September 2023 MBR The Art Shelf

The Art Shelf

Van Gogh in Auvers-sur-Oise: His Final Months
Nienke Bakker, et al.
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500026731, $60.00, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Van-Gogh-Auvers-sur-Oise-Final-Months/dp/0500026734

Synopsis: A seminal, groundbreaking, impressive work of collaborative scholarship, "Van Gogh in Auvers-sur-Oise: His Final Months" offers a unique and impressive overview of the paintings and drawings that Vincent van Gogh created during the last seventy days of his life.

He produced no fewer than seventy-four paintings and over thirty drawings in the course of the intense, productive period leading up to his self-inflicted death on July 29, 1890. While the Portrait of Dr Gachet, The Church at Auvers, and Wheatfield with Crows are numbered among his greatest masterpieces, this part of his oeuvre is otherwise less known (unfairly so) than the sunny landscapes he painted in the south of France.

This large format volume (9.7 x 1.2 x 12 inches, 3.7 pounds) follows the artist from his arrival in Auvers-sur-Oise, where he set to work full of hope and with fresh ambitions, through to his final weeks. Essays by leading Van Gogh specialists highlight his artistic ambitions and mental state during this final phase, his exploration of the Auvers landscape, the flower still lifes, the portraits, and the panoramic landscapes he painted there, the role played by his drawings, and his artistic reputation at the time of his death and in the years immediately afterward.

In addition to the Auvers paintings, "Van Gogh in Auvers-sur-Oise: His Final Months" is richly illustrated throughout with drawings, sketches, historical photographs, and detailed maps of the places Van Gogh worked. Also featured are related works by contemporaries and predecessors whom he admired.

Editorial Note: Enriched with the inclusion of 220 color illustrations enhancing insightful and informative commentaries by the contributors, "Van Gogh in Auvers-sur-Oise: His Final Months" is a welcome, unreservedly recommended, and essential contribution to personal, professional, community, college, and university library European Art History collections in general, and supplemental Van Gogh curriculum studies lists in particular.

Editorial Note: Nienke Bakker is senior curator at the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam. Louis van Tilborgh is senior researcher at the Van Gogh Museum. Emmanuel Coquery is senior curator
and associate deputy director of collections at the Musee d'Orsay, Paris. Teio Meedendorp is senior researcher at the Van Gogh Museum. Bregje Gerritse is a researcher at the Van Gogh Museum.

The Visionary Art of Nicholas Roerich
Jacqueline Decter
Park Street Press
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781644117972, $60.00, HC, 224pp

https://www.amazon.com/Visionary-Art-Nicholas-Roerich-Messenger/dp/1644117975

Synopsis: Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947) was a Russian artist, writer, archaeologist, explorer, mystic, theosophist, and peacemaker who left a rich legacy of nearly 7,000 visionary paintings and 30 books on the mystic East.

Twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize due to the Roerich Peace Pact (a remarkable treaty signed by President Roosevelt that sought to preserve cultural monuments during times of war) Roerich had a profound love for folk traditions of Russia, India, and Tibet, especially legends of lost cities and paradise. Together with his wife and two sons, from the 1890s into the 1930s, Roerich embarked on a number of spiritual quests through India, the Gobi Desert, the Altai and Kunlun Mountains, Mongolia, and Tibet, crisscrossing the Himalayan Mountains many times before settling in Kulu, India, in the shadows of the great mountain range.

Through his explorations throughout the world and the immersive art he created during those travels, he was seeking the grains of spiritual truth behind the legends of paradise lost, including during his pilgrimages in search of Shambala.

Revealing the mystical world of Nicholas Roerich in stunning full color, with the publication of "The Visionary Art of Nicholas Roerich: A Messenger of Beauty", Jacqueline Decter invites us to witness Roerich's far-reaching vision and dedication to beauty across the full scope of his inspiring life and artistic career.

This new hardcover edition from Park Street Press features Decter's translations of many Russian texts into English as well as 88 color plates showcasing the variety of Roerich's artistic talent, from breathtaking Himalayan landscapes and spiritual themes to set and costume designs, most notably for Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring.

A celebration of Roerich as both visionary artist and visionary explorer, this fully illustrated biography illuminates a man whose life and work significantly influenced the development of modern art and culture.

Critique: Beautifully illustrated and informative throughout, this large format hardcover (8 x 0.9 x 10 inches, 2.16 pounds) edition of "The Visionary Art of Nicholas Roerich: A Messenger of Beauty" will have a lasting and appreciative value for readers with an interest in New Age Mysticism art and photography. While a highly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Metaphysical Studies and Art collections, it should be noted that "The Visionary Art of Nicholas Roerich: A Messenger of Beauty" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $40.99).

Editorial Note: Jacqueline Decter, Ph.D., is a scholar of Russian literature with a doctorate in Slavic languages from the University of Michigan. She is also a former editor in chief at Doubleday Entertainment. (https://www.innertraditions.com/author/jacqueline-decter)

Drawing Digital
Lisa Bardot
Walter Foster Publishing
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
100 Cummings Center, Suite 265D, Beverly, MA 01915
www.quartoknows.com
9780760385326, $24.99, PB, 160pp

https://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Digital-complete-guide-learning/dp/0760385327

Synopsis: With the publication of "Drawing Digital: The Complete Guide for Learning to Draw & Paint on Your iPad", digital artist and teacher Lisa Bardot (the expert behind @BardotBrush), introduces the art of digital drawing. Using your tablet and Procreate, or another favorite drawing app, you can leave behind your pencil and paper and make art anywhere and at any time.

Lisa gets you started with a range of easy-to-follow projects ranging from A still life, Cacti in the desert, Flowers, Self-portraits, City scenes, and more! Accompanying each project are complete step-by-step instructions and Lisa Bardot's signature, vibrant artwork.

"Drawing Digital" also features: Tips for finding creative inspiration; Information on tools; App basics; How to draw and paint lines and shapes; Instructions for layering, duplicating, exporting, and more; A review that promises to help you draw anything.

Lisa works in Procreate; however, her instructions apply to any digital drawing app, so you can use whatever you have on hand. The projects, tips, and techniques offer the ideal starting point if you're a beginner to digital drawing, but if you're an expert, you're sure to learn plenty from Lisa's expert advice, as well.

Lisa finds great joy in creating, and soon you will too, wherever and whenever you like to draw.

Critique: Allowing and enabling even the most novice of aspiring iPad artists to start their artistic creativity and learn to draw on a tablet, "Drawing Digital: The Complete Guide for Learning to Draw & Paint on Your iPad" is impressively 'user friendly' in instruction, organization, and presentation. While very highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and art school instructional reference collections, it should be noted that "Drawing Digital" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).

Editorial Note: Lisa Bardot (https://bardotbrush.com/about-lisa-bardot) is an illustration artist, a teacher, and an all-around creative person based in California. With the iPad and Procreate as her tools of choice, she creates educational tutorials, industry-leading digital brushes, and art-making resources to help beginners and experienced artists alike find joy in creating. Her educational videos about drawing and illustration have been viewed millions of times, and she receives high praise for her thorough, concise, and fun teaching style. Additionally, she runs the Making Art Everyday artistic prompt challenge, followed by thousands of participants worldwide. You can check out more of Lisa's work on Instagram at @lisabardot, @bardotbrush, or on the Bardot Brush YouTube channel.

Drawing the Natural World
Tim Pond
The GMC Group
www.gmcbooks.com
9781784946388, $24.99, PB, 144pp

https://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Natural-World-Pond/dp/1784946389

Synopsis: "Drawing the Natural World" by Tim Pond is a practical and inspirational guide for artists of all abilities and at all levels of experience. It is divided into the fundamental concepts of art -- color and tone, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space to introduce the essential techniques and demonstrate how they can be used in drawing the natural world through practical projects.

Background information about the featured animals and plants will broaden the aspiring artist's awareness of and connection with the natural world. Further chapters cover the anatomy of animals to ensure posture and gait can be accurately captured, and the fundamentals of composition.

In this accessible DIY instructional guide, seasoned artist Tim Pond deftly blends natural history and science with art to help the aspiring artist understand the critical roles that animals and plants play in life

"Drawing the Natural World" features: An introduction to drawing materials and equipment; Is packed full of the author's beautiful, inspirational drawings; provides easy-to-follow step-by-step tutorials; and includes numerous tips and techniques to improve the aspiring artist's observational and drawing skills

Critique: Profusely illustrated with an informative commentary and step-by-step instructions, "Drawing the Natural World" is thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, making it a welcome, instructive, and highly recommended pick for personal, professional, community library and art school Drawing/Painting instruction collections.

Editorial Note: The career of Tim Pond (https://www.timpond.me) spans three decades of working in various media and for various clients, including books, magazines, newspapers, and film. Passionate about the natural world and education, Tim has attracted worldwide critical acclaim for his artwork of animals, landscape and plants. His artwork has taken him worldwide, from working as the expedition artist with Raleigh International in Alaska to sketching leaves in Mexico's tropical forest. Tim is proud of his affiliations with the Zoological Society of London, The Royal Veterinary College (where he is a guest lecturer on animal movement) and The Royal Society of Biology, where he is on a panel of judges for the Nancy Rothwell Award. He also offers independent art classes where live animals are the life models, often on farms or with owls in museums and at science festivals. His previous books are Watercolour the Natural World, published by GMC Publications and The Field Guide to Drawing & Sketching Animals (Search Press).

Special Effects Lettering and Calligraphy
Grace Frosen
Quarry Books
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
100 Cummings Center, Suite 265D, Beverly, MA 01915
www.quartoknows.com
9780760380543, $22.99, PB, 144pp

https://www.amazon.com/Special-Effects-Lettering-Calligraphy-Step/dp/0760380546

Synopsis: With the publication of "Special Effects Lettering and Calligraphy: A Beginner's Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Amazing Lettered Art - Explore New Styles, Colors, and Mediums", lettering artist and accomplished calligrapher Grace Frosen has created a fun, colorful, and inspiring guide for lettering enthusiasts at all levels of experience.

With respect to aspiring lettering artists and calligraphers, "Special Effects Lettering and Calligraphy" covers: Getting Started (experimenting with pens, paper, and other essential art materials; Creative Lettering for Beginners (warm-up exercises, hand-lettering basics, and alphabet guides); Adding Extra Sparkle (developing your own style and add various special effects and techniques to make your lettering pop); Colors and Blending (blending colors and learning to work with metallics and other glittering mediums; Oodles of Doodles (adding illustrations, flourishes, and embellishments to your lettering pieces; Putting It All Together (creating well-composed art pieces that combine different styles in beautiful layouts).

Critique: Profusely and informatively illustrated throughout with examples and exercises, "Special Effects Lettering and Calligraphy: A Beginner's Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Amazing Lettered Art - Explore New Styles, Colors, and Mediums" is an ideal instructional reference that explores a wide range of mediums and styles, including dazzling special effects, stunning color combinations, and impressive embellishments. While highly recommended for art school curriculums and DIY calligraphy instruction collections, it should be noted that "Special Effects Lettering and Calligraphy" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).

Editorial Note: Grace Frosen is a lettering artist and illustrator with a popular following on Instagram @gracecallidesigns. In addition to selling her doodle and lettering workbooks on her Etsy site GraceCalliStudios, Grace teaches a creative lettering class on the online teaching platform Domestika.

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