This book introduces the reader to 32 self-taught artists in the Southeastern United States. Some have already come to the attention of collectors and scholars. Many others have been unrecognized outside of their immediate neighborhoods. What they all have in common is an unquenchable desire to make art. Often defying the expectations of family and friends, they have pursued this inspiration. In many cases, these artists began to create in response to a personal crisis. Others harbored an interest in art for many years but only had the time to create following retirement. Most were initially unaware of the academic art world, either because they were unable to afford an art education or because their families considered such an aspiration impractical. These stories of perseverance, struggle and triumph illustrate the strength of the creative impulse, which is a part of us all.

Get started with simple, useful, handcrafted woodworking projects for everyday people-with only 12 basic tools! Lots of people want to try woodwork, but they get intimidated by dangerous power tools and difficult techniques. Good news: there are lots of ways to work with wood and anyone can get a few tools and start making projects. Everyday Woodworking starts at the very beginning-with wood. How can this common material make everything from furniture to houses? What makes it so strong? Why does it break? More importantly, what can you do to a piece of wood? Sometimes we cut it with a saw. Other times, we split it with an ax or shave it with a knife. This book explains why we choose each tool and how to pick the right cut for any project. As Rex likes to say: "Trust me, it's not hard." Once you get a few tools and learn some simple techniques, you'll start making things right away. You'll begin with a simple mallet and some wooden wedges and then advance to splitting green logs into usable lumber. Next you'll pick up a knife and a drill and after just a little practice, you'll be making things you can give to your friends; things they'll actually use: A wooden butter knife A desk organizer A few pieces of sturdy furniture Sawhorses A small workbench Each project is shown step-by-step with the beginner in mind. The projects are simple but not primitive. Everyday Woodworking will give you skills that you can build on as you grow as a craftsperson.

Jewellers and crafters can create unique and beautiful jewellery that can be worn with pride with this stunning new book. It features 20 projects split into four main sections: knitting, French knitting, crochet and twisting. This UK author has created projects that have easy-to-follow instructions and require only basic skills - many can be completed in an evening. "Wired Jewelry" is the perfect introduction for anyone keen on creating their own jewellery using wire, beads and basic knitting, crochet and twisting techniques. Using these simple skills, readers can quickly learn to make necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Each project is illustrated with clear step-by-step pictures to guide readers through the process. All basic knitting, crochet and jewellery techniques needed are clearly explained in an approachable way meaning readers can get started straight away. Novice knitters need not worry as only the very easiest of techniques are used - with stunning results.

Tom Heller and Ron Clarkson share their techniques and expertise with the reader, going step by step through the process of making a carved Queen Anne foot stool. While complete instructions are given, the emphasis is on the beautiful carving that added such elegance to period furniture. The readers will learn which carving tools to use and how to apply them to this project. They will be able to follow the measured drawings of the project, and will be aided by the full-sized detailed drawings and the ample photography. Tom and Ron have covered every aspect so the readers can execute their own "works of art." From cutting out the stock to applying the finish, no process has been left out. After finishing the project, the reader will be able to apply the knowledge gained here to other furniture. A gallery in the back shows some of those applications. This is truly a book to be owned and enjoyed by anyone who enjoys working with wood and creating beautiful pieces of furniture.

Learn how to combine delicate watercolor illustrations with expressive hand lettering to create beautiful art and gifts. Self-taught artist Tanja Poeltl shares the tips, tricks and know-how she's learned on her creative journey so that you can fast-track your skills. Discover the materials you'll need in terms of watercolor paints, brushes, paper and pens, then get started with Tanja's exercises to learn the basic techniques of hand lettering and watercolor painting. In the Hand Lettering Know-How section you will start with some warm up exercises and practice letters, before learning faux calligraphy, bounce lettering, joining letters and more. In the Watercolor Know-How section you will learn how to handle the brush, and gain color knowledge as well as an understanding of tonal values, transparency and opacity, and learn how to create your own unique color palette. 20 amazing step-by-step painting and lettering projects then help you put your skills in action with ideas for a myriad of different applications. Create a moodboard, inspirational cards, seasonal gift boxes, a botanical table runner, a plant journal, floral greetings cards, fruity jar labels, posters, hoop art, party stationery, a birth poster, milestone cards, a height chart, recipe cards, an illustrated ABC, box frames, 3D flowers, and more - all beautifully illustrated in a modern yet timeless style. These inspiring projects are so varied and interesting, and will undoubtedly spark ideas for all sorts of other ways you can use watercolor and hand lettering together to create beautiful yet easy art. Even if you are a total beginner, this book will kickstart your creative journey with watercolor and hand lettering, showing you the techniques and giving you fun projects to try them out on. This accessible guide to easy watercolour and hand lettering techniques will teach you everything you need to make art that makes you happy! Self-taught and full of enthusiasm for experimentation artist Tanja Poeltl is your teacher and guide. She's taught thousands of beginners to find their creative voice through her workshops and classes, and can't wait to help you on your journey into the wonderful world of watercolor and hand lettering.

Create bright and cheerful designs for the holidays, using a box of crayons and a few simple tools! With step-by-step instructions and over 400 images, you can turn inexpensive and everyday items into family treasures. Start with the basics using simple shapes, freehand designs, leaves, and flowers. Decorate tile magnets, ornaments, and other mediums. Find out how to use wax with paper, wood, glass, metals, boxes, eggs, and felt. Discover twice-melted wax and add color to your designs. Learn the methods to use color washes, base coating, and floating color to create a stunning, eye-catching project. From colorful Christmas ornaments, jewelry, and snowflakes to Easter eggs, necklaces, and pumpkins, Miriam Joy will show you how to add a little color to a basket sitting in the corner, make a wonderful Christmas heirloom out of an antique sled, and turn that old saw into a harvest piece to set above the fireplace.

This rich treasury of Art Nouveau designs will inspire and enrich your decorative arts projects. The images were originally presented in the 1890s for use in home interiors, ceramics, textiles, stationary, stained glass, and ironwork. Now, even easier to use, they are in both print and digital forms, referenced by page numbers. 775 graphics, 500 in color, are at your fingertips. Specifically created more than a century ago to appeal to an emerging aesthetic called Art Nouveau, or New Art (derived from La Maison de l'Art Nouveau, a gallery for interior design that opened in Paris in 1896), this style became an international fad by the early 20th-century. Art Nouveau is characterized by organic foliate forms, sinuous lines, and non-geometric, whiplash curves that are highly appealing again today. With this wealth of beautiful designs, you can add an authentic antique touch to today's graphics with modern technology.

Making beautiful porcelain bead jewelry has never been simpler. Using over 100 color photos and straightforward instructions, readers are guided through all the steps necessary to create magnificent layered beads, beads with inclusions, millefiori beads, bead necklaces, earrings, and buttons. Techniques are provided for mixing colored porcelain slips, handcrafting beads and buttons, glazing and firing the completed projects, smoothing fired items with a rock tumbler, and assembling fired pieces into eye-catching jewelry. A useful list of necessary equipment and suppliers is also provided. This book is an essential reference and inspiration for all who work with clay.

Here is a magnificent presentation of the Mexican artisans and their creations displayed in 484 beautiful color photographs. The chapters present the master designers and silversmiths whose reputations have grown to international fame with an intimate look at one of the principal designers, H-ctor Aguilar, and the personnel at this workshop. Valentin Vidaurreta, Los Castillo, William Spratling, Antonio Pineda, Hubert Harmon, Enrique Ledesma, and many more craftsmen are represented by their exquisite designs.

India, Jewels that Enchanted the World presents for the first time the remarkable history and unique legacy of 500 years of Indian jewellery, from the 17th century to the present. The essays, all written by leading international scholars, explore the rich, distinctive, and unique heritage of Indian jewellery; the striking boldness of South Indian ornaments; the delicate refinement of the Mughal period; the dazzling jewels of the post-Mughal maharajas; the cross-cultural influences between Europe and India in the 19th and early 20th centuries; and the creations of leading contemporary designers whose jewels display the enduring beauty of Indian design and craftsmanship. Published to accompany a major exhibition at the State Museums of the Moscow Kremlin organised jointly with the Indo-Russian Jewellery Foundation, this lavishly illustrated catalogue brings together royal, ceremonial, and personal Indian jewels to showcase the entire range and variety of the jeweller's art in India.

In Modern Calligraphy, internationally acclaimed designer Molly Suber Thorpe teaches you how to create your own contemporary pointed pen calligraphy, breaking down the process into simple steps with the help of over 250 colour photographs and illustrations for easy guidance. With step-by-step instructions and simple tips, Modern Calligraphy includes: - 20 inspirational projects for weddings, entertainment and personal stationery - Guidance on use of pen and ink, watercolour and gouache - How to digitise your calligraphy - Special instructions for left-handed calligraphers With stunning ideas, careful guided practice and Molly's helpful tips, Modern Calligraphy can help anyone create their own gorgeous calligraphy pieces.

Many basic questions confronting antique lamp buyers, from "Where do I look for a manufacturer's signature?" to "How do I distinguish reproductions from originals?" are answered here. Using color photographs and catalogue illustrations, a wealth of information is presented including buying or selling old lighting, restoration issues like rewiring, practical uses for fixtures originally made for gas or oil, and restoring and protecting metal finishes.

This title walks crafters through every step of metalwork, from making simple hammered wire earrings to rings set with stones. It features 30 inspiring projects that can be made with simple tools that most crafters will already own. It is ideal for those who love jewellery making and are seeking a new challenge! In "Chic Metal", metalwork expert, Victoria Tillotson walks crafters through every step of metalwork, from making simple hammered wire earrings to rings set with stones. Readers can design and create necklaces and even cocktail rings out of metals that sparkle and shine. Crafting with metal is easier than you might think and many of these 30 inspiring projects can be made with simple tools that most crafters will already own, such as wire cutters, pliers, a hammer and a file - ideal for those who love jewellery making and are seeking a new challenge.

Spirited history, comprehensive instruction manual covers 13 important writing styles (ca. 4th century thru 15th). Fascinating facts about Roman Rustic, Uncial, Carolingian Minuscule, Early Gothic, eight other styles; all examples beautifully photographed. Detailed directions for duplicating medieval techniques with modern tools. 232 illustrations.

Making Marigold: Beaders Of Bulawayo is a portrait of a women’s beading co-operative specialising in loomed beadwork, based in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

Over 200 photographs reveal the sumptuous glamour of the Marigold beadwork and necklaces. Short, stand-alone narrative vignettes offer background insights into the making and development of the Marigold co-operative.

How did these women, whose skilled practice and creative impulses evident in every necklace, perfect this practice? And what has sustained their efforts across the decades?

Pulmo Marina is a film and it is a publication. It is the story of a living creature that was raised for display behind a window in the tank of an aquarium. Then it has been filmed and projected onto the big screen and now it is fractioned in discrete units printed on paper. It is the story of a living form which is always the same, always different. It is the first book in the series In Alphabetical Order.

Once again Tom Wolfe brings his artistry, skill, and wit to the mythic figures of bygone days: The Wild West. Taken separately, the cowboy, gambler, bartender, sheriff, and soiled dove offer interesting challenges to the carver. Together they make an enchanting scene, interacting with each other and almost magically taking on a life of their own. Fully illustrated, step-by-step instructions from the blank to the painted figure.

Now available in paperback, Performing Englishness examines the growth in popularity and profile of the English folk arts in the first decade of the twenty-first century. In the only study of its kind, the authors explore how the folk resurgence speaks to a broader explosion of interest in the subject of English national and cultural identity. Combining approaches from British cultural studies and ethnomusicology, the book draws on ethnographic fieldwork, interviews with central figures of the resurgence and close analysis of music and dance as well as visual and discursive sources. Its presentation of the English case study calls for a rethinking of concepts such as revival and indigeneity. It will be of interest to students and scholars in cultural studies, ethnomusicology and related disciplines. -- .

Over 450 vivid color photos provide a sweeping overview of the amazing range of iron artwork being created by 82 of today's artist-blacksmiths. These works in metal are found in public spaces, offices, and homes. They vary in size from small, everyday objects to staggering public monuments. The pieces, discussed by the artists who made them, include sculpture, gates, railings, furniture, lighting fixtures, doors, locks, and much more. This book, the third in an ongoing series, has artwork arranged by the artist alphabetically, rather than in categories. This allows readers to see the full scope of each artist's work together on adjoining pages. Here readers will find some artists whose work they have seen in other books in this series; others they are meeting for the first time. This book will be a prized reference guide and source of inspiration for homeowners, designers, artists, and blacksmiths as a fascinating snapshot of current trends in this dynamic, growing field of artistic endeavor.

Accompany woodsman Ben Law as he celebrates the amazing diversity of craft products made from materials sourced directly from the woods. Including brooms, rakes, pegs, spoons, chairs, baskets, fencing, yurts and even a caravan, the items are hewn from freshly cut green wood, shaped by hand and infused with a simple, rustic beauty. Detailed instructions and advice are given for each craft, along with essential knowledge about tools and devices. With fascinating information on the history, language and traditions of the crafts, coppice management and tree species, this book teaches about all aspects of the low-impact woodland way of life.

The techniques of depositing a thin metallic layer on an object for decoration, corrosion protection, electrical conductivity, wear resistance and so on have been known for many years but have been developed and improved to a remarkable extent in the second half of this century. This book sets out to discuss the principles and practice of those forms of plating most suited to the amateur and small workshop, using relatively simple and inexpensive equipment to produce results virtually undetectable from work carried out by major plating concerns. Jack Poyner, a professional involved in all forms of plating for many years, is also a keen model engineer able to recognise the dividing line between what his average fellow enthusiast would consider practical and worthwhile and what is really better left to experts in the field. The result is a really useful and practical book, which will be of value to both amateur and light industrial users in many diverse fields.

A new type of craft, braided wire jewelry does not require expensive equipment and can be made by almost anyone with easily found materials. Come and give it a try! Pretty, delicate-looking (but actually quite strong) jewelry, including pendants, pins, watchbands, and earrings, can be made from wires, beads and stones. Cute monkey, butterfly, and cross shapes are shown, and you are encouraged to design your own styles once you learn her techniques. Let your imagination go! Have fun being creative! Step-by-step instructions with color photographs and detail drawings guide you through the basic techniques and seven projects with various levels of difficulty.

Herman Miller has led in the modernization of the American home and workplace since Gilbert Rohde revolutionized the company with his Art Deco furniture in the 1930s. Interior installations (from the early days through the famous mid-century designs of George Nelson and Charles and Ray Eames and the textile designs of Alexander Girard, and up to the later accomplishments of a new generation of designers) are shown in more than 200 color and black and white vintage photos entirely from the Herman Miller Archives. With an extensive timeline of events and furniture design introductions, this visual record captures a fascinating portion of the evolution of modern interior design. Appendices of complete product catalog reprints of the Herman Miller Collections of 1950 and 1952 plus a value guide make this volume a must for researchers, preservationists, designers, and collectors of modern interior furnishings.

Frank Pozsgai is internationally known as an artist of the scroll saw. His previous books have focused almost entirely on what the scroll saw can do with wood, its most common medium. Now he takes the art up a notch to introduce scroll sawing in metal. Joining him is Mark Downing who has been working in metals for many years. Together they explore this great medium for the scroll saw. The process is simple, and with a few extra steps, cutting metal is as enjoyable as cutting wood. And the results are wonderful. Because metal is pliable, it is possible to give it shape by bending it. The results include chandeliers and other decorative, but useful decorative accessories for the home. With heat or chemicals it is possible to give metal very interesting patinas that add color and character. All is explained in clear, step-by-step instructions, illustrated in color photos. In addition the author supplies many patterns to get you started and a gallery to inspire you. For many this will be a new experience with the scroll saw.