Hey, let's face facts - it's cold up at the North Pole. If you think hot chocolate and Mrs. Claus in a flannel nightie is all Santa has to keep himself warm - think again! Ol' St Nick keeps those handy lists of who's naughty and nice, but there's a special scrool of the very naughty that he keeps in a secret spot in his sock drawer! No wonder the fat ol' guy's so damned jolly! Ho, ho, ho indeed - here's an-all collection of Christmas-time cuties that might put the X in Xmas and keep it there! Eye-popping gifts of spicy holiday illustrations by such evil elves as Pelaez, Buci, Maraschi, Flores, Danilo, Lencina, and many other Gallery Girl faves! With a cover painting by Dave Nestler, another theory about ice-caps melting might be in order!

The human figure in sculpture is a powerful form, capable of great expression and depth. Sculpting the figure in any medium is a rewarding practice, but one that presents special challenges for the maker. Tanya Russell, founder and principal of the Art Academy in London, details the whole creative process for sculpting the figure, from the fundamental conceptual and practical considerations through to the finished and presented work. She covers essential tools and equipment, methods for building armatures, and the processes for creating not only realistic, but also abstract and expressive figures, in a variety of styles and materials. Techniques are supported by practical exercises with step-by-step instructions and images. The book is filled with the inspiring works of contemporary sculptors, all of whom are tutors, students, or alumni of the Art Academy. Modelling and Sculpting the Figure is an essential companion for beginners and established artists alike.

The Watercolour Sourcebook is a compilation of four selected titles from the What to Paint series, chosen specially to illustrate the wide range of scenes and subjects that can be captured in watercolour. The works of four master watercolourists - Geoff Kersey, Terry Harrison, Peter Woolley and Wendy Tait - are brought together in a collection of 60 beautiful, detailed projects on the subjects of trees, woodlands and forests; landscapes; hills and mountains and flowers respectively. Each project results in a full painting that is accompanied at the end of the book by a full-size outline that can be copied and applied to the artist's own watercolour paper using tracedown paper and pencil. The Watercolour Sourcebook aims to provide a wealth of inspiration to the painter who struggles to decide upon their subject matter, and arms the artist with everything they need to know about what they're about to paint, from colour palette to useful techniques.

Guns, knives, swords, bare-handed or bare-assed -- these ladies are lovely and VERY lethal. A cunning collection of deadly divas being showcased by artists Paco Diaz, Rafa Lopez, and Jose Manuel. Non-stop beat-downs and furious fighting, all while looking good doing it is the hallmark of these honeys, with a blending of those two American favourites -- sex and violence in perfect harmony! If you like your blood sport served up raw and delicious, this is the gallery of guns and gals for you! Kick-ass cover art by Dave Dunstan.

As one of the first books to treat portraits of early modern women as a discrete subject, this volume considers the possibilities and limits of agency and identity for women in history and, with particular attention to gender, as categories of analysis for women's images. Its nine original essays on Italy, the Low Countries, Germany, France, and England deepen the usefulness of these analytical tools for portraiture. Among the book's broad contributions: it dispels false assumptions about agency's possibilities and limits, showing how agency can be located outside of conventional understanding, and, conversely, how it can be stretched too far. It demonstrates that agency is compatible with relational gender analysis, especially when alternative agencies such as spectatorship are taken into account. It also makes evident the importance of aesthetics for the study of identity and agency. The individual essays reveal, among other things, how portraits broadened the traditional parameters of portraiture, explored transvestism and same-sex eroticism, appropriated aspects of male portraiture to claim those values for their sitters, and, as sites for gender negotiation, resistance, and debate, invoked considerable relational anxiety. Richly layered in method, the book offers an array of provocative insights into its subject.

When your name becomes a way to describe a style of pin-up, you know you're arrived! Dave Nestler's unique portraits of stunning young ladies in perfect poses has made this former commericial artist a colossal success! Taking the plunge from steady/safe work in advertising, Dave's approach and appeal in the art market has made him a bit of a rock-star, complete with an adoring fan base and a delightful collection of top-flight models/muses! In this latest showcase of Dave's work, we get a gallery viewing of his latest pencils, studies, and most delightfully - his full color paintings. His airbrushed angels fairly float off the page - fantasy never looked this real! Nestler Girls 1 is a deluxe oversized presentation.

Artistic representations of landscape are studied widely in areas ranging from art history to geography to sociology, yet there has been little consensus about how to understand the relationship between landscape and art. This book brings together more than fifty scholars from these multiple disciplines to establish new ways of thinking about landscape in art.

Catalogue and iconography of the extraordinary wealth of images of Sir Isaac Newton, both before and after his death. Sir Isaac Newton [1642-1727] is rare among figures of the past for the number of authentic paintings, engravings and images of him which survive. He was painted by some nine different artists in the latter part of his life, and after his death both portraits and sculptures continued to proliferate, the amazing demand for representations of his image demonstrating his immense fame. This iconography, lavishly illustrated in both colour and black and white, and involving the disciplines of History of Art and History of Science, catalogues 231 icons in two sections, and is thus an invaluable guide to the images. Part I contains 122 portraits and Part II 109 sculptures, about fifty of which were produced before his death, the rest from then until 1800.

The rise of the mendicant orders in the later Middle Ages coincided with rapid and dramatic shifts in the visual arts. The mendicants were prolific patrons, relying on artworks to instruct and impress their diverse lay congregations. Churches and chapels were built, and new images and iconographies developed to propagate mendicant cults. But how should the two phenomena be related? How much were these orders actively responsible for artistic change, and how much did they simply benefit from it? To explore these questions, Art and the Augustinian Order in Early Renaissance Italy looks at art in the formative period of the Augustinian Hermits, an order with a particularly difficult relation to art. As a first detailed study of visual culture in the Augustinian order, this book will be a basic resource, making available previously inaccessible material, discussing both well-known and more neglected artworks, and engaging with fundamental methodological questions for pre-modern art and church history, from the creation of religious iconographies to the role of gender in art.

Award-winning artist Harriet de Winton shows you how to create contemporary watercolour artworks to treasure and share. Through more than 30 step-by-step projects, discover how to paint individual flowers and foliage, as well as beautiful botanical compositions. Use your new skills to make art for your wall, unique cards, invitations, or simply paint for pleasure.

In Neo-Impressionism and Anarchism in Fin-de-Siecle France, Robyn Roslak examines for the first time the close relationship between neo-impressionist landscapes and cityscapes and the anarchist sympathies of the movement's artists. She focuses in particular on paintings produced between 1886 and 1905 by Paul Signac and Maximilien Luce, the neo-impressionists whose fidelity to anarchism, to the art of landscape and to a belief in the social potential of art was strongest. Although the neo-impressionists are best known for their rational and scientific technique, they also heeded the era's call for art surpassing the mundane realities of everyday life. By tempering their modern subjects with a decorative style, they hoped to lead their viewers toward moral and social improvement. Roslak's ground-breaking analysis shows how the anarchist theories of Elisee Reclus, Pierre Kropotkin and Jean Grave both inspired and coincided with these ideals. Anarchism attracted the neo-impressionists because its standards for social justice were grounded, like neo-impressionism itself, in scientific exactitude and aesthetic idealism. Anarchists claimed humanity would reach its highest level of social and moral development only in the presence of a decorative variety of nature, and called upon progressive thinkers to help create and maintain such environments. The neo-impressionists, who primarily painted decorative landscapes, therefore discovered in anarchism a political theory consistent with their belief that decorative harmony should be the basis for socially responsible art.

Self-portraiture shows no sign of losing its ability to capture the public imagination. Given our current proclivity to snap and share 'selfies' in seconds, it is unsurprising to find a renewed interest in the genre among general audiences and students. Self-portraits have the power to illuminate a range of universal concerns, from identity, purpose and authenticity, to frailty, futility and mortality. In this volume, curator Natalie Rudd expertly casts fresh light on the self-portrait and its international appeal, exploring the historical contexts within which self-portraits have proliferated and considering the meanings they hold today. With commentaries on works by artists ranging from Jan van Eyck and Artemisia Gentileschi to Francisco Goya, Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo and Jenny Saville, the book explores the emotive and expressive potential of self-portraiture, and its capacities to distance or to demystify. Can self-portraits offer windows into artistic process? Is there ever a singular identity to be captured? Is it necessary for a self-portrait to depict the human form? In her vibrant and timely discussion, Rudd dissects these and other important questions, revealing the shifting faces of individuality and selfhood in an age where we are interrogating notions of personal identity more than ever before. With 97 illustrations in colour

Others and Outcasts in Early Modern Europe is the first book to focus directly on the visual representation of marginal and outcast people in early modern Europe. The volume offers a comprehensive and groundbreaking analysis of a wide range of images featuring Jews and Turks, roguish beggars, syphilitics and plague victims, the 'deserving poor', toothpullers, beggar philosophers, black slaves, itinerant actors and street hawkers. Its broad geographical and chronological scope allows the reader to build a wider picture of visual strategies and conventions for the depiction of the poor and the marginal as they developed in countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Britain and Ireland. While such types had often been depicted in earlier centuries, the essays show that they came to play a newly significant and formative role in European art between 1500 and 1750. Marking a clear departure from much previous scholarship on the subject - which has tended to view representations of poverty as passive by-products of non-visual forces - these essays place the image itself at the centre of the investigation. The studies show that many depictions of socially marginal people operated in essentially hegemonic fashion, as a way of controlling or fixing the social and moral identity of those living on the edge. At the same time, they also reveal the inventiveness and originality of many early modern artists in dealing with this subject matter, showing how the sophisticated visuality of their representations could render meaning ambiguous in relation to such controlling discourses.

Charming clip-art dates from the fancy Victorian era through the stylized Arts and Crafts movement of the early 1930s. Royalty free images are perfect for today's graphic applications and personal messages. Tap into nostalgia for favorite holidays -- New Year, Valentines, St. Patricks Day, Easter, July 4th, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. Art work and borders are perfect as is, or easily altered to create great borders, frames, and spot art. State-of-the-art technology has been used to present these four-color, high-resolution images from early 20th Century postcards, ready for application to your professional projects or casual communications. Nearly 300 images are available in a format suitable for Mac or PC use.

Elinor De Wire has been writing about lighthouses and their keepers since 1972. During that time she found that hundreds of lighthouse animals wandered into her research notes and photo collection. This book is the story of all these cold-nosed, whiskered, wooly, hoofed, horned, slithery, buzzing, feathered, and finned keepers of the lights. Where else would a dog learn to ring a fogbell; a cat go swimming and catch a fish for its supper; or a parrot cuss the storm winds rattling its cage? Who other than a lightkeeper would swim a cow home, tame a baby seal, adopt an orphan alligator, send messages via carrier pigeons, or imagine mermaids coming to visit? The Lightkeepers' Menagerie gathers together animal stories from lighthouses all around the world, tales of happiness and sadness, courage and cowardice, tragedy and comedy, even absurdity. Sometimes, fur, feathers, and fins tell the best tales.

Heaven's missing more than just one angel! We're counting over sixty that have gone AWOL, just to end up in this array! Angel Lust 2 flies into the sky and brings an all-new collection of heavenly guardians down to Earth for we merest of mortals to enjoy! These are the best sort of angels - the kind with a little devil in them, as seen by artists like Candia, Buci, Danilo, Flores, LeBlanc, Marachi, Sosa, and more. Say your prayers and have some breath mints ready!

Of all the Gallery Girls collections, perhaps the most popular is the sea-going sirens of the Seven Seas - Mermaids! Seems they're NOT just for lonely sailors anymore! For centuries, these mystical she-creatures have made those long ocean-going voyages worth the effort! In our fourth instalment of such salty goodness, we've enlisted the aquatic artworks of such expert fisherfolk as Pelaez, Arantza, DelRivero, Colucci, Meriggi, and a boat-load of others! Just wait a half-hour after eating before plunging into this book - we don't want you cramping up!

Drawing and painting realistic flowers is achievable! Create a wide variety of blooms and greenery using an easy step-by-step method, then add watercolor for gorgeous effects. In Drawing and Painting Beautiful Flowers, discover how to draw flowers such as cosmos, hibiscus, canola, lily of the valley, hydrangea, foxglove, and more from various angles, and learn about perspective and shading. Once you have the skills to draw a single flower, learn how to draw groupings and wreaths. Mix in leaves and smaller flowers to create a variety of looks. Then, learn simple techniques to add luscious watercolor, using shading, blending, and gradient techniques for eye-catching results. Popular Instagram artist Kyehyun Park shares her secrets for capturing realistic flower, leaf, and plant shapes. Artists of all levels love drawing and painting nature, and with these techniques they'll confidently render lifelike botanicals in an array of lovely palettes. The book also includes: Ideas and techniques for drawing and painting charming potted plants Instructions for drawing and painting smaller flowers, buds, and branches Watercolor techniques showing how to expertly blend colors, use brush strokes and brush pressure to create various shapes, and how to use color to shade and highlight Warm-up exercises that help develop skills Simple methods for understanding perspective and composition, making it effortless to draw flowers from different angles Add these striking florals to sketchbooks, stationery, journals, and more. With Drawing and Painting Beautiful Flowers, creating true-to-life florals and plants is within your reach!

A rich and powerful exploration of desire, sin and redemption, by "our best chronicler of the rewards and pitfalls of present-day faith" [PHILIP PULLMAN] "A novel that probes any number of aggressive varieties of moralism, while testing the reader's own moral alertness for rigour, realism and generosity. An engrossing, three-dimensional, grown-up narrative." ROWAN WILLIAMS "An irresistibly readable, thoughtful and characteristically witty examination of the quandaries and compromises faced by the Church of England in an era of decline . . . I loved this book for its lightness of touch about serious subjects and for dialogue that glitters like clashing rapiers." MIRANDA SEYMOUR As a woman in the early 1980s, Clarissa Phipps is unable to pursue her vocation to the priesthood. Instead, she joins the BBC's religious affairs department, where she is sent to interview celebrated artist, Seward Wemlock, about the panels he is painting for an ancient Cheshire church. "A serious and important writer" ROSE TREMAIN Thirty years on, Clarissa, now rector of that same church, chances upon Brian, the chief bell-ringer and husband of her closest friend, fondling fifteen-year-old David. Dismissing David's claim that they are in love, Clarissa is obliged to act. Will she choose friendship or conscience, sympathy or her official duty of care? The fallout from that choice forces her to reflect on the original controversy over Wemlock's panels and her concerns about his relationship with the teenagers who modelled for Adam and Eve. Had she acted on the whispers that reached her at the time, how many lives - her own included - would have turned out differently? The Choice is a rich and powerful exploration of desire, sin and redemption, questioning whether it's possible, let alone prudent, to separate the art from the artist. It examines the fault lines in both religious and secular society, from the AIDS crisis and the struggle for women's ordination in the 1980s to the culture wars of today. Richly comic and deeply compassionate, The Choice is a remarkable synthesis of the sacred and profane. "At a time when British fiction has never been more timorous about tackling novels of ideas, Michael Arditti has produced one worthy of Iris Murdoch and Graham Greene. Brilliantly ambiguous, waspishly witty and thoroughly enjoyable, this is Michael Arditti's own masterpiece to date" AMANDA CRAIG

'Angel Song' does for halos and wings what it did for all those forest cuties in Fairy Song - show them off in all their radiant glory! "Angel Song" features an international cast of artists who depict these heavenly messengers in loving detail. From Renaissance classic to pin-up pretty, and every style in-between, these paintings reflect the varied natures of man's relationship with these winged wonders! The volume includes the artwork of Dave Nestler, Pelaez, Arantza, Maraschi, Sosa, and many more! Get to see why heaven is such a beautiful place, and why people are just dying to get there!

There can be many obstacles to faith. As Art Lindsley says, "Lewis knew what it was like not to believe. He struggled with many doubts along the way to faith. Since he was an ardent atheist until age thirty-one, Lewis's experience and education prepared him to understand firsthand the most common arguments against Christianity." As a scholar and teacher of literature at Oxford, Lewis confronted many questions: Aren't all religions just humanly invented myths? Doesn't evil in the world indicate an absence of any personal or loving God? Why should what is true for one person be true for me, especially when it comes to religion? How can anyone claim that one religion is right? Why follow Jesus if he was just another good moral teacher? This book provides a readable introduction to Lewis's reflections on these and other objections to belief in Jesus Christ and the compelling reasons why Lewis came to affirm the truth of Christianity. Art Lindsley is a helpful and reliable guide to the voluminous and sometimes challenging writings of Lewis for both seekers and those who want to grasp their own faith more deeply.