A collection of the award-winning architect's travel sketches, showing inspirational buildings across the globe. Includes Sydney Opera House, St Paul's Cathedral and the Tokyo skyline. Chris Wilkinson, the founder of the architectural practice WilkinsonEyre, is responsible for beautiful buildings and structures in London and beyond, including the Gasholders at King's Cross, the redevelopment of Battersea Power Station, and the Gateshead Millennium Bridge. In this appealing publication, Wilkinson presents the sketches he makes while travelling for business and leisure, usually focusing on inspirational buildings or urban cityscapes. His travels have taken him as far afield as the West Indies, Russia, Egypt, Australia and Japan. Wherever he goes, he finds an hour or two to sit and sketch - whether in a hotel room with a view or on a cafe terrace with a cappuccino. From the medieval Tuscan town of Lucca to ancient Egyptian architecture, the Sydney Opera House and the skylines of London, Tokyo and New York, Wilkinson introduces each sketch and ruminates on his work, his travels, and the cities and buildings that have most inspired him.

Believing that artistic expression "can and does" play an important role in changing the way we perceive our relation to the world we live in, art critic John Grande takes an in-depth look at the work of some very unusual environmental artists in the United States, Canada, and -Europe.

Dealing with everything from materials to the politics of curatorship, from the permanence of art works to the artist's role as cultural critic, "Balance Art and Nature" takes theory into action as it critically examines the works of Anish Kapoor, Antony Gormley, Armand Vaillancourt, Bill Reid, Carl Beam, Kevin Kelly, Ana Mendieta, James Carl, Patrick Dougherty, Keith Haring, and others. What emerges is a viable socio-environmental framework for evaluating contemporary art and insights into art's actual and potential roles.

"Grande's commentaries represent an important contribution to the theory of art."--Claude Levi-Strauss

"A call to reawaken creativity in this time of alienation."--Antony Gormley

"Encourages us to rethink what it means to be an artist in a time of global eco-crisis."--Suzi Gablik, "The Re-enchantment of Art"

"Makes unexpected connections giving new insights into contemporary art."--"Public Art Review"

"Grande's book contains a lot of ideas, all of which are thought-provoking."--"Globe and Mail"

"Details makes this book convincing."--"Books In Canada"

"Grande's ideas and style are fresh, sincere, intuitive, lively and compelling."--"Journal of Comparative Literature and Aesthetics"

"Offers interesting parallels between different aspects of public art."--"Espace Sculptur"

Writer and art critic John Grande's reviews and feature -articles have been published in art magazines and catalogues internationally. He is author of "Intertwining: Landscape, Technology, Issues, Artists" (Black Rose Books), "Nils-Udo: Art with Nature" (Wienand Verlag), and "Art Nature Dialogues" (SUNY Press).

Botanical Illustration Course - published with the Eden Project - is your personal guide to the study of botanical drawing and watercolour painting. Devised by an award-winning botanical artist who teaches at the Eden Project, this course takes you from basic drawing techniques to advanced skills required for the analysis of complex forms in watercolour. Following the syllabus of the botanical illustration course at the acclaimed Eden Project in Cornwall, this book offers you the opportunity to perfect the many techniques used to produce beautiful and informative plant portraits. Full of practical information, and with easy-to-follow exercises, the book includes: Pencil Drawing; Shapes in Nature; Plant dissection and bisection; Perspective; Use of tonal contrast; Line drawing and pencil shading; Colour and pigment mixing; Application of watercolour; Highlights and shiny surfaces; Composition and arrangement.

This calendar features illustrations from British botanist Clarence Bicknell. Nightshade, snowdrops, wild anemone, globe daisy and many more stunning plants and flowers are featured from Bicknell's A Book of Berries, a collection from the Fitzwilliam Museum. Informative text accompanies each work in this art calendar and the datepad features previous and next months views.

Brimming with lively animals both real and fantastic, the bestiary was one of the great illuminated manuscript traditions of the Middle Ages. Encompassing imaginary creatures, such as the unicorn, siren and griffin; exotic beasts, including the tiger, elephant and ape; as well as animals native to Europe, like the beaver, dog and hedgehog, the bestiary is a vibrant testimony to the medieval understanding of animals and their role in the world. So iconic were the stories and images of the bestiary that its beasts essentially escaped from the pages, appearing in a wide variety of manuscripts and other objects, including tapestries, ivories, metalwork and sculpture. With over 270 colour illustrations and contributions by twenty-five leading medieval scholars, this gorgeous volume explores the bestiary and its widespread influence on medieval art and culture as well as on modern and contemporary artists like Pablo Picasso and Damien Hirst.

There is no luckier dog than one that is frolicking in the Colorado High Country. Whether skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, mountain biking, on the river, or on a lofty summit, dogs in the Colorado mountains are the happiest creatures on the planet. "Colorado Mountain Dogs" captures the joy and rapture of canines and their human companions as they frolic on trails, in camp and in creeks, from the San Juans to the Front Range, from Steamboat Springs along the Continental Divide to the Sawatch and Sangre de Cristos. Whether you are a visitor or a longtime resident, "Colorado Mountain Dogs" gives you a dog's-eye view of the backcountry, the ski slopes, and the resort towns of America's most-altitudinous state. With more than 150 photographs and sidebars on how to photograph dogs, reasons why people have dogs, and the naming of dogs.

'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 AA Publishing, he created this prestigious competition and award with a total prize fund exceeding GBP20,000, plus an eight-week exhibition at the National Theatre. 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 sixth annual competition. Following the recent announcement by Take A View that that the winner of the Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards 2012, David Byrne, has been disqualified, a decision based on the extent of the digital manipulation techniques used in his entry, AA Publishing would like to reassure readers of their commitment to responsible and quality publishing. The book: Landscape Photographer of the Year: Collection 6, which contains the winning entries from the 2012 awards, was published by AA Publishing on October 31st in the best of faith. Prepared by the publishers long before the winners were announced to the public, the book is produced to the highest quality standards. Due to the book being printed and distributed before the decision to change the overall winner was made by the judges, the current version of the hardback book on sale contains the former winning image by David Byrne, while the newly announced winning image by Simon Butterfield appears on page 127. The next print run of the hardback copy of Landscape Photographer of the Year: Collection 6 will include Simon Butterfield's image at the start of the book, replacing David Byrne's disqualified image. The eBook version of the book has already been corrected to include the new winning image. AA Publishing have posted information on both Amazon and on the AA Publishing website to inform buyers of the changes to this year's awards that has affected the content of the book as well as alerting the companies who handle the distribution of the books.

NEW IN PAPERBACK Billy Showell's exquisite and technically brilliant watercolour flower portraits are beautifully presented in this highly informative, lavishly illustrated book. Packed with information on drawing and painting techniques, colour mixing and composition, it is an invaluable source of ideas and inspiration for anyone who wants to develop their flower painting skills, whether or not they have any previous experience.

Part of a series of exciting and luxurious Flame Tree Notebooks. Combining high-quality production with magnificent fine art, the covers are printed on foil in five colours, embossed, then foil stamped. And they're powerfully practical: a pocket at the back for receipts and scraps, two bookmarks and a solid magnetic side flap. These are perfect for personal use and make a dazzling gift. This example features Nel Whatmore's 'Up Up and Away'.

100 Japanese Gardens is an ambitious attempt to profile the finest gardens in Japan, while also highlighting lesser known, but equally accomplished landscapes in less-visited parts of the country. A celebration of Japanese landscape design, this book features gardens from Kyoto and Tokyo, as well as from the sub-arctic island of Hokkaido and the semi-tropical islands of Okinawa. Author Stephen Mansfield travelled the length and breadth of Japan on a quest to identify the most impressive gardens in this vast and culturally varied archipelago. His erudition and love of the Japanese garden shines through on every page, making this the perfect primer for travel to Japan or an enjoyable armchair read for gardening enthusiasts. Mansfield's insightful descriptions of each garden examine design concepts and principles, space management, compositional elements, and the iconographic and metaphysical role of Shinto and Buddhist influences. Through his exquisite visuals and engaging stories, we experience Japanese garden designs not merely as landscapes, but as large-scale art installations.

The Concept of Nature in Early Modern English Literature traces a genealogy of ecology in seventeenth-century literature and natural philosophy through the development of the protoecological concept of 'the oeconomy of nature'. Founded in 1644 by Kenelm Digby, this concept was subsequently employed by a number of theologians, physicians, and natural philosophers to conceptualize nature as an interdependent system. Focusing on the middle decades of the seventeenth century, Peter Remien examines how Samuel Gott, Walter Charleton, Robert Boyle, Samuel Collins, and Thomas Burnet formed the oeconomy of nature. Remien also shows how literary authors Ben Jonson, George Herbert, Andrew Marvell, Margaret Cavendish, and John Milton use the discourse of oeconomy to explore the contours of humankind's relationship with the natural world. This book participates in an intellectual history of the science of ecology while prompting a re-evaluation of how we understand the relationship between literature and ecology in the early modern period.

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.

Explore the beauty and diversity of the animal world through more than 300 captivating images from across time and from every corner of the globe

Animal: Exploring the Zoological World is a visually stunning and broad-ranging survey that explores and celebrates humankind's ongoing fascination with animals. Since our very first moments on Earth, we have been compelled to make images of the curious beasts around us - whether as sources of food, danger, wonder, power, scientific significance or companionship. This carefully curated selection of images, chosen by an international panel of experts, delves into our shared past to tell the story of animal life.

From the first cave paintings, extraordinary medieval bestiaries and exquisite scientific illustration, to iconic paintings, contemporary artworks and the incredible technological advancements that will shape our futures together, the huge range of works reflects the beauty and variety of animals themselves – including butterflies, hummingbirds, bats, frogs, tigers, dogs, jellyfish, spiders and elephants, to name a few.

Arranged in a curated and thought-provoking sequence, this engaging compilation includes iconic works by some of the great names in zoology, such as Conrad Gesner, Charles Darwin and John James Audubon, as well as celebrated artists and photographers, indigenous cultures and lesser-known figures who have made important contributions to the study and representation of animals throughout history.

Chelsea Physic Garden was founded by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries in 1673 as a resource providing plant material for the training of apothecaries. For most of its existence, the Garden has been a focus for botanists, taxonomists, students and horticulturists both for employing their skills and in training the next generation. These activities have been supported by the work of plant illustrators. It is the purpose of this book to display the work of talented late twentieth- and early twenty-first century botanical artists, members of Chelsea Physic Garden Florilegium Society, whose explicit aim is to illustrate plants in cultivation in the Garden. In 1995 the Chelsea Physic Garden Florilegium Society was co-founded by Margaret King and Wendy Page. It is a group of artists, the first cohort of which had been studying for a Diploma in botanical illustration at the English Gardening School at Chelsea Physic Garden. Botanical Illustration from Chelsea Physic Garden includes selected works from the garden's archive, which now totals about 500 works.The seventy-eight illustrations reproduced include one in pen-and-ink and three in graphite (lead pencil), all examples of work by masters of their technique. Also included is one work in coloured pencil which is, even on close inspection, indistinguishable from the best water-colour painting. The plates are accompanied by notes about the uses of the plants, as well as the botanical name of the plant and its family.

The fifty-two paintings gathered here reveal as never before the wild beauty of Little St. Simons, an undeveloped barrier island on the Georgia coast. In showing us the island's marshes and tidal creeks, shrub lands and forests, and dunes and beaches, artist Philip Juras helps us understand the natural and historical forces continually at work on this unique place. The Wild Treasury of Nature continues Juras's exploration of the presettlement wilderness of the American South as the earliest naturalists would have encountered it. Strikingly composed and executed, Juras's island paintings are based on extensive research and many hours spent at the sites he documents. From the contours of a pristine landscape down to the shape and colour of its smallest plant, each scene is a historically and ecologically credible rendering of a place that has remained miraculously unspoiled. The writings that accompany Juras's paintings describe the natural history and unique cultural past of Little St. Simons in particular and the southern barrier islands in general, place the artwork within the American landscape painting tradition, and underscore the importance of vigilant stewardship for the island and the few remaining American places like it.

"Garden Hearts" celebrates that most iconic of images, the ancient, worldwide symbol of love. During professional tours of public and private gardens in all 50 states and many other countries, the author/photographer has quietly sought out and captured heart shapes in unusual settings. The book presents more than 80 of the most striking of these images.

A fascinating and informative look at studies of the Sun throughout history, beautifully illustrated with images from the Science Museum's collection -The combination of historic and modern studies and accessible text ensure there is something here for every reader. Cloth binding with foil details make this a beautiful addition to any bookshelf Dazzling, beautiful, powerful, mysterious - the Sun has fascinated people throughout history. This book charts our changing understanding of the Sun through a rich collection of scientific imagery: from from a 10th-century manuscript drawing of an earth-centered universe, to awe-inspiring close-ups of our turbulent star taken by orbiting spacecraft. Each image tells a story of evolving scientific understanding and techniques, as well as the personal dedication of the theologians, artists and astronomers who made them.

With the imagination of a writer and the eye of an artist, Michael Korda doodled on the backs of old manuscripts in his tackroom while his wife, Margaret, was out riding. They loved and acquired cats-a habit written about previously in their book, Cat People-and the few in residence at this time would serve as inspiration for the drawings. These are no ordinary cat illustrations, though. Korda's cats read newspapers and books; go ice skating in the small country town where they live; comfort Margaret's horse, Monty, after a stressful vet visit; sell fried mice at the Farmer's Market, and undertake (on paper, at least) whatever fanciful endeavours their keeper conjures up. The result is a collection of magical pieces, filled with joy, that represent a year in the life of a couple in love with one another, and certainly with their cats.

Edward Lear may be best known for his nonsense verse, but in his early years he excelled as an illustrator of birds and reptiles. This set of 42 hand-colored lithographs, originally entitled Illustrations of the Family of Psittacidae, or Parrots, was the finest achievement of his relatively brief career as a natural history draftsman, before failing eyesight led him to concentrate on his writing. During Lear's time, live parrots were rare and much sought-after, bought and sold for large sums by wealthy amateurs of natural history, and prized by 19th century European aristocracy for their astonishing plumage and mimickry of the human voice. Naturally, fine drawings of them were also highly prized. One of the first collections entirely dedicated to the species, Parrots includes African, Australian, and American parrots bred by eminent ornithologists such as Sir William Jardine and Prideaux John Selby, who sponsored Lear, inspiring and directing his work. Unlike other avian illustrators who often worked with stuffed birds, the young and prodigiously talented Lear (1812-1888) made his drawings from live parrots, capturing their expressions and movements in remarkably lifelike illustrations. The new medium of hand-colored lithography facilitated the vivid elegance of Lear's work. This exquisite collection was originally reproduced in only 175 precious sets and sold by subscription to Britain's most eminent scholars and wealthy collectors of living parrots. The Psittacidae established Lear as a celebrated illustrator, and professor of drawing to the young Queen Victoria. With a brief zoological introduction and written descriptions of each bird, this title revives TASCHEN's XL-sized edition to a more accessible, optimized format, bringing Lear's parrots back to life for all to admire.

Featuring all kinds of dogs - big, small, graceful, cute, funny - The Book of the Dog is a cool and quirky collection of dog art and illustration by artists around the world. Interspersed through the illustrations are short texts about the artists and different breeds, paying homage to man's best friend. Beautifully designed and packaged, the book will appeal to dog lovers of all ages.