"The site is the result of a careful study of the river-banks, and commands so many views of varied beauty, that all the glories of the Hudson may be said to circle it." H. W. French, Art and Artists in Connecticut, 1879

In 1609, Henry Hudson sailed up the river that now bears his name. The exhibition and its accompanying publication Glories of the Hudson: Frederic Edwin Church's Views from Olana mark the quadricentennial of his discovery by highlighting Frederic Church's sketches of the prospect from his hilltop home overlooking the river. Church made his first sketch of the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains from Red Hill the south end of the property that became his home, Olana in 1845, on a sketching expedition suggested by his teacher Thomas Cole. Returning to the Hudson Valley in 1860 as the nation's most famous and best-paid artist, Church settled on a farm on the lower slope of the Sienghenbergh, securing for himself and his new wife a splendid vantage point for studying, sketching, and painting the river.

Church continued to add land to his property, attaining new and varied vistas of the river, and crowned the estate with a Persian-inspired house designed to frame splendid views of the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains. Church never tired of his views of the river, documenting his passion for the Hudson in paintings, oil sketches, and drawings. From Olana, he observed the transformations wrought by the changing seasons, weather, and light, capturing chilly winter snows, brilliant sunsets, and passing storms in sketches executed with a few brushstrokes or autumn colors and clear winter light in more finished easel paintings. The best of these are reproduced here, in eighty-three illustrations, sixty-nine in full color, some of them published for the first time. The essay by Evelyn D. Trebilcock and Valerie A. Balint, the introduction by Kenneth John Myers, and the foreword by John K. Howat together provide an absorbing narrative of the development of the Hudson River School and its most successful artist.

The Olana Partnership, Hudson, New York, and New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Albany, New York, organized Glories of the Hudson: Frederic Edwin Church's Views from Olana, held from May 23 to October 12, 2009"

A guidebook covering all the essential tips and hints of wildlife photography, suitable for all levels of photographer.

The book contains:

• Over 200 images of 75 different species illustrate basic technical aspects and advanced creative techniques;
• In-depth, local knowledge of wildlife destinations and when to visit;
• Outlines what equipment is needed;
• Easy to understand explanations of exposure, aperture and shutter speed;
• Advice on composition and animal behaviour;
• How to capture birds in flight, create impressive panning shots and manage tricky lighting situations;
• Specialist chapters include mammals, birds, reptiles, black and white photography, macro, and many more.

Cats have been revered by artists since ancient times for their beauty, grace, independence and air of mystery. Domesticated, but with a touch of the wild about them, they share our homes and endlessly fascinate us. The Book of the Cat is a cool and quirky collection of feline art and illustration by artists from around the world. Interspersed through the illustrations are short texts about the artists and their subjects. Beautifully designed and packaged, the book will appeal to cat lovers of all ages.

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.

Wouldn't life be boring if we were all exactly the same? And although each of us is unique, we're really not so different after all. And it's our differences that truly make us Better Together. Better Together combines adorable photos of unlikely animal pairs alongside poignant quotes on topics for friends of all stripes on subjects such as love, respect, and compassion. Memorable, wise words alongside sweet photography beautifully and humorously communicate the truth about and magic of friendship-that although we may not be exactly the same, we're really not so different after all. Quotes from George Washington to Bono focus on friendship, unity, strength, and on harmony between people with diverse viewpoints, lifestyles, or beliefs and include inspiring quotes such as: "Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?" -Abraham Lincoln "Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one.'" -C. S. Lewis "'Stay' is a charming word in a friend's vocabulary." -Louisa May Alcott "I would rather walk with a friend in the dark than walk alone in the light." -Helen Keller Better Together is full of reminders of the very best things about friendship and is the perfect way to tell someone you love: "Life is best with a friend like you."

Produced in association with Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, this collection of 40 orchids tells the many intriguing stories of this beguiling plant. It is enhanced with botanical illustrations by the great orchid artists, 40 of which have also been selected be included as prints and presented in a handsome collector's box. Captivating, beautiful, incredibly diverse and often elusive, orchids can be found in nearly all environments, ranging from sea level to an elevation of almost 5,000 metres. Victorian plant hunters scoured the globe for new species to bring back for botanical gardens and private collectors; "orchidmania" among gardeners was born and persists to this day. Enhanced with notes and letters held in Kew's archives and illustrations by artists such as John Day and Sarah Drake, this is an exceptionally beautiful book on an extraordinary plant.

An intriguing and richly illustrated analysis of the symbolic imagery found in gardens throughout history, this work features dedicated mailing to targeted art and gardening related media and organisations. This superbly illustrated volume presents readers with an intelligent and engaging analysis of the constituent elements of gardens - both real and imagined - that uncovers their often-hidden symbolic meanings. It uses over 380 paintings to provide a continuous visual record of the myriad and ephemeral form of the garden, with salient details being drawn to the reader's attention for closer examination. The first half of "Gardens in Art" examines the main types of garden throughout history, from the humble medieval enclosure for devotions, through the magnificent gardens celebrating the power of popes and kings, to the great public parks of the 19th century. The second half focuses on the decorative elements - including topiaries, statues, grottoes, and labyrinths - and discusses how they provide clues to their importance in particular cultures.

Dana combines beautiful art, the relaxing nature of watercolour and step-by-step guidance so readers can learn to make her incredible artwork. This book will feature 50 whimsical, forest-themed projects - like a feather, fox, butterfly, wild flower, bumblebee or an owl. Like an art teacher in a studio, Dana walks the reader through each step of creating the paintings. Each project features a new technique to master that readers can integrate into their own pieces. This book will be printed on high-quality watercolour paper so that new techniques can be tested in the tutorial sections and the watercolours will blend effortlessly on every page. With perforated pages, readers will be able to hang their completed masterpiece on the wall. Dana has 118K followers on Instagram, 65K on YouTube and 16K on Facebook. This book will have 50 projects.

This connect-the-dots coloring book features images from around the home, in the garden, and from nature. Steve Duffendack has developed a unique approach to connecting the dots that allows for more diversity in how a page can be completed. Instead of only dots there are various shapes to connect. Find the same shapes, then connect the numbers within that group. After all the groups are connected, color the scene!

Santa Fe nature artist Geninne D Zlatkis is well-known on Instagram and Pinterest for her charming paintings and collages of birds. In Geninne's Art: Birds in Watercolor, Collage, and Ink, for the first time, she offers her fans a field guide to her art process. A skilled nature photographer as well as artist, Geninne begins her work in the field by observing and photographing birds and flowering plants. Then takes her observations back to the studio, where she turns them into works on paper. Readers will discover, step-by-step, how Geninne selects her materials and then creates her personal imagery. What makes Geninne's work so successful is her imaginative and colorful interpretation of the birds she has observed so closely. Her work is approachable, and her fans will love to see how she does it, so that they can try it too. To get them started, the book will include a selection of collage papers that can be removed from the book. Geninne brings a wide and ready audience with her to this project.

Horses are very rare in Africa. The few to be found west of Sudan, from the lands of the Sahara and Sahel down to the fringes of the tropical forests, belong to the king, the chief warrior and to notable persons. Due to the dense humidity of the tropical rainforest and the deadly tsetse fly, only restricted numbers of horses survive. And yet rider and mount sculptures are common among the Dogon, Djenne, Bamana, Senufo and the Yoruba people. The Akan-Asante people of Ghana and the Kotoko of Chad produced a good deal of small casting brass and bronze sculptures. Some of the artists could barely even have caught a glimpse of a horse. This visually stunning book presents a wealth of African art depicting the horse and its rider in a variety of guises, from Epa masks and Yoruba divination cups to Dogon sculptures and Senufo carvings. In Mali, the Bamana, Boso and Somono ethnic groups still celebrate the festivals of the puppet masquerade. The final chapter of this book is dedicated to the art and cult of these festivals, which are still alive and well. It is not the habit of the African artist to provide intellectual statements for his work, yet his unique creative dynamic and far-searching vision does not conflict with that of his Western counterpart. It is fair to state that the African, who though not educated in Western art history, contributed his fair share to the shaping of modern art. Features works from museums in both Africa and Europe, including the Musee Royal de L'Afrique Central, Tervuren in Belgium; Afrika Museum, Berg en Dal, Netherlands; Musee du quai Branly, Paris; Museum Rietberg, Zurich; The British Museum, London; Museu National de Antologia, Lisbon and National Museum, Lagos, Nigeria.

For many, the highlights of seaside holidays are rockpooling and gathering the glorious array of shells left strewn on the beach after the receding tide. Attracted by the infinite variety of shapes and colours, visitors can never resist making a souvenir collection of their own - but little do they suspect the fascinating lives of the animals who once occupied them. What if each shell had a story of its own to tell us, if only we knew the language? Mr Street's delightful, informative guide uncovers the secret history of each common shell, revealing not only which marine creature once inhabited it but the unique challenges of its watery habitat it had to solve. From barnacles to oysters, cockles to sea slugs, winkles to carnivorous snails, molluscs and lesser-known members of the octopus family, Shell Life on the Seashore is the essential primer for recognising and collecting both these curious specimens and the 'empties' they leave behind - and will greatly increase the old-fashioned pleasures of a coastal holiday for all the family.

Kew: Golden Age of Botanical Art brings together the stories of the intrepid explorers - some of whom became botanical artists by default - and the many professional artists who recorded the flora that they discovered on their travels and expeditions. From some of the earliest attempts at art to the plant hunters of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the images produced in the study of plants have held a fascination for all those who love nature. Truly global in its scope, this beautifully illustrated book moves across centuries and continents looking at the artistry of China and India, delving into the sketchbooks of explorers in the Himalayas and following the voyages of those who discovered new worlds and new species as far apart as Russia and South America. Alongside special features on key figures in the botanical art world, Kew: Golden Age of Botanical Art highlights the work of some of the great names of botanical art, including Ehret and Bauer. Included within is a host of rarely published and previously unpublished images from the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, as well as an outline on how what might have been a pastime for some also made a significant contribution to our understanding of the world and the glories of nature.

While highly finished drawings and paintings frequently feature in histories of botanical art, the preparatory sketches, first impressions and creative thoughts on paper behind them are rarely seen and have often remained hidden and locked away. Botanical Sketchbooks brings these personal and vividly spontaneous records gloriously back into the light. In a series of biographical portraits organized thematically into four sections, the book illuminates a range of intriguing characters, from many different countries and cultures, including Germany, France, Italy, America, Australia, Japan and China. Sketchbooks proper are joined by notebooks, journals, albums, loose pieces of paper, works on vellum, manuscripts, letters, herbarium sheets and marginalia - even one drawing on the back of an envelope. Turning the pages of this book will be an invitation to relive extraordinary experiences, imagine lost worlds, and be immersed in the endeavours, observations and motivations of the makers of such beautiful and enchanting art.

First published to accompany major retrospective exhibitions at West Cork Arts Centre and the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA), this full-colour illustrated monograph explores William Crozier's whole career, taking in the second half of the twentieth century - a key period in the development of British and Irish art. The catalogue is furnished with essays presenting brand new research by renown art historians and curators, Illuminated by unpublished sources and personal memoirs. What emerges is a picture of the continuum that runs through all of Crozier's work, revealing a fascinating narrative that, far from a story of transformation from darker, earlier imagery into the apparent hedonism of later landscapes, is one of continuity of purpose in Crozier's mind-set that connects 1950s Britain and Ireland with the concerns of the new millennium. Profoundly affected by post-war existential philosophy, Crozier consciously allied himself and his work with contemporary European art throughout the 1950s and 1960s, towards painters such as Jean Dubuffet, Pierre Soulages, Hans Hartung and Nicolas de Stael. The landscape became the source of visceral paintings: For Crozier, ravaged landscapes symbolised the torment and fear of the post-war condition at the heart of existentialism. Only ten years separate these images of traumatized humanity from the luxuriantly colourful works inspired by the landscape of West Cork. His early skill as a colourist reaches its zenith in paintings that capture the essence and appearance of the West Cork landscape in ways immediately recognisable to the viewer, but they are also concerned to capture a landscape during a period of great physical and social change. Crozier believed that when painting the Irish landscape he must, "Tell the truth. Say it simply."

A chapter on travel drawings gives a flavour of the author's passion and worldwide experience. There is a helpful section on suitable subjects for beginners and a glossary of terms. The text is highly illustrated throughout with beautiful paintings.

Enter the surreal world of Yuko Higuchi, where dogs become astronauts and cats join the circus. This stunning collection of twenty-four artworks created by the cult Japanese illustrator is a must for lovers of all things fantastical and bizarre.