When the stresses of modern life get too much, what could be better than gathering a few simple tools, heading into the woods and literally whittling away a few hours? The gentle art of whittling is a relaxing and absorbing hobby that can be enjoyed almost anywhere from round the campfire to in a cozy armchair at home. All you need is a good pocket knife, a piece of wood and your imagination. Projects can range from the delightfully simple to impressively intricate--it's up to you. Woodland Whittling guides you through the basics explaining what equipment you need, how to hold the knife, and what timber to use. The projects are then all described in detail with clear step-by-step photographs. Projects include: letter opener, thumb stick, ring tree and egg cup.

Plywood is an astonishingly versatile material, made by gluing together layers of cross-grained veneers, creating a pliable board that can be stronger than solid wood. Stylish and practical, plywood offers huge possibilities for experimental design, and it has been used to make a wide range of products, from aeroplanes, boats and automobiles to architecture and furniture. This book traces the history of plywood from its use in 18th-century furniture, through its emergence as an industrial product in the 19th century, to a material celebrated by 20th-century modernists such as Alvar Aalto and Charles and Ray Eames. An ideal material for the digital age, plywood has become popular again in recent years and is widely used in contemporary design and manufacture. Produced to accompany an exhibition at the V&A, this book is the first comprehensive study of the history of plywood and its myriad applications throughout the ages, unveiling the stories behind objects that surround us and that we often take for granted.

A small box is an ideal woodworking project for anyone looking to gain skills and learn techniques. The reward is something elegant and functional that also makes a great gift. In this book, Dennis Zongker gives clear, step-by-step instructions for seven different projects (with variations), each designed to teach the reader skills that can be applied to a wide variety of box projects as well as to furniture and other woodworking projects. The boxes featured are traditional in style with a modern twist and incorporate a rich variety of woodworking techniques from basic to advanced: veneers, joinery, segmented turning and more. Also included are detailed chapters on carving and marquetry, which give these stylish boxes an elegant look.

Sharp tools work better! If you've never experienced the pleasure of using a really sharp tool, you're missing one of the real pleasures of woodworking. In The Perfect Edge, the mystery of the elusive sharp edge is solved by the long-time sharpening expert and tool maker Ron Hock. You'll soon find how easy and safe hand tools are to use. This book covers all the different sharpening methods so you can either improve your sharpening techniques using your existing set-up, or determine which one will best suit your needs and budget. Ron shows you the tricks and offers expert advice to sharpen all your woodworking tools, plus a few around-the-house tools that also deserve a perfect edge.

The book represents a continuation of research begun by Cooper in Hong Kong in the early 1970s among expatriate artisan furniture makers and woodcarvers from Dongyang County, Zhejiang Province. He now sets out to investigate the fate of the same craft in the hands of the same folk under totally different socio-economic conditions in their native county in communist People's Republic of China.

The book represents a continuation of research begun by Cooper in Hong Kong in the early 1970s among expatriate artisan furniture makers and woodcarvers from Dongyang County, Zhejiang Province. He now sets out to investigate the fate of the same craft in the hands of the same folk under totally different socio-economic conditions in their native county in communist People's Republic of China.

In this inventive interpretation of the popular colouring book concept, Islamic design expert Eric Broug helps readers to create their own patterns, based on compositions from across the Islamic world. The book opens up the world of intricate Islamic patterns, allowing artists, designers and doodlers alike to learn about these works of art as they produce their own. With 48 Islamic geometric compositions from around the world to choose from, artists at all skill levels will relish the myriad opportunities to replicate these intricate patterns or create their own. The workbook's clever design invites the pattern-maker to consider a composition in the book, take a corresponding loose leaf from the back of the book and figure out which sections of lines to trace to make the composition. Readers will have the unique satisfaction of making patterns appear where previously none were visible. Compositions - including a mix of more familiar geometric compositions and those that have scarcely been documented - are categorized by region and have various levels of complexity, making it possible for beginners to get started and artists or designers to develop their skills.

This is the ultimate guide to sharpening with traditional waterstones for all owners of Japanese knives. Provided are step-by-step instructions on proper knife sharpening accompanied by over 120 color photos, plus black and white graphics for clarity. Details on the care for all major blade types are also provided, along with expert advice on the use of solid, abrasive materials, and steel. Important information on care for the waterstones is also provided to keep your sharpening stones useful for many years. Readers learn how to make knives sharp and obtain their very best performance. The expert, Dr. Rudolf Dick, explains special Japanese knives, helps you choose the correct sharpening stones, and provides a detailed guide for sharpening practice. A chapter on the pinnacle of sharpening, polishing Japanese swords, completes the standard work for all users and friends of Japanese knives.

Akin to having a one-on-one carving course with a master carver, this resource-a collection of tips and tricks honed over many years-mentors newcomers and serious beginning woodcarvers alike. A comprehensive guide for those who want to learn carving, this manual provides a handful of lessons, including how to choose the best woods, safe tool handling tips, making cuts, and executing a variety of techniques. The careful step-by-step instructions that are explained in a warm conversational voice help novice crafters find quick success and encouragement as they work on a number of carving motifs and three projects for both relief and in-the-round styles. For serious beginners eager to know more about a timeless craft, this go-to reference provides an answer to every question. Introduction SECTION I: CARVING TOOLS AND SETTING UP *Technical Mastery Chapter 1: Tools of the Trade *Your Tools are Your Carving Chapter 2: Commissioning Your Carving Tools *Understanding Wood Chapter 3: Supporting Cast SECTION II: USING CARVING TOOLS *Getting to Grips Chapter 4: Handling Your Carving Tool *Thin Edge of the Wedge Chapter 5: The Outcome of the Tool SECTION III: EXERCISES *Good Habits Chapter 6: Simple Moldings *Surfaces, Lines & Junctions Chapter 7: Veiner and V-tool SECTION IV: RELIEF CARVING *Form Into Space Chapter 8: An Exercise in Setting-In *Over the Horizon Chapter 9: Low Relief *A Touch of Drama Chapter 10: High Relief *Feel the Form Chapter 11: Pierced Relief SECTION V: CARVING IN THE ROUND *Entering Choas Chapter 12: In the Round: Baseball Cap *Making It Up as You Go Along Chapter 13: In the Round: Wren

The patchwork is an apt metaphor for the region not only because of its colourfulness and the making of something whole out of fragments but as an attempt to make coherence out of disorder. The seeking of coherence was the exact process of putting together this book and foregrounds the process of Caribbean societies forging identity and identities out of plural and at times conflicting and contested groups that came to call the region home. Within the metaphor of the patchwork however is the question, where are the vernacular needlework artists within the visual art tradition of the Caribbean? The introduction sets out to both clarify and rectify this situation, and several common themes flow through the following essays and interviews. Themes include that that the land and colonization remain baseline issues for several Caribbean artists who stage and restage the history of conquest and empire in varying ways. That artists in the region amalgamate as part of their practice and seem to prefer an open-endedness to art making as opposed to expressing fidelity to a particular medium. That artists and scholars alike are dismantling long-held perceptions of what Caribbean art is thought to be, and are challenging boundaries in Caribbean art. These are among the issues addressed in the book as it looks at ecological concerns and questions of sustainability, how the practices of the artists and their art defy the easy categorization of the region, and the placement of women in the visual art ecology of the Caribbean. The latter is one of the most contested areas of the book. Readers should come away with the sense that questions of race, colour, and class loom large within questions of gender in the Jamaican art scene and that the book, dedicated to Sane Mae Dunkley, aims to insert vernacular needleworkers into the visual art scene in both Jamaica and the larger Caribbean. Audience will include researchers and scholars of Caribbean and African diasporic art, college students, those interested in post-colonial studies, Caribbean artists, art professionals interested in a wider, globalized view of contemporary art; students curious to know about the many phases of art production throughout the Caribbean. General readers interested in the culture of the region.

This book, in it sixth edition, has evolved over the years into a complete guide to the metalcasting of sculpture. Potratz (Ironwain) has taken his years of knowledge gained practicing and teaching his craft and is now sharing it all in this easy-to-use book. Contents include: Introduction to Metal Casting, Recommended Tools and Equipment, Safety, Pattern Making, Sprueing and Venting Wax, Intro to Molding, Melting and Pouring Metal, Chasing, and Patina of Metals. Includes a comprehensive bibliography; an appendix filled with useful conversions, charts, recipes, and cupola/cupolette furnace building specs; detailed index; and much more.

Put your wood carving skills to practical use! This must-have book features 13 projects with step-by-step instructions and photography for creative and elegant walking sticks. Including projects for both intermediate and advanced wood carvers, painting and finishing instructions are provided, as well as helpful information on types of wood used for walking stick shanks, methods for joining a head to a shank, and more. From a simple lyre-shaped thumb stick and a gent's walking stick to derby sticks with the head of a fox, eagle, Labrador retriever, black swan, and other animals, you'll enjoy putting your carving skills to the test by creating these beautifully useful walking sticks and canes. Author Paul Purnell is a self-taught wood carver for 15 years who specializes in birds, animals, and other wildlife. His carving style includes a mixture of tools, and he has carved projects for The Guild of Master Craftsman's Wood Carving and Woodworking Crafts magazines.

The saw is one of the most basic tools and tends to be taken very much for granted. Many hours and much effort can be saved, and more accurate work produced, if the user has the knowledge of how his saw works and how to keep it in good condition. In this book Ian Bradley provides detailed guidance on the use and maintenance of all types of saw, both hand and mechanical, from the humble junior hacksaw to circular and bandsaws, in the comprehensive and succinct manner that has made him such a respected writer on workshop matters.

This title features 25 step-by-step practical ideas for hand-crafted tinwork projects. The beauty of tinwork is celebrated in inspirational and practical projects. It offers step-by-step instructions for 25 original projects, including a photograph frame, Christmas decorations and an ornate spice rack. It offers comprehensive guidance with expert technical instruction at every stage. It shows examples in a gallery of the finest tinwork from contemporary craft artists, representing the varied styles that can be achieved with this exciting craft. It features over 250 specially commissioned photographs. An expert introduction covers techniques, materials and all the equipment you will need. The appeal of tin lies as much in its usefulness and practical applications as in its subtle tone and malleability. This book fully explores the different techniques used today, through 25 traditional and contemporary tinwork projects, all shown in step-by-step photographs. Among the projects are delicate decorative pieces, such as ornate incense holders and an embellished picture frame, and utilitarian objects such as a lunch box made out of tin cans and an oil-drum barbecue. The section on basic techniques covers cutting tin, decorative techniques such as punching, embossing and soldering, and choosing the best materials for the job. A gallery of work by contemporary designers provides further inspiration, and represents the varied styles that can be achieved using this exciting craft. Illustrated with over 250 photographs, the book provides comprehensive instruction for newcomers to the craft, and will inspire the more experienced to experiment and develop the full potential of the medium.

Analysing the decorative programmes of the most opulent European palaces of the time, Margaretha Rossholm Lagerloef investigates how meaning was conveyed through display and visual effects. She explores the visual meaning inherent in the scheme of spatial relations; in effects of scale, perspective, lighting, figures' positions and postures; and in relations among image types. The analysis concerns the interrelations of various kinds of images in the ensembles; the relations between images and physical site; and the address to the beholder. Lagerloef considers the visual impact of the imagery in conjunction with 'readable' or symbolically 'coded' meanings; thus, the study does not merely subject these decorations to formalist aesthetic principles. She shows the visual meaning generally to sustain the verbal or readable messages, but often in subtle ways, extending or elaborating the meaning. Occasionally, the visual meaning comes forth as an undercurrent or complication, deviating from the proclaimed and symbolic meaning. Fate, Glory, and Love in Early Modern Gallery Decoration contributes to the body of scholarship on visual rhetoric and on how images 'act' out their messages.

The nineteenth century - the Era of the Interior - witnessed the steady displacement of art from the ceilings, walls, and floors of aristocratic and religious interiors to the everyday spaces of bourgeois households, subject to their own enhanced ornamentation. Following the 1863 Salon des refuses, the French State began to channel mediocre painters into the decorative arts. England, too, launched an extensive reform of the decorative arts, resulting in more and more artists engaged in the production and design of complete interiors. America soon followed. Present art historical scholarship - still indebted to a modernist discourse that sees cultural progress to be synonymous with the removal of ornament from both utilitarian objects and architectural spaces - has not yet acknowledged the importance of the decorative arts in the myriad interior spaces of the 1800s. Nor has mainstream art history reckoned with the importance of the interior in nineteenth-century life and thought. Aimed at an interdisciplinary audience, including art and design historians, historians of the modern interior, interior designers, visual culture theorists, and scholars of nineteenth-century material culture, this collection of essays studies the modern interior in new ways. The volume addresses the double nature of the modern interior as both space and image, blurring the boundaries between arts and crafts, decoration and high art, two-dimensional and three-dimensional design, trompe-l'oeil effects and spatial practices. In so doing, it redefines the modern interior and its objects as essential components of modern art.

This is a detailed study of the illustrations to Amir Khusrau's Khamsah, in which twenty discourses are followed by a brief parable, and four romances. Amir Khusrau (1253-1325) lived the greater part of adventurous life in Delhi; he composed in Persian, and also in Hindi. From the point of view of manuscript illustration, his most important work is his Khamsah (Quintet'). Khusrau's position as a link between cultures of Persia and India means that the early illustrated copies of the Khamsah have a particular interest. The first extant exemplar is from the Persian area in the late 14th century, but a case can be made that work was probably illustrated earlier in India.

This volume brings together a cross-disciplinary group of anthropologists, researchers of craft, and designer-makers to enumerate and explore the diversity and complexity of problem-solving tactics and strategies employed by craftspeople, together with the key social, cultural, and environmental factors that give rise to particular ways of problem solving. Presenting rich, textured ethnographic studies of craftspeople at work around the world, Craftwork as Problem Solving examines the intelligent practices involved in solving a variety of problems and the ways in which these are perceived and evaluated both by makers and creators themselves, and by the societies in which they work. With attention to local factors such as training regimes and formal education, access to tools, socialisation and cultural understanding, budgetary constraints and market demands, changing technologies and materials, and political and economic regimes, this book sheds fresh light on the multifarious forms of intelligence involved in design and making, inventing and manufacturing, and cultivating and producing. As such, it will appeal to scholars of anthropology, sociology, and cultural geography, as well as to craftspeople with interests in creativity, skilful practice, perception and ethnography.