Originally published in 1930, this book contains the widely respected essay 'What Is Art', by the well-known Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, and is highly recommended for inclusion on the bookshelf of any fan of his works. Many of these earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the...

Bestselling author Sachiyo Ishii gives us mini knitted astronauts, planets, satellites, moon buggies, aliens and a whole host of astro-animals such as dogs, bunnies, elephants and giraffes. Knit your own fabulous cosmos with this delightful book! All the projects are quick and relatively simple to make, with very easy techniques to follow. There is a step-by-step section on how to sew the figures and animals together and the patterns are all suitable...

A guiding principle of Eastern art and design, focusing on the interaction between positive and negative space, demonstrated in 6 problems of progressive difficulty. Solutions will fascinate artists and designers of every calling and level of expertise, from painters and sculptors, potters and textile designers to architects and interior designers. 101 illustrations.

When a slam-bang of a crime brings a beautiful new client into Stone Barrington's office, little does he know his association with her will pull him into a far more serpentine mystery in the exclusive world of art. It's a business where a rare find could make a career -- and a collection -- and mistakes in judgment are costly. And under its genteel and high-minded veneer lurks an assortment of grifters and malfeasants eager to cash in on the game....

"Venture into a galaxy far, far away! Step-by-step diagrams show young artists how to use simple shapes and lines to create a variety of extraterrestrials. From Sluggo-blob to the more familiar Greens and Grays, just follow the steps shown in red to create fun and sometimes silly beings from outer space. A visit to the "Top Secret Alien Spare Parts Department" encourages kids to customize their designs with eyes, antennae, wings, arms, and legs, as...

A hand-signed porcelain urinal. An abstract drip painting. A silent 700 hour performance. Art has changed since the days of Giotto, Michelangelo, and even Picasso--and many of us are perplexed. Do modern and contemporary artists such as Marcel Duchamp, Jackson Pollock, and Marina Abramovic represent civilization's highest achievements? Or is something else afoot? In The Art of Looking, art critic Lance Esplund demonstrates that works of modern and...

Widely acknowledged as the most authoritative art critic of his generation, Hilton Kramer advanced his comments and judgments largely in the form of essays and short pieces. Thus, this first collection of his work to appear in twenty years is a signal event for the art world and for criticism generally. “The Triumph of Modernism” not only traces the vicissitudes of the art scene but diagnoses the state of modernism and its vital legacy in the...

Join noted watercolorist Ted Kautzky as he shares his wisdom on painting the infinitely wonderful details of trees and landscapes. Beginning with the fundamentals of good composition, value arrangement, balance, rhythm, and basic brushstrokes, the book explores ways of painting such important landscape components as trees, roads, puddles, rain, plant life, and fog. Individual chapters are devoted to painting forests, and different types of trees are...

The exotic imagery of ancient Egyptian art has been captured in this splendid collection of 371 illustrations, based on Egyptian originals. Among the designs are figures of gods and pharaohs, priests and priestesses, ordinary citizens, plants and animals, and scenes of state occasions, battles, funerary customs, domestic life, and more. The sources for the illustrations are wall paintings and decorations, pottery and jewelry, statuary, and architecture...

A missing masterwork in wood, the last creation of a master carver who died in the violent tumult of the sixteenth century, may be hidden in a medieval German castle in the town of Rothenburg. The prize has called to Vicky Bliss, drawing her and an arrogant male colleague into the forbidding citadel and its dark secrets. But the treasure hunt soon turns deadly. Here, where the blood of the long forgotten damned stains ancient stones, Vicky must face...