The Bird explores the fascinating world of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century ornithological illustration. This was a period of scientific, artistic and geographic discovery, when people began to fully appreciate the immense variety of form and colour within the natural world. This book celebrates this beauty through the lavish illustrations produced at that time. Each chapter focuses on a category of birds, from shorebirds to birds of prey. Feature sections on key ornithological artists such as John James Audubon, Elizabeth Gould and Edward Lear demonstrated how technology, travel and ambition shaped these amazing images, and how their work transformed our understanding of the wonderful world of birds.

Originally published in 1971, Animals in Art and Thought discusses the ways in which animals have been used by man in art and literature. The book looks at how they have been used to symbolise religious, social and political beliefs, as well as their pragmatic use by hunters, sportsmen, and farmers. The book discusses these various attitudes in a survey which ranges from prehistoric cave art to the later Middle Ages. The book is especially concerned with uncovering the latent, as well as the manifest meanings of animal art, and presents a detailed examination of the literary and archaeological monuments of the periods covered in the book. The book discusses the themes of Creation myths of the pagan and Christian religion, the contribution of the animal art of the ancient contribution of the animal art of the ancient Orient to the development of the Romanesque and gothic styles in Europe, the use of beast fables in social or political satire, and the heroic associations of animals in medieval chivalry.

"From exquisite orchids, exotic bees and industrious ants to fascinating animals such as chameleons, ocelots, bonobos and bats, the book reveals the complex interactions." -Outdoor Photography "A visually stunning book that will have wildlife lovers enchanted and mesmerised, it's well worth adding to your collection." -Amateur PhotographySome 60 percent of all the world's species live in jungles. In this best-selling book and celebration of biodiversity, award-winning wildlife photographer Christian Ziegler and biologist Daisy Dent create a monument to jungle life - from Panama to Congo, Madagascar to Australia. With 186 colour photographs and expert texts, they show us some of the most fascinating specimens of jungle flora and fauna: tiny driver ants, nimble ocelots, bonobos, cassowaries, chameleons, colourful orchids, and carnivorous plants. A visually stunning journey through the rain forest, and an urgent reminder of how much our world depends on the preservation of tropical ecosystems. Text in English and German.

Learn how to paint adorable animals, flavorful fruits, lively plants, and more in this free-and-easy approach to watercolor. Artist Natalia Skatula has a beautiful, whimsical style that will charm you through 12 simple step-by-step projects and over 100 worked examples. Beginning with an overview on materials and equipment, Natalia then covers the general techniques needed to achieve the paintings, along with her top-10 personal tips for success. Projects include: A majestic whale An adorable sloth Elephants Pandas Dogs Llamas Bears Foxes Rabbits And more! This book also includes a range of presentation ideas to inspire you to put your finished work on display or gift it. The gallery of examples that follows includes plants, cats, beetles, birds, sealife, jungle creatures and fruits, giving you a treasure-trove of references for your painting. This book also makes the perfect gift for artists of all ages, especially plant and animal lovers. Find the inspiration and technique to start your watercoloring adventures with this beautiful guide!

'Chris Beetles' book is a joy, an inspiration and as thorough a document into understanding the life and times of Louis Wain as one could hope to read' - Benedict Cumberbatch 'Louis Wain invented a cat style, a cat society, a whole cat world'. Broadcast in 1925 by H.G. Wells, these words characteristically foretold the future of the Wain cat which has, once more, become the century's most recognisable image in cat art. During their heyday, in the time before the First World War, Louis Wain's cats, dressed as humans, portrayed that stylish Edwardian world having fun: at restaurants and tea parties, going to the Race and the Seaside, celebrating at Christmas and Birthdays, and disporting themselves with exuberant games of tennis, bowls, cricket and football. This is a titillating world of cats at play, uninhibited and slightly dangerous, with most group activities likely to turn into mishap, mayhem and catastrophe. This is Wain's world, funny, edgy and animated: a whole cat world. The first comprehensive exhibition of Wain's work was held at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in 1972 and, since then, Louis Wain has steadily become more fashionable, and collected worldwide. This biography contains 300 plates of richness and variety, all of which are reproduced faithfully from the original artwork.

This is a sumptuous catalog of regional landscape paintings and the talented, living artists who create them, including Robert J. Barber, Denise Dumont, Michael Godfrey, Hai-Ou Hou, Abigail McBride, and Sam Robinson. It is packed with over 400 eye-catching color reproductions of work by some of today's finest plein air artists, including spectacular beach scenes, pastorals, cityscapes, and harbor scenes. This informative volume also includes a concise history of landscape painting in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia, showing examples of great art of the past by some outstanding Mid-Atlantic painters, including the Pennsylvania Impressionists, the New Jersey Manasquan Art Colony, the Egelis, and much more. This volume fills an empty niche in the rich history of American art. It is an ideal book for anyone, who loves plein air landscape painting, and a wonderful introduction to traditional art of the region. It will appeal to art historians, dealers, and collectors alike.

Agrarian Landscapes in Transition researches human interaction with the earth. With hundreds of acres of agricultural land going out of production every day, the introduction, spread, and abandonment of agriculture represents the most pervasive alteration of the Earth's environment for several thousand years. What happens when humans impose their spatial and temporal signatures on ecological regimes, and how does this manipulation affect the earth and nature's desire for equilibrium?
Studies were conducted at six Long Term Ecological Research sites within the US, including New England, the Appalachian Mountains, Colorado, Michigan, Kansas, and Arizona. While each site has its own unique agricultural history, patterns emerge that help make sense of how our actions have affected the earth, and how the earth pushes back. The book addresses how human activities influence the spatial and temporal structures of agrarian landscapes, and how this varies over time and across biogeographic regions. It also looks at the ecological and environmental consequences of the resulting structural changes, the human responses to these changes, and how these responses drive further changes in agrarian landscapes.
The time frames studied include the ecology of the earth before human interaction, pre-European human interaction during the rise and fall of agricultural land use, and finally the biological and cultural response to the abandonment of farming, due to complete abandonment or a land-use change such as urbanization.

A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'We have lost touch with nature, rather foolishly as we are a part of it, not outside it. This will in time be over and then what? What have we learned?... The only real things in life are food and love, in that order, just like [for] our little dog Ruby... and the source of art is love. I love life.' DAVID HOCKNEY Praise for Spring Cannot be Cancelled: 'This book is not so much a celebration of spring as a springboard for ideas about art, space, time and light. It is scholarly, thoughtful and provoking' The Times 'Lavishly illustrated... Gayford is a thoughtfully attentive critic with a capacious frame of reference' Guardian 'Hockney and Gayford's exchanges are infused with their deep knowledge of the history of art ... This is a charming book, and ideal for lockdown because it teaches you to look harder at the things around you' Lynn Barber,The Spectator 'Designed to underscore [Hockney's] original message of hope, and to further explore how art can gladden and invigorate ... meanders amiably from Rembrandt, to the pleasure principle, andouillette sausages and, naturally, to spring' Daily Telegraph On turning eighty, David Hockney sought out rustic tranquillity for the first time: a place to watch the sunset and the change of the seasons; a place to keep the madness of the world at bay. So when Covid-19 and lockdown struck, it made little difference to life at La Grande Cour, the centuries-old Normandy farmhouse where Hockney set up a studio a year before, in time to paint the arrival of spring. In fact, he relished the enforced isolation as an opportunity for even greater devotion to his art. Spring Cannot be Cancelled is an uplifting manifesto that affirms art's capacity to divert and inspire. It is based on a wealth of new conversations and correspondence between Hockney and the art critic Martin Gayford, his long-time friend and collaborator. Their exchanges are illustrated by a selection of Hockney's new, unpublished Normandy iPad drawings and paintings alongside works by van Gogh, Monet, Bruegel, and others. We see how Hockney is propelled ever forward by his infectious enthusiasms and sense of wonder. A lifelong contrarian, he has been in the public eye for sixty years, yet remains entirely unconcerned by the view of critics or even history. He is utterly absorbed by his four acres of northern France and by the themes that have fascinated him for decades: light, colour, space, perception, water, trees. He has much to teach us, not only about how to see... but about how to live. With 142 illustrations in colour

Each year between 1819 and 1825, John Constable (1776-1837) submitted a monumental canvas to the Royal Academy of Arts in London for display in the annual Exhibition. These so-called six-footers vividly captured the life of the River Stour in Suffolk, where Constable grew up and where he returned to paint each year. The Leaping Horse, the last of these, now a major work in the Academy's collection, is the subject of this fascinating new book. Humphreys explores Constable's often avant-garde working methods, as well as his struggle to gain full acceptance within the art establishment of the early nineteenth century. With reproductions of his full-scale preliminary sketches as well as brand new photography of the painting itself, this book is the ideal companion for art lovers who seek a deeper appreciation of Constable's iconic depictions of the English countryside.

"To look at Oliver Hellowell's photography is to see the natural world through his eyes." - Boudicca Fox-Leonard, The Telegraph "In Ollie's hands [...] the camera is more than a mere instrument; it is an extension of his inquisitive mind." - Iolo Williams From flower-filled forests to ancient castles and isolated lochs, from the concrete jungle to the play of sunlight across the sea, the latest book from award-winning young photographer Oliver Hellowell captures Britain at its most beautiful. The British landscape is renowned for its infinite moods. Oliver's photography celebrates this, capturing rain-jewelled flowers and haunting, mist-shrouded ruins. Perhaps the most charming aspect of his work is his ability to highlight overlooked beauty. To some, the dandelion is nothing but a weed - but Oliver finds a worthwhile subject in even the humblest wildflower. Insightful commentary reveals the inspiration behind each of Oliver's pictures. An ode to the British Isles from a passionate young photographer, every page demonstrates the enthusiasm and talent that endeared Oliver to his worldwide following. Also available: Oliver's Birds ISBN 9781788840101

Unleash the creative power of Procreate to bring outdoor scenes to life on your iPad, from thumbnail designs to final images. In this book for newcomers to the software as well as more accomplished users, several renowned and experienced designers demonstrate plein air painting, sharing not only their professional tips and tricks, but also how the traditional painting process translates to Procreate. You will become fluent in using Procreate for all stages of outdoor painting - capturing the spirit and essence of a landscape, subject, or building by incorporating natural light, color, and movement into your works. The thorough Getting Started section spotlights the specific Procreate tools, such as Brushes, Layers, and Adjustments, that bring your paintings to life. Perfecting color and nuance of sky, land, and human subjects outdoors is vital, and the Quick Tips section lets you quickly locate and manipulate the tools you need. Take the opportunity to observe and practice the techniques as part of a real-world workflow, as professional artists demonstrate in seven step-by-step Projects how to use Procreate's tools to successfully evolve a plein-air painting from initial idea to final masterpiece. Whether or not you have used Procreate before, Beginner's Guide to Procreate: Plein Air ensures your passion for outdoor painting can be fully realized on the iPad screen.

Taken from the earlier book "Priceless Florida" (and modified for a stand-alone book), this volume discusses the well-drained areas of Florida, including high pine grasslands, flatwoods and prairies, interior scrub, hardwood hammocks, rocklands and caves, and beach dunes. Introduces readers to the trees and plants, insects, mammals, reptiles, and other species that live in Florida's unique uplands ecosystem.

What is creature design? We all have a notion―mostly consisting of evocative images of otherworldly beings galloping, swimming, flying, and often attacking the hero of an epic film or story. But what makes a creature believable? In the follow-up to her bestseller, Animals Real and Imagined: The Fantasy of What Is and What Might Be, world-renowned artist Terryl Whitlatch reveals the secret behind believable creature design: anatomy. How anatomy applies practically to the natural history and story is the prime cornerstone on which successful creature design hangs, whether the creature is real or imaginary. Studying, understanding, drawing, and applying accurate anatomy to an imaginary creature will make viewers suspend their disbelief to welcome a new vision into their worlds. We invite you to immerse yourself in the intricate workings of numerous animal anatomies―and the beauty they possess―in the Science of Creature Design: Understanding Animal Anatomy. Whitlatch’s delightful and charismatic illustrations will inform and thrill readers with every turn of the page. She shares valuable techniques reaped from years working for Lucasfilm and Walt Disney Feature Animation, and on such films as Jumanji, Brother Bear, and The Polar Express. In addition, Whitlatch exemplifies an endless love for real animals that continues to inspire her fantastic imaginary creatures, which have captivated audiences around the world.

These delightful Halloween decorations are eye-popping examples of the best made, including pristine pieces from the Beistle Company archives, shown in over 395 color photographs. The text presents comprehensive information for collectors, including detailed descriptions and little-known-facts, release and production dates, materials, makers' marks, and values. Party games, hats, and masks appear as well as lanterns, shades, and die-cuts. They seem to jump off the pages to excite you. Lots of wonderful suggestions are made throughtout the book for interesting uses for displaying the decorations today. Their artistic beauty will make you smile, remembering youthful Halloween stories, and want to add to your own collection.

John James Audubon is arguably America's most widely recognized and collected artist. His Birds of America has been reproduced often, beginning with the double elephant folio printed by Havill in England, followed by a much smaller "Octavo" edition printed in Philadelphia and sold by subscription. After Audubon's death, his family arranged with the New York printer Julius Bien to produce another elephant folio edition, this time by the new chromolithographic process. It too would be sold by subscription, but the venture, begun in 1858, was brought to an abrupt end by the Civil War. Only 150 plates were produced, and the number remaining today is slight; they are among the rarest and most sought after Audubon prints. Bound in cloth with a full cloth slipcase, this beautifully produced book is the first complete reproduction of Bien chromolithographs and will become the centerpiece of any bird lover's library.

Photoscapes and the Egg is an intimate book to be savoured and kept nearby, perhaps on a coffee table because of its sheer beauty. Inside its robin egg blue cloth cover are improvised photos of objects, nature, and art, each matched with a photo of an egg inside a cosmic circle - eggs with personalities from the calm ethereal to the hot aggressive. In full, there are more than 100 stunning colour photos, all taken with an iPhone. The match of phenomena and eggs alludes to the dance of the material world with the invisible "birthing source" represented by the egg. Accompanying text and poems bring stories to the dance. The juxtapositions evoke surprise, insight, emotions, hope, and refreshment. They make wry jokes and touch on realities beyond the obvious. This book contains unabashed gentleness and spiritual toughness without pretence. Photoscapes and the Egg sprang from the mind of Patricia Z. Smith, a 79-year-old photographer and writer with extensive life experience and a pull since childhood to meld the physical with the esoteric. The design by Louis Brody is modern and serene. The book is a gift to the reader and her or his friends. It is a resource for these times and our future.

The reptiles and amphibians surrounding us are more than 17,000 species of fascinating and beautiful wildlife that many of us usually ignore. In this colorfully illustrated book, 20 artists have taken those cold-blooded animals as inspiration and transformed them into pieces of art that change the way we perceive our world. The unusual shapes, glittering colors, and perfectly adapted bodies of chameleons, turtles, snakes, frogs, and even dinosaurs offer us new ways to see and be inspired, in media ranging from fiber to glass and from paper to gold.

Animals and Artists discusses a selection of modern and contemporary artworks that challenge traditional representations of nonhuman animals, and that expose human viewers to animal otherness. It argues that the individuated and discrete human self in possession of consciousness, rationality, empathy, a voice, and a face, is open to challenge by nonhuman capacities such as distributed cognition, gender ambiguity, metamorphosis, mimicry and avian speech. In traditional philosophy, animals represent all that is lacking in humankind. However, Animals and Artists argues that just because humans frame 'the animal' as a negative term, their binary opposite and everything that they are not, does not mean that animals have no meaning in themselves. Rather, animals in their very unknowability, mark the limits of human thinking. By combining art analysis with poststructuralist, post humanist and animal studies theories as well as scientific research, Elizabeth decentres the human and establishes a new position where differences are embraced. In our current moment of ecological crisis, Animals and Artists brings readers into solidarity with other animal species, among them spiders, silkworms, bees, parrots and octopuses. The book raises empathy for other live forms, drawing attention to the shared vulnerabilities of human and nonhuman animals, and in so doing underlines the power of art to bring about social change. Readers will include animal studies scholars, artists, art historians, Jean Painleve scholars, Surrealist enthusiasts, non-academics who are concerned about the human-animal relationship, the environment or larger identity politics issues.

'Take a view', the Landscape Photographer of the Year competition, is the brainchild of Charlie Waite, one of today's most respected landscape photographers. Together with the AA, he has created this prestigious competition and award with a total prize fund exceeding GBP 20,000, plus an eight-week exhibition at the National Theatre and publication of "Landscape Photographer of the Year", the full-colour book of best entries. Britain's heritage is celebrated by people around the world and entries are welcome from everyone, whether resident in the UK or simply visiting, as long as the image is from the British Isles. This book showcases the best pictures from amateur and professional photographers alike, from the fifth annual competition.

In Geninne's Art: Birds in Watercolor, Collage, and Ink, popular Santa Fe artist Geninne Zlatkis presents a personal field guide to how she creates her charming paintings and collages of birds and nature. Brimming with inspiring examples of the artist's work, this beautiful book takes you inside Geninne's studio for an in-depth look at how she creates. You will discover, step by step, how this devoted artist spends time photographing nature, selecting her materials, and developing her personal imagery. Explore: How her studio is set up, how she works, and what materials and tools she uses How she captures nature with both a camera and phone for reference Her artistic process through the step-by-step creation of 5 watercolor paintings, 5 collages, and 5 ink drawings, with notes on each medium and technique As a special bonus, the book includes 32 pages of collage papers, painted and selected by Geninne, for you to use as you explore and develop your own artistic voice. Vibrant, detailed, and richly imaginative, Geninne's interpretation of the birds she has observed so closely will inspire you to use the natural world as fodder for your paintings, drawings, and collages.

With over 70 original illustrations, printmaker Angela Harding invites you to look at how the light changes the world around us, and how that changes us in its turn. "I, like many other people, find great inspiration in the way mornings, evenings or bright midday light changes the way we see the things around us. The bouncing light of a cloud-filled storm sky can change a seascape through a palette of blues, greys, and turquoises. The cool summer moonlight that crosses my back garden sends long shadows that change the mood of the garden from homely to unfamiliar. And whether it's the low light of an English February afternoon or the sharp, bright mid-morning light of the Cornish seaside, the light and dark we experience affects our moods. "But life is busy, and I am guilty as anyone of being too preoccupied by daily life to just stop and look. This book is a collection of illustrations from those moments when I have stopped and looked; when a particular encounter with nature has been highlighted by the time of day or the time of night, becoming a strong image long remembered and one that I wish to illustrate. "I hope you enjoy this journey through 24 hours of my collected memories of the nature that surrounds me."

A distinctly Indigenous form of landscape representation is emerging among contemporary Indigenous artists from North America. For centuries, landscape painting in European art typically used representational strategies such as single-point perspective to lure viewers-and settlers-into the territories of the old and new worlds. In the twentieth century, abstract expressionism transformed painting to encompass something beyond the visual world, and, later, minimalism and the Land Art movement broadened the genre of landscape art to include sculptural forms and site-specific installations. In Shifting Grounds, art historian Kate Morris argues that Indigenous artists are expanding and reconceptualizing the forms of the genre, expressing Indigenous attitudes toward land and belonging even as they draw upon mainstream art practices. The resulting works evoke all five senses: from the overt sensuality of Kay WalkingStick's tactile paintings to the eerie soundscapes of Alan Michelson's videos to the immersive environments of Kent Monkman's dioramas, this art resonates with a fully embodied and embedded subjectivity. Shifting Grounds explores themes of presence and absence, survival and vulnerability, memory and commemoration, and power and resistance, illuminating the artists' engagement not only with land and landscape but also with the history of representation itself.