright sunshine and blue skies, a country seemingly peopled entirely with redheads, happy donkeys carrying turf, and charming cottages that appeared to grow upward from the earth itself. Cars and sweaters were in primary colours, and scarlet rhododendrons sprang up in the unlikeliest of places.John Hinde had a clear vision: We need to be uplifted rather than depressed. To me pictures should always convey a positive, good feeling, something which makes people happy, which makes them smile, which makes them appreciate some tenderness.'In these postcards, the world is a sunnier, less complicated and more colourful place. Join Paul Kelly as he returns to John Hinde's Ireland on a photographic pilgrimage, capturing some places that have changed forever, and some that are just the same.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPractical instruction from detailed painting techniques to principles of composition and colour, with example projects, in an updated new edition.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisJoin physician and landscape photographer Mohan Bhasker on a round-the-world journey to some of Earth''s most exquisite sites. Vicariously traverse a Laos jungle, kayak among Antarctica''s icebergs, trek through Nepal''s Himalayan mountain range and Brazil''s scorching sand dunes, and come upon impossibly blue lagoons tucked into the rugged Argentine terrain. Interspersed with the images are adventure travel stories about close calls with nature, opportunities missed, serendipitous timing, and the payoff of persistence. The camera lens lingers on everything from pristine panoramas to quiet coves and closeups of penguin chicks. In a fifteen-year collection of more than 220 photographs, the author pays tribute to the beauty, history, and significance of some of the most remote places on Earth.Trade ReviewThis handsomely produced volume has many landscape-oriented prints over two pages with excellent low-gloss plate transfers by Schiffer Publishing. The final section of the book features dancers in the deserts of Mongolia, a hookah salon in India, fisherman in Laos, and otherwise stunning natural portraits. Hope there is a sequel. -- Lew J. Whittington, New York Journal of BooksVery highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library Photography collections, "Seven Continents: Photography of Mohan Bhaskar" is a fifteen-year collection...visually celebrating the beauty, history, and significance of some of the most remote places on earth. -- The Photography Shelf, Library Bookwatch: February 2016

Read more less

Book SynopsisFred Weyman''s photographs reflect the same kind of passion for their subject as Ansel Adams.Michael Brune, Executive Director, Sierra Club Stunning landscape photographs of California''s Sierra Nevada Mountains, from Lake Tahoe to Sequoia National Park The Sierra Nevada Mountains don''t easily reveal their treasures, but this photographic compilation, the result of over thirty backpacking trips in the remote high country, reveals the spirit and beauty of a national gem through brilliant images. Focusing on carefully selected landscapes captured from virtually impossible vantage points, the photographs reflect a genuine Sierra backcountry experience. Witness the disappearing edges between water and rocks at Lake Aloha, the scant vegetation peeking out between slabs of smooth granite in Cherry Creek Canyon, and read about the natural processes that led to the creation of waterfalls, glaciers, and lakes. The painstakingly crafted compositions demonstrate how light can determine the way one sees and remembers a landscape. Musings about the Sierra Nevada by naturalists, mountaineers, and writers, including John Muir, Norman Clyde, Jane Wilson-Howarth, and Jack Kerouac, complement the arresting photography.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe majesty of the Grand Canyon is celebrated from the Colorado River as it continues to carve America's natural wonder from a mile below the rim.As one of the Wonders of the World and the most iconic national park in America, the Grand Canyon enthralls six million visitors each year. Only a small fraction of those people, however, have the privilege of experiencing the canyon by rafting down the Colorado River. The Grand Canyon captures and evokes the power of that journey from the drama of the rapids and the immeasurable scale of the canyon walls to the subtle rock patterns and varied life forms.What started as an exceptional opportunity for Tom Blagden to raft through The Canyon in 2006 with Rod Nash at the oars has evolved into a passionate photographic pursuit that still continues. The route--the River--is the same every time but the experience constantly variable and deeply profound. Rafters never tire of it and, if anything, feel more in awe of the Cany

Read more less

Book SynopsisHarlan Hubbard (1900-1988), Kentucky writer, environmentalist and artist, spent many years trying to rediscover and revive the vanishing language of landscape in his watercolor paintings. Known for their sense of drifting movement and their depiction of the simple way of life for which Hubbard was known, they inexplicably remain his least-studied artworks, despite being some of the best evidence of Hubbard''s place in the history of landscape painting.The Watercolors of Harlan Hubbard not only argues Hubbard''s place in the art historical canon, but also highlight and analyze the artist''s own voice. In this unique collection, more than 200 watercolors are interspersed with anecdotes to present a personal meditation on the influence that Hubbard''s work has had on the lives of those who knew him.Table of ContentsPreface Foreword Personal Wilderness Buildings Railroads & People Boats Landscapes River Landscapes River Towns Bayous Western Trips Great Lakes Payne Hollow

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this highly original book, Tricia Cusak explores the significance of painted riverscapes to the creation of national identities in nineteenth and early twentieth century Europe and America. Focusing on five rivers, the author outlines the history of the development of national landscapes, elaborating on the distinctive nature of riverscapes.

Read more less

Book SynopsisRecognized as a major Pop artist in his day, Allan D’Arcangelo (1930–1998) has yet to receive the critical reevaluation of painters like Roy Lichtenstein and James Rosenquist. His first monograph in nearly a decade introduces new audiences to his iconic paintings, particularly his celebrated visions of life on the road.Like Pop peers Andy Warhol and Ed Ruscha, Allan D’Arcangelo incorporated mass-manufactured images in works that elevate scenes of everyday American life. While his work often features imagery from more familiar 1960s art—Jacqueline Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe, smoking pin-up girls, Superman, Lucky Strike—it differs in the surreal elements he introduced to Pop tropes and romantic views of the American industrial landscape.D’Arcangelo once observed his “most profound experiences of landscape were looking through the windshield.” The artist brought a Pop sensibility to the tradition of landscape painting

Read more less

Book SynopsisA fresh look at one of America’s best-known and beloved artists at a pivotal but little-known moment in his life that profoundly shaped both his art and career.Edward Hopper & Cape Ann tells the largely ignored but significant origin story of Edward Hopper’s years in and around Gloucester, Massachusetts—a period and place that imbued Hopper’s paintings with a clarity and purpose that had eluded his earlier work. This volume focuses on summers Hopper spent there in the 1920s, starting in 1923, when he first embraced watercolor during outdoor painting excursions on Cape Ann and discovered one of his favorite subjects: houses and vernacular architecture. The success of Hopper’s Gloucester watercolors transformed his work in all media and set the stage for his monumental career.Accompanying a major retrospective at the Cape Ann Museum, including an unprecedented loan of twenty-eight works from the Whitney Museum of American Art, tTrade Review"A lavishly produced catalogue, the text thoroughly researched and beautifully written by Elliot Bostwick Davis (a former head of American art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston). If you can’t go, the book will do nicely. But the show is worth traveling to see." —The Washington Post"This once-in-a-generation exhibition, and the accompanying 224-page catalog being published by Rizzoli Electa, are curated by nationally recognized curator and former museum director Elliot Bostwick Davis, PhD. 'Despite painting in Gloucester in 1912 and in Maine for six more summers, Hopper initially struggled to find a distinctive artistic voice,' writes Davis. 'Hopper understood that Gloucester, familiar from his earlier trip in 1912, was perhaps his last chance to make a name for himself as a painter at the age of 41. By 1923, he was supporting himself as an illustrator and etcher; his only painting sale had occurred over a decade earlier.'" —AUCTION CENTRAL NEWS

Read more less

Book SynopsisFueled by an abiding concern with environmental crisis for more than three decades, contemporary artist Alexis Rockman (b. 1962) depicts an ominous and complex vision of ocean life affected by humankind in a monumental new series titled Oceanus.

Read more less

Book SynopsisOffers an expanded, pictorial review of the history of painting in Oregon from 1859-1959. The book expands the focus on the history of painting in Oregon, adding essays on Impressionism and Modernism while using more and better visual examples to illustrate the strength of the state's early painters.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA warm, feel-good novel perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley and Holly Hepburn

Read more less

Book SynopsisDark Waters, Kristine Potter’s second monograph, continues her engagement with the American landscape as a palimpsest for cultural ideologies. In this dark and brooding series, Potter reflects on the Southern Gothic landscape as evoked in the popular imagination of “murder ballads” from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Her seductive, richly detailed black-and-white images channel the setting and characters of these songs, capturing the landscape of the American South, and creating a series of evocative portraits that stand in for the oft-unnamed women at the center of their stories. In the American murder ballad, which has taken on cult appeal and continue to be rerecorded even to this day, the riverscape is frequently the stage of crimes as described in their lyrics. Places like Murder Creek, Bloody Fork, and Deadman’s Pond are haunted by both the victim and perpetrator of violence in the world Potter conjures, reflecting the casual and popular glamorization of violence against women that remains prevalent in today’s cultural landscape. As Potter notes, “I see a through line of violent exhibitionism from those early murder ballads, to the Wild West shows, to the contemporary landscape of cinema and television. Culturally, we seem to require it.” Dark Waters both evokes and exorcises the sense of threat and foreboding that women often grapple with as they move through the world. Author Rebecca Bengal contributes an evocative short story that underscores the sense of anxiety and foreboding that Potter infuses into each of her images; a deliciously compelling, if chilling, combination. Copublished by Aperture with Images Vevey and The Momentary

Read more less

Book SynopsisDid you know that Kakadu National Park in Australia boasts some of the oldest exposed rock on the planet and is known to have been inhabited continuously for over 40,000 years? That Lake Malawi contains the largest number of fish species of any lake in the world-over 3,000? Or that the tiny Madeiran archipelago off the coast of Northern Africa is the last vestige of the original majestic laurel forests that once covered most of Southern Europe? Published in partnership with UNESCO World Heritage, Our Natural World Heritage showcases 50 of the planet's most beautiful and biodiverse landscapes, each identified as a site of outstanding universal value and an irreplaceable source of life and inspiration. Over 900 colour images and evocative, accessible text reveal what makes each site unique, through an exploration of its flora, fauna, and natural history. This is awe-inspiring natural beauty that belongs to us all.

Read more less

Book SynopsisYour artistic ability to bring wondrous backdrops to life is just a brushstroke away with Sarah Mckendry’s Oil Painting Landscapes. Now you can create breath-taking scenery—even if you’ve never held a brush—with Sarah’s easy-to-follow instructions and guided photography that take you carefully through each step. Sarah makes the process easier than ever by providing helpful tips for blending colour and adjusting artistic blunders, as well as information on oil painting techniques and material recommendations. To lower the cost of art supplies, each project uses only a handful of colours and keeps the number of necessary tools to a minimum— reducing stress for the aspiring artist. Inside you will find 12 stunning projects, all in Sarah’s unique, atmospheric style, including enchanting forests, tranquil sunsets, peaceful meadows and magnificent ocean waves. So pick up your brush and open your mind to a new creative journey: painting the world around you with soft, beautiful colour.

Read more less

Book Synopsis'An ever-dependable showcase for the best images of Britain.' - The Telegraph'No serious fan of landscape photography books should do without this.' - Digital Camera World 'A plethora of stunning black & white images that capture the UK's diverse topography in all its monochromatic glory.' - Black & White Photography'Together [the images] attest to photography as a wonderfully effective medium to place the viewer at the same spots as the photographers stood and feel something of the wonder they felt.' - ArtmagCharlie Waite is one of today's most respected landscape photographers and the Landscape Photographer of the Year competition is his brainchild. Beautifully presented, this book is a stunning collection of images of the natural world from incredible image-makers, both amateur and professional. Each image is captioned with the photographer's account of the inspiration behind the picture, coupled with the technical information on equipment and technique that shaped the photograph.A hugely prestigious competition, coupled with a high-profile author and an exhibition in central London, Landscape Photographer of the Year has enjoyed huge success in its thirteen years of publication.

Read more less

Book SynopsisExplore the deserts, mountains and souks of the Middle East, with best-selling author and artist David Bellamy. Following on from David’s highly acclaimed Arctic Light, this book provides an intriguing and often entertaining insight into South Arabia and the Swahili Coast, Jordan, Lebanon and Oman. It describes the history, culture, customs and geography of the region and the daily life of its inhabitants, as viewed through the eyes of a world-renowned watercolour artist and life-long adventurer. Filled with personal anecdotes and humour, David Bellamy’s unique account shines a light on the Middle East and highlights the incredible beauty and fascinating culture of this much-neglected region. David’s stunning artwork, that he painted during his various expeditions, features throughout the book and captures perfectly the diverse and majestic nature of the region. Watercolourists will be inspired by the author’s awe-inspiring ability to depict sweeping vistas and create a sense of space in his paintings, and to capture the very essence of a place through his art.Trade ReviewIf you thought the Middle East was just sand and showy ziggurats, think again. David Bellamy has always been a travel writer at heart and this book explores the spirit of a region the West often dismisses. His skill lies in finding the hidden corners that define the character of a place rather than its public faces and spaces. He also explores the life of the region through its people as they go about their daily lives; again, these are things done for practical purposes rather than public show. Thus, we get a quiet corner of Cairo at night (David doesn’t completely eschew the larger settlements), the eerie light of midday heat among the rocks of a wadi (a dry valley), where scale is provided by middle-ground figures. At the same time, David also visits Petra and Abu Simbel, somehow managing either to avoid the crowds, or at least edit them out. These results typify his ability to capture atmosphere – in words as well as pictures – with an assuredness that betokens both familiarity and understanding. David is no wide-eyed first-time tourist, and the book tells the stories of several journeys, giving each section an effective narrative arc, for he is also a master storyteller whose words and pictures are part of a whole, rather than one being an adjunct to another. Travel books are often separated between a writer and a photographer whose visions are – even if subtly – different. As a result, you look at the pictures as one piece of the jigsaw and the words as another, the illustrations being a counterpoint to what you are told. When the author is an artist, the images are not necessarily a blindly faithful record, but rather an assemblage that captures both the essence of the scene and the impression it made on the painter. That eerie light would be almost impossible to capture with a camera, but responds perfectly to the subtle hues and granulation of watercolour. The overall impression of this beautiful book is of the narrative arc I referred to before. It’s the story not just of a journey, but of a place and its people and David has done it supreme justice. -- Henry Malt * Artbookreview.net *Following Bellamy's highly acclaimed Arctic Light, this book goes to the other extreme in terms of heat, with a fascinating look at South Arabia, the Swahili Coast, Jordan, Lebanon and Oman. With his usual humour and personal insight, David creates a unique account in words and beautifully captured watercolour and sketches, of this ancient region, its history, culture, customs and geography. There's plenty to inspire the watercolourist here with a dedicated chapter and practical advice on capturing the essence of place and working in the heat with a fast-drying medium. * Leisure Painter *If you thought the Middle East was just about sand and glass skyscrapers, think again. David Bellamy is one of the best travel guides around and he introduces a world that’s filled with variety, colour and spectacle. As well as being an accomplished painter, David is a very capable writer and his career as a popular teacher has always been punctuated by books that absolutely capture the character and essence of a place. Here, he describes and illustrates the landscapes, culture, history and people of a region that will probably be unfamiliar to many. David works in a variety of weather and lighting conditions. He also finds the hidden corners as well as the wide vistas and includes traditional buildings and boats, as well as mountains, monuments and busy markets. Above all, he meets and talks to the people, learning about legend and tradition and bringing to life a world that teems with animation. The book is written as a journey and we learn about all corners of this fascinating area, as well as some of the practical aspects of painting in hot places – how to deal with washes that dry too quickly, blinding glare, suitable palettes and quite simply the etiquette of working with people to whom you are a complete stranger. Merely describing facts can be as dry as an empty oasis, but David is a canny narrator and he’ll take you with him on a journey of discovery that’s full of colour and light as well as stories and anecdotes, many of them more than a little amusing. When I knew this was coming up, I wasn’t at all sure what I was going to say about it: my interest in the Middle East was limited at best. But David has converted me. I’m more of an armchair traveller and I have every intention of reading this from cover to cover. * Paint Magazine (SAA) *David Bellamy is a master of travelogue. Take a journey with him here into a world that will be unfamiliar to many, but which presents riches for both the artist and the enquiring mind. In this enthralling book, he explores a wide area of the Middle East, examining landscapes, buildings and settlements. He meets its people and explains much of its history, illustrating both wide vistas and intimate corners. Although not a traditional tuitional book, the secret to its success is the symbiosis of words and pictures, for David is a compelling writer as well as a master of watercolour and drawing. While many travel books have a tension between the writer and the illustrator, here you are in the same sympathetic hands throughout. David's work is often dramatic, and there is indeed drama here, but also quiet views and corners. Above all, there is light, for the region is about so much more than sand and deserts and presents broad skies, varying weather and deep shadows in both towns and mountains. This is an eye-opening book, filled with beauty, information and anecdote that satisfies the enquiring and creative mind in every way. * SAA Catalogue *David Bellamy is fast establishing himself as a travel writer of the very finest quality. His publishing career began that way, of course, with The Wild Place of Britain, but this and his Arctic book are of a different order altogether. If you think the Middle East is all about glass skyscrapers and sand, think again. There are mountains, gorges and landscapes of breathtaking beauty as well as villages, markets, and above all, the people David meets on his travels. There's light and colour too, but this is a narrative that's told through words as well as pictures, with eloquent descriptions, narrative and anecdote complementing the images of stunning quality that the production here does full justice to. It's easy to dimiss the Middle East as perhaps of only passing interest, but tour de force makes it clear that it's a region whose beauty and variety should not be ignored. -- Henry Malt * The Arist *Table of ContentsIntroduction South Arabia & the Swahili Coast Egypt Jordan Oman Gilf Kebir Expedition Lebanon Painting in hot places Afterword Glossary Select bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisFill your home with original, professional art - and learn to paint at the same time. This innovative new series is a poster book, an art pad and a step-by-step painting book all rolled into one! Each of the five A3 posters are ready to pull out, frame and display. In addition, you can enjoy the calming pursuit of painting each of the pictures yourself using the pre-printed outlines - so no drawing required. The large, landscape format of the book allows each stage of painting to be clearly and comprehensively explained with an innovative annotation approach. Simply pull out the simple, stage-by-stage tutorial pages and pin them to your easel, then paint directly onto the watercolour outline for fantastic results. In this title, Country Scenes, learn to paint a range of inspiring landscapes: journey to a tranquil New Forest stream, a rolling Tuscan hillside and a snowy mountain river, and enjoy 5 masterclasses in landscape painting. Trade ReviewIf you have always wanted to try your hand at painting but don’t know where to start, Search Press has come up with an innovative solution with this new series. Inside this large format (A3) book are five sheets of watercolor paper with outlines printed on them plus fully illustrated tutorials and a brief overview. Work through the projects and you will have a set of five elegant landscapes for your walls. I love this idea; surely the best one yet that Search Press has come up with for total beginners. It keeps the budget down as you don’t have to buy the paper, just the relevant paints and brushes listed, plus primer to prime the paper and some masking fluid. There are even suggestions as to further economy such as using an old plate instead of buying a palette and using an old brush rather than buying a masking tape version. At this time of year you could imagine that this book plus a few of the necessary items would make a wonderful present for a would-be artist. Subjects include a river in winter, tranquil clearing with a church and bluebells, a summer stream, farm in Tuscany and my favorite scene of a meadow in spring with blossoms, trees and a stream. Each picture is shown full sized to give you an idea of what it can look like completed, although it suggests that you can use the outlines for your own interpretation too. Instructions are in color and show up to four stages of the relevant painting with arrows to short sections of text telling you what to do next. This is a good approach to a practical task and eliminates ploughing through pages of text and encourages you to get on with the actual painting. You don’t even have to stick to watercolors, as these pictures can also be completed using pastels, colored pencils or acrylics. At the front there are tips on priming, using masking fluid and how to use the book. It is also ideal as a refresher course or for anybody who can already paint but wants to try a new medium, or a new subject. In short, I can recommend this new series to anybody who wants to have a go at painting without too much startup expense but plenty of foolproof instructions. More titles please! If landscapes aren’t your thing or you still have some blank walls to fill, the other title in the series is Flowers. This follows exactly the same pattern with five floral studies of tulips, irises, sunflowers, roses and poppies. ISBN:9781782217558. -- Rachel Hyde * myShelf.com *Search Press's new series, Paint Pad Poster Books offer a poster book, art pad and step-by-step painting book all in one. Country Scenes shows you how to paint landscapes, and each of the five pull-out A3 posters can be framed and displayed. The stage by stage tutorial pages can also be pulled out so that you can access the information easily, painting directly onto the watercolour outline for quick and satisfying results. The landscapes include the River Esk, a blossom meadow, the short cut tutorial, farm in Tuscany and New Forest Stream. * Leisure Painter, March 2020 *Table of Contents- Introduction to the book and some general instructions - 5 pull-out posters - River Esk tutorial - Blossom Meadow tutorial - The Short Cut tutorial - Farm in Tuscany tutorial - New Forest Stream tutorial - 5 ready-to-paint outlines on watercolour paper

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn Watercolour Landscapes for the Absolute Beginner, artist and teacher Matthew Palmer guides beginners through their first steps in watercolour and shows what incredible landscapes can be achieved in this exciting medium. Step-by-step exercises, mini projects and six longer projects help you to build essential skills and allow you to produce a range of landscapes you will be proud of. Vital drawing skills are explained and demonstrated, along with key techniques such as how to use resists; colour mixing; painting natural-looking foliage; using the dry-brush technique to create intricate detail, and using scratch-out techniques to add sparkle and movement to water. The exercises are ideal for beginners and the main projects will also build skills for improving artists. Matthew has an accessible style, with plenty of tips and tricks for beginners to make things easier. A huge wealth of finished paintings provide ideas and inspiration for your own future watercolour landscapes. Full-size pull-out outlines are provided for the final projects. Includes material previously published in Matthew Palmer's Step-by-Step Guide to Watercolour Painting (2018), but with the addition of three brilliant new projects, many new illustrations and extensive textual revisions.Trade Review“There are no mistakes, only lessons,” says Matthew Palmer. With that attitude, he aims to take the complete novice and turn them into a painter. Could that be you? There are only six long step-by-step projects in here, because instead Matthew’s focus is on laying the foundations needed to succeed in painting watercolour landscapes. He takes the opening section of every watercolour guide and expands it. Leaving no stone unturned, from brush hairs to sketching chimneys, Matthew sets out to prepare you for everything. -- Andrew Turner * Papercrafter *Many artists tout their books as suitable for beginners; thirty-plus-year veteran watercolourist Palmer more than fulfils that promise. Every tool and material are scrutinized, with advice about buying the best, if possible. (One caveat: he tends to promote his own line of products heavily throughout.) Composition, through sketching, is first explained in terms of outlines and shapes, then expanded. Colour, of course, covers all the usual subjects (e.g., the colour wheel), then delves into the hues appropriate for water, sky, foliage, and the like. After all the preliminaries (including top techniques like salt and splattering), the six projects appear with every step documented, aligned with his "absolute beginner" guide. Foldout pages with outlines to copy start the painting process. Select from familiar pictures such as the northern lights, a waterfall in summer, a field of wildflowers. Tips proliferate, ranging from how to avoid ripping paper to an illustrated troubleshooting section. Could anyone flunk this beginner's school? Unlikely, if all directions are absorbed and followed. -- Barbara Jacobs * Booklist *This book has everything for the 'Absolute Beginner' and for those who have been painting for a while. It covers every aspect of watercolour painting from the beginning – materials, sketching the outline, perspective, colour, techniques, painting skies, water and trees – as well as troubleshooting. It takes the reader through each step, even giving outlines for the six projects it includes, so that if you do not know where to start it is all there for you. The quality of the tuition is second to none as is the quality of the illustrations. Another quality book not only from Matthew Palmer, but also from the publishers, Search Press. -- Barbara Marjoram * Customer Review *I absolutely love this watercolour book as I like to learn new skills or improve them when I get time to do so away from art college. The guides are simple and easily readable and as I am autistic so its important that all steps are clearly presented in order to further my understanding like everyone else. -- Chloe Elizabeth * Customer Review *Using material previously published in his Step-by-Step Guide to Watercolour Painting, 2018, Matthew Palmer's Watercolour Landscapes for the Absolute Beginner includes step-by-step exercises, mini projects and six longer projects to help you paint convincing landscapes in watercolour. Aimed specifically at the complete beginner, the instruction is clear and encouraging, with concise information on key techniques and plenty of tips and tricks to help along the way. Pull-out outlines of the main projects are included to get you started in colour straight away without the need for preparatory drawings. * Leisure Painter *In this thorough and enjoyable course, Matthew explains how to work from photographs, creating the basic sketch, the use of colour and washes and how to build a landscape in simple stages. Even if these are familiar to you, his simple explanations can provide new insights and he is particularly sound on the basics of perspective. * SAA Catalogue *Table of ContentsIntroduction 6, Materials 8, Inspiration 16, Sketching 22, Working outside 26, Useful drawings 28, Easy perspective 32, Colour 36, Building a scene 46, Top techniques 54, Painting skies 64, Painting water 68, Painting trees 73, Troubleshooting 82, The projects 86, Northern Lights – step by step 90, Venice in Monochrome – step by step 100, Hawaiian Sunset – step by step 114, Night-time Snow Scene – step by step 132, Waterfall in Summer – step by step 146, Wildflower Meadow – step by step 162, Index 176

Read more less