Modern Watercolor by Kristen Van Leuven

Tags

art, how to, non-fiction, painting

As I’ve mentioned before, I came late to art and I am trying my best to improve my skills in various media, especially watercolours. I was pleased to learn about Ms. Van Leuven’s modern take on watercolour painting and was keen to give it a go. I wasn’t disappointed.

His book isn’t for you if you have watercolour painting experience, but for a complete novice like me, it was just the ticket. The author takes us from the very basics of what materials to use, colour mixing and papers, right through to how to paint florals, landscapes and some animals, all with a modern, fresh look.

If you are a watercolour newbie, I can heartily recommend this bright, cheerful and instructive book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Anytime, Anywhere Art: Watercolour by Barbara Roth

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art, drawing, how to, non-fiction, painting

I’m fairly new to art and am always in the lookout for new books to help me hone my skills. Roth’ book was very inviting and I was pleased to work my way through.

First, the good points.

There is loads of advice on the materials and equipment one needs to get out and work outside.

Ms. Roth explains clearly how she approaches her art. She takes us through several paintings from initial sketch to how she mixed her colours and where to apply them. But oh my, those colours…

The garish choice of unnatural looking colours made me wince. This is probably down to personal taste, but the Eiffel Tower isn’t pink, and I found Ms Ruth’s style more illustrative rather than painterly.

However, this is a fun book with much good advice in it and well worth a look.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Trump The Greatest Show on Earth: The Deals, the Downfall, the Reinvention by Wayne Barrett

Tags

biography, non-fiction

I must admit I was in two minds about whether or not to read this book. I hate Donald Trump with a passion. Just seeing his smug, orange mug on TV is enough to set me off on one. But I reckoned that it is best to know your enemy, so I braved it.

This book was originally written in the early ’90s and has been reissued to tie in with Trump’s presidential campaign. Barrett has written a completely new and lengthy introduction to include what he knew of the campaign at the time of going to press. All I can say is that my suspicions of the duplicity, lies, questionable company and complete disregard for the rules that don’t suit him appear to be not only true, but worse than I ever expected.

I have to be honest here and state that I only got as far as reading about the underhanded business tactics of his father Fred before having to put the book down before my blood pressure went through the roof.

The quality of writing is superb and the author makes his case calmly and in a considered manner, so unlike the antics of the man himself. This is quality journalism and once I’ve calmed down a bit, I will go back and read more. I just wish more Americans would be aware of exactly what Trump is before the election in November.

Read this as your blood pressure allows you, but please read it.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Fantasy Artroom by Aaron Pocock

Tags

art, drawing, non-fiction

I’ve started crafting and painting and drawing a lot more than I used to as a form of depression therapy. It works for me. I requested this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review and I have to say that this is the first ‘how to draw’ book I have ever looked at, so I have nothing to compare it to. Having said that, The Fantasy Artroom isn’t quite what I was hoping for.

While the author does include a few detailed how-to pages, the book seems to be geared towards promoting his own, admittedly good, work and moves on to a level of detail that’s way beyond what I could attain without a great deal of hard work, if at all.

If you are looking for a book to further your art education, possibly moving to fantasy art after having some previous experience, this might just be the book for you. If, like me, you are a complete beginner, I think there may be better books out there.

In any road, below are a selection of pages from the book and my sad attempts to replicate them.

The Art and Craft of Handmade Books by Shereen LaPlantz

Tags

craft & hobby, how to, non-fiction

I have recently got back into crafting in a BIG way. I use it as therapy to help with depression and stress – creating something, no matter how small, is such a positive use of time and stops me dwelling on the things that make me anxious. It was with this renewed enthusiasm in mind that I opened The Art and Craft of Homemade Books in the hope that I’d find some projects to inspire me. I wasn’t disappointed.

I thought that Ms LaPlantz would be teaching me about bookbinding, how to make small books to use as art journals or sketch books. Instead, I was encouraged to totally rething what a book was and to see them as an art form in themselves. I think it’s fair to say that none of the books shown in the book are particularly practical, but they are expressive, artistic rather than artisan, and a gift that anyone would be pleased to receive as a gift.

The instructions are detailed and have diagrams to ease understanding and the author’s passion for her craft is apparent throughout the book. I loved the gallery of books made by other artists and learning the ‘lingo’ of bookbinding.

While I have to say that the more complex books were of little interest to me – I aspire to be a Jack of all trades rather than a master of any – I can’t wait to try out the simpler concertina fold books and to incorporate them into altered matchbox and altered altoid tin crafts.

A beautiful and worthwhile book if you are interested in exploring book making as an art form in itself.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Shape of Shit To Come

Tags

humour, non-fiction

Humour books are a bit of a hit or miss with me. Take the humour of Pratchett. Can’t stand it. Far too self congratulatory and knowing. But I thought I’d give this book a try because I was feeling pretty fed up and needed a good laugh. Did I get one? Well…

The book is fairly depressing in its take on what we as a species have done to our planet. There is a lot of humour there and there were many places where I smiled wryly. No belly laughs though.

If you liked “Is it Just Me or is Everything Shit?” you’ll love this. It just didn’t hit my funny bone.

3 poodles

Sunrise, Sunset: 52 Weeks of Awe & Gratitude.

Tags

inspiration, mindfulness, non-fiction, photography

During the spring and summer I see fabulous sunsets from the beach, two minutes walk from my home. The sun sets behind the islands of the inner Hebrides, turning the sea to molten gold. But from late August on, thanks to the progression of our planet around the sun, it sets behind the headland, out of sight.

Luckily, I came across this beautiful book – Sunrise, Sunset: 52 Weeks of Awe & Gratitude which has the most gorgeous photographs of the sun rising and falling in the Floridian sky.

Designed to offer inspiration for a full year, I found myself hungrily going from one page to the next, keen to devour each painted sky. The talented photographer, Kim Weiss, has captured a rich variety of skies, no two the same yet each with the familiarity of a shared memory. She has managed to capture the magnificence and awe of our beautiful sky.

The second time I opened the book I took the time to read the words accompanying each photograph. There are poems, anecdotes and meditation suggestions from an impressive variety of authors, counsellors, coaches and spiritual leaders. No one religion is favoured and I loved the inclusiveness of the contributors. Some of their words moved me more than others – of course they did – but there is merit in each contribution. My favourite words are from Joanne McCall and they accompany a photograph of a dawn sky, striated by candy clouds.

Mindfulness is becoming a popular practice for the 21st century and this little book would be a beautiful source of images and words to prompt one’s daily meditation.

Recommended.

Gangs of Glasgow

Tags

crime, gangs, non-fiction

Robert Jeffries writes, “research conducted by Glasgow University’s Professor Neil McKeganey shows that one in three boys and one in twelve girls across Scotland has carried a knife at some time.” A chilling figure.
I am Glaswegian and come from Easterhouse, one of the areas badly troubled by gangs in the seventies and can report first hand how bad gang warfare was. Avoiding contact with these gangs was an everyday pre-occupation throughout much of my childhood. There were running battles between rival gangs where knives, swords, bricks and chains were the weapons of choice.
Jeffries book is a well researched non-sensationalist historical account of the Glasgow gang problems over the past 100+ years. He looks at the various methods tried to eradicate the gangs, their changing motivations and the emergence of the ‘Glasgow Godfathers’. There is a chapter on the names of the various gangs and I was shocked to be reminded that there were three seperate gangs in my small scheme that contained only 4 streets.
I’ll finish this by saying that Glasgow is not a violent city first and foremost now. Whereas previously Gangs ran in the open and many innocent bystanders were sucked into the violence, nowadays the gangs are concentrated around organised crime and a normal citizen is unlikely to ever have any dealings with them. Not knowingly, anyway. But if you live in a good area, some of the people shopping at the supermarket could be involved in the gangs of the 21st century.
It’s this way in every big city, and Glasgow is no different.