A garden is more than the sum of its parts--a garden can be anything one wants it to be. What's important is that it have a heart. Through ethereal illustrations, textile designer and artist Virginia Johnson takes the reader on her own garden journey, from blank slate to dreamscape. Over the years, she has transformed a small, narrow city lot into a garden that is personal, carefree, wild, and welcoming. It all began with a fence to allow her children to play freely but safely, and over the years has turned into a city-dweller's "secret garden." Hornbeams, with their elegant shape, are the heroes of her garden, and the overall palette reflects an artist's lens--peonies, hollyhocks, roses, and hydrangeas abound. Johnson explains her process with ease and clarity, bringing her ideas to life through words and illustrations so that readers can be encouraged and empowered to start their own garden journeys. The book is organized into clear chapters--Trees & Shrubs; Vines; Flowers; Seasons; Edibles; and more.

Over the course of his photography career, Daniel Kariko came to realise that many of his most stunning subjects could be found in his own home. Kariko utilises a combination of a Scanning Electron Microscope and optical Stereo Microscope to achieve a portrait-like effect for insects and arthropods. Vibrant in colour and surprising in personality, these images reveal such details as the glittering eyes of a horsefly, the strong legs of a centipede and the fetching smile of a honeybee. Each photograph comes with a full-body illustration from artist Isaac Talley and character descriptions from entomologist Tim Christensen. Blurring the lines of art and science, Aliens Among Us is a guidebook for anyone interested in putting a face to the creepy-crawlies under the couch.

A collection of spicy stories written and illustrated by cult icon Mitch Byrd. Byrd's attention to detail and sense of humor is matched only by his love of the female form - in ALL it's myriad shapes and sizes! If you're looking for waif-like, timid fashion model-types - look elsewhere! Mitch likes his stories epic, and his ladies even larger! Remember - big girls don't cry - they kick ass!

Julia Rothman's best-selling illustrated Anatomy series takes a deep dive into the wonders of the sea with Ocean Anatomy. Follow Rothman's inquisitive mind and perceptive eye along shorelines, across the open ocean, and below the waves for an artistic exploration of the watery universe. Through her drawings, discover how the world's oceans formed, why the sea is salty, and the forces behind oceanic phenomena such as rogue waves. Colorful anatomical profiles of sea creatures from crustacean to cetacean, surveys of seafaring vessels and lighthouses, and the impact of plastic and warming water temperatures are just part of this compendium of curiosities that will entertain and educate readers of all ages. Also available in this series: Nature Anatomy, Farm Anatomy, Food Anatomy, and Nature Anatomy Notebook

Is it the constant craving for the crimson essence that drives them? The tragic splendour of an eternal youth spent in endless night? Or is it the blood sport of raw power that makes these women so beautifully dangerous? Who can truly know? To observe these deadly beauties from a safe distance, a new gallery of full colour paintings has been assembled. Red ripe artists from across the globe give tribute, including Arantza, Steve Fastner and Rich Larson, James Hottinger, David Dunstan, Inaki, Maraschi, Sosa, Greg Lopez, Ossio, and Pelaez. Twilight was never so inviting!

Billy Showell is a well-respected contemporary artist whose watercolour flower portraits have earned her the respect of watercolour artists all over the world. Worked to the same degree of accuracy as traditional botanical paintings, Billy's compositions are given a more contemporary twist, combining her unique eye for design with her love of flowers. In this book, 40 flower portraits are presented, arranged in alphabetical order, each one accompanied by small studies, details, step-by-step instructions and the colour mixes used to accomplish the finished work. At the start of the book there are useful sections on the materials and equipment needed and the main techniques used, including wet-into-wet, colour blending, lifting out, layering glazes, dry brushing and colour mixing, and at the end of the book Billy gives her own unique slant on composition and discusses the importance of creating a sketchbook. Whether you love to paint, or simply love flowers, this book will delight and inspire you.

The new paperback edition of Roy Strong's popular introduction to Elizabethan portraiture Written for the general reader, Roy Strong's popular introduction to Elizabethan portraiture synthesizes scholarship and research on this subject into a concise introduction to the Elizabethan aesthetic. Strong surveysthe entirety of Elizabeth I's reign from the Procession Picture to the Rainbow Portrait (1600-1602). A range of social aspects of Elizabethan portraiture are explored, such as patronage, symbolic self-fashioning, Elizabethan pageantry and melancholic humor. Strong reveals the Elizabethan approach to portraiture, while demonstrating a new way to look at these paintings. From celebrated portraits of the Queen and paintings of knights and courtiers, to works depicting an aspiring 'middle class', Strong presents a detailed and authoritative examination of one of the most fascinating periods of British art.

Available for the first time in one deluxe slipcased hardcover edition, an anthology of all eight volumes of the C. S. Lewis Signature Classics.

This magnificent compendium, ideal for gift giving, includes:

• Mere Christianity
• The Screwtape Letters
• The Great Divorce
• The Problem of Pain
• Miracles
• A Grief Observed
• Abolition of Man
• The Four Loves

Scott Grimando is an artist of prodigious gifts and abilities. He brings to life mystical creatures of legend and star-spanning humans of the future with brilliant clarity. His intricate cover paintings have been featured on some of the most popular SF and fantasy books in print today. In his latest collection - The Art of the Mythical Woman, Scott showcases the paintings, sketches, and studies of the females in his compositions, and the tour is truly exquisite! Profiled in Heavy Metal, honored in Spectrum, and the subject of many successful one-man shows, Scott Grimando is unique in his approach to fantasy, blending photo-realistic images with things that simply do not exist - outside this artist's unparalleled imagination! Foreword by fellow fantasy art heavyweight Donato Giancola.

This lavishly illustrated guide to iconography explains through words and pictures the history, meaning, and purpose of Christian icons as well as the traditional methods that religious painters use to create these luminous, spiritually enlivened works of art. / Solrunn Nes, one of Europe's most admired iconographers, illuminates the world of Christian icons, explaining the motifs, gestures, and colors common to these profound symbols of faith. Nes explores in depth a number of famous icons, including those of the Greater Feasts, the Mother of God, and a number of the better-known saints, enriching her discussion with references to Scripture, early Christian writings, and liturgy. She also leads readers through the process and techniques of icon painting, illustrating each step with photographs, and includes more than fifty of her own original works of art. / Deeply inspiring and utterly unique, The Mystical Language of Icons serves to inform both those who are familiar with the rich tradition of religious art and those who are not. Even more, it is a powerful devotional resource that Christians everywhere can turn to again and again. / This beautifully illustrated book provides the reader with an excellent guide to understanding icons. . . . For anyone interested in the production and meaning of icons, this book will be essential reading. Theological Book Review / Solrunn Nes has produced a fine guide to iconography in her Mystical Language of Icons. The book is lavishly illustrated in full color throughout with Nes's own icons, each in the style of one of the various schools with which she is most conversant. All are striking and luminous and fully in accord with the objective canonical tradition. Her work reveals how one committed prayerfully to the latter can nonetheless produce art of obvious creativity. This book is unreservedly recommended. Touchstone"

Kierkegaard and the Dialectics of Modernism defines literary Modernism (represented by seven English, American, and Scandinavian authors) as not only a manifestation of man's separation and alienation from himself and society, but also as an expression of man's struggle towards integration and liberation. In the texts, this dialectic is reflected in the ironic interplay between the fragmentation of language and the poetic longing for wholeness. Kierkegaard's philosophy and Freud's psychology express a conflict comparable to the Modernist dilemma. The areas of philosophy, psychology, and literature, when examined dialectically, reveal a common response, in different terms, to a shared historical situation.

A beautifully illustrated anthology of 26 of Australia's most fascinating animals from CBCA Honour Book author/illustrator Jennifer Cossins. From the award-winning creator of A-Z OF ENDANGERED ANIMALS comes a stunning non-fiction picture book for children with a love of animals and a thirst for all things encyclopaedic. This exquisite full-colour picture book is packed with interesting facts and is perfect for young conservationists and students with a keen interest in the world around us. On this expedition through the alphabet, you will encounter some of Australia's rare and enchanting animals, from the gorgeous azure kingfisher and the sleepy koala, to the shy numbat and the friendly zebra finch. Come on an illustrated journey through Australia's unique wildlife with Tasmanian artist Jennifer Cossins. 'For... children who have an enquiring mind and a thirst for knowledge, any book by Tasmanian author and artist Jennifer Cossins is ideal.' Kids' Book Review

Illustrator Ronnie Werner takes his cue from the classic pin-up style of the 40's and 50's, but through a very modern lens! Updating the look and feel of the girls who made Dad and Grandad go all "hubba-hubba" with a distinctive new flavour born of today's sensibilities. In other words -- HOT! Able to create illustrations both realistic and cartoonish, Ronnie blends cool and cute into some of the most delightful young ladies we've had the good fortune to ogle! Here's a man well on his way to having to stare at beautiful models the rest of his life (and get paid for it!). We think you will enjoy this first-ever overview of Mr Werner's talents!

Artists wishing to capture the excitement and power of the sea in their artwork will find this book invaluable. Judith Yates uses a mix of traditional and more experimental techniques to create her dynamic seascapes, all of which are explained in clear, step-by-step sequences, annotated examples and Judith's stunning artworks. With sections on colour, composition, and creating atmosphere, this book is a comprehensive approach to painting the tumultuous ocean with a mix of acrylics, watercolour and acrylic inks. Judith's varied, mixed media approach gives this book wide appeal to watercolour and acrylics artists looking to expand their creative horizons. This book demystifies all aspects of painting the sea, including details on the form and anatomy of a wave; bringing light, atmosphere and drama into the sky; and choosing colours to create a mood. It also provides a great source of inspiration to artists who are drawn to the sea as a subject for their own paintings.

Flower fans and nature enthusiasts will fall in love with this charming art book from Instagram sensation Flora Forager featuring the best of her unique floral compositions created with botanical materials. Flora Forager creates images out of flower petals, leaves, stones, twigs, and other natural materials that she finds in her garden and in urban wild areas in her neighbourhood. This intimate, lovely book collects her best pieces, including 20% new, exclusive art, along with a peek into her unique creative process. Featured pieces include scenes, mandalas, animals, birds, fish, insects, mythical creatures, iconic women, old masters, and more. Each artwork is accompanied by explanatory text on a facing page including piece name, materials used, and a short, evocative description of the artist's process and inspiration.

She's ruthless, amoral, and unstoppable. The fact that she's got a body that turns strong men into puddles of sex-addled goo always works in her favour! She's Magenta, and when she's not solving crimes, she's probably committing a few! Italy's bad bad girl is back for a whole new slate of wild and wicked adventures, along with her equally pneumatic (but not quite so clever) pal Lucrezia! Once again Celestino Pes and Nik Guerra team up for retro-fun with their always-naughty curvy creation - Magenta.

Rockwell's famous Saturday Evening Post covers, the four Freedoms he painted during the years of World War II, his depictions of American towns, families, and traditions are all represented in this enchanting volume. They offer a picture of America that we hold dear, representing a world of hope and humanity. Fred Bauer writes about Rockwell's message of optimism and the artist's faith in America and its people in a forthright and sympathetic text complemented by numerous Rockwell favorites in all their warmth and color. Bauer visits Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and Arlington, Vermont, talking to the people who lived with Rockwell and posed for his anecdotal pictures, the people about whom the artist said, "If you are interested in the characters you draw and understand them and love them, why, the people who see your pictures are bound to feel the same way." This lovely book enables us to partake once again of that unique love and understanding that Norman Rockwell still communicates to America.

Beautiful bird illustrations by Madeleine Floyd Details of the wonderful songs and sounds of our birds A celebration of our feathered creatures and their songs for all bird lovers A celebration of British birds and their songs, from the sought-after artist Madeleine Floyd. Some 50 of her exquisite drawings of birds, along with their specific eggs are captured here for fans of her work and wildlife enthusiasts. It includes details of the songs and sounds made by each of the birds, from sparrows, tits, to the lyrical nightingale. The latter has up to 250 different phrases in his song and each performance is made up of a unique composition. The art of Madeleine Floyd is beautifully presented in this gem of a book and should delight all bird lovers.

This book places the discourse surrounding stigmata within the visual culture of the late medieval and early modern periods, with a particular focus on Italy and on female stigmatics. Echoing, and to a certain extent recreating, the wounds and pain inflicted on Christ during his passion, stigmata stimulated controversy. Related to this were issues that were deeply rooted in contemporary visual culture such as how stigmata were described and performed and whether, or how, it was legitimate to represent stigmata in visual art. Because of the contested nature of stigmata and because stigmata did not always manifest in the same form - sometimes invisible, sometimes visible only periodically, sometimes miraculous, and sometimes self-inflicted - they provoked complex questions and reflections relating to the nature and purpose of visual representation. Dr Cordelia Warr is Senior Lecturer in Art History, University of Manchester, UK.

Nature's Explorers celebrates the individuals who made great personal endeavours in order to document the natural world. Their findings revolutionised our understanding of nature and gave birth to the modern fields of geography, evolutionary biology, oceanography and anthropology. From ground-breaking theorists such as Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace to evocative artists like Ferdinand Bauer and John James Audubon, these explorers shared an ambition to illuminate new worlds and each embodied the spirit of the Enlightenment and the Scientific Revolution.

The Erotic Object: Sexuality in Sculpture From Prehistory to the Present

The power and eroticism of sculpture, form, volume and space are sensitively explored in this wide-ranging study, which takes in the history of sculpture from prehistoric times to contemporary art.

Featuring discussions of many famous sculptors, including: Michelangelo Buonarroti, Antonio Canova, Auguste Rodin, Eric Gill, Andy Goldsworthy, Jasper Johns, Constantin Brancusi, Pablo Picasso, Barbara Hepworth and Gianlorenzo Bernini.

Many contemporary artists are studied too, including installation and performance artists (Catherine Elwes, Karen Finley, Ana Mendieta, Carolee Schneemann), and women sculptors such as Alice Aycock, Mary Miss, Rebecca Horn, Nancy Graves, Eva Hesse, Kathe Kollwitz and Judy Chicago.

Regardless of what sculpture depicts, it can be seen as erotic. The surfaces, materials and forms are sensuous: wood, stone, marble, granite, clay, bronze. Touching is pleasure. It is a pleasure that is, perhaps, pre-institutional, pre-industrial and pre-political.

Touching cuts through socialand cultural constructs, such asart, ideology, education and war, and goes back to aprimeval form of being. At same time, touching is a sense of the both personal and societal. John Keats said, 'touch hasa memory'. Sculpture activates this fundamental relation with things. Sculpture renews contact with the simple but utterly crucial experiences such as touch, sight, and smell.

Fully illustrated, with many rare and fascinating illustrations, including prints, paintings and buildings as well as sculptures and statues.

This book has been revised and updated. ISBN 9781861714092. 296 pages. www.crmoon.com

A highly original collection of high magnification photographs that unlock the hidden beauty of seeds and fruit, from the author of Microsculpture

The Hidden Beauty of Seeds & Fruits is a photographic study that celebrates the wonders of nature and science in mind-blowing magnification. Levon Biss’ striking photography captures the breathtaking and beautiful details of the world of carpology, the study of seeds and fruits. Each picture reveals minute features and textures that are normally invisible to the naked eye, providing the audience with an insight into strange and often bizarre adaptations that have evolved over thousands of years. After spending months searching through the carpological collection at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Biss selected over a hundred striking samples to be featured in this book. Captioned with scientific text that provides the backstory for each specimen, The Hidden Beauty of Seeds & Fruits is guaranteed to amaze, entertain, and educate.