Since he first dreamed of a career in photography, Guy Gillette has traveled regularly to his wife's family's ranch, located outside the small town of Crockett, Texas. When Gillette first came to the Porter Place, as the ranch has always been known, he began to photograph the Porter family and their land. Thanks to Gillette's sense of composition, these wonderful black-and-white photographs, dating from the 1940s, led to his career as a magazine photographer. Collected here for the first time, they document small-town life in East Texas, where Guy Gillette's sons, the musical duo the Gillette Brothers, still run cattle. "A Family of the Land" offers a portrait of a community over a half century during which remarkably little has changed.
Midway between Dallas and Houston, the Porter Place is where the South meets the West. The pastures began as cotton fields carved out of piney woods, and the cowboys use southern curs to control the cattle. One of the photographs presented here, of a boy and his dog at the veterinarian's office, is said to have moved Museum of Modern Art curator Edward Steichen to tears. Gillette also captures cowboys at work and at play, branding and marketing their animals, enjoying a game of dominoes, driving trucks with "2-50" air conditioning--two windows down, fifty miles an hour.
"Though photography is often called art," says Gillette, "I have wanted to be artless: to be a documentarian, not an artist. . . . Telling a story was always the attraction of photography for me." The story ends with the outdoor wedding of Guy Porter, one of the Gillette Brothers, at the Porter Place. Family, labor, and land remain, inseparable.

I Like Birds explores the history and habits of 60 of Britain's most interesting, popular and prized species of bird.

From the coast to the heart of the countryside, each entry features a bold illustration that captures a bird's individual personality, bringing them to life through the pages of this book. As well as providing useful stats including breeding times, egg quantity, wingspan, diet, nest type and more this guide tells the story of each bird s lifestyle, behaviour, distinguishing features and birdsong.

Dotted with lively anecdotes, plus binocular basics and an egg-opedia, whether you're simply interested in attracting more birds to your garden, or trekking deeper into the wild on your search for Britain's best avian wildlife, I Like Birds is the perfect companion for any beginner or avid birdwatcher.

Learn to Draw Still Life is a new title in the successful Learn to Draw series of instructional step-by-step books for beginners, now with attractive new covers. Still life is traditionally the ideal drawing subject for the complete novice. Drawing is an essential skill for all artists and this book makes learning to draw still life as simple as possible. All the basics are covered, to provide a sound foundation in drawing techniques, and numerous attractive illustrations and step-by-step drawings show how these are put into practice. The book includes practical information on: tools and equipment * selecting your subject * composition * portraying light and tone * proportion and perspective * pattern and texture Perfect for total beginners, Learn to Draw Still Life will also be valuable to more experienced artists wanting to improve their drawing skills.

This is the definitive instructional guide to the art of botanical illustration, published in association with The Society of Botanical Artists and featuring detailed step-by-step demonstrations by members of the Society. Botanical illustration has been a popular art form for many centuries, with its appealing traditions of detail and beauty. This beautifully illustrated book covers all aspects of the subject and is an essential book for all serious students of botanical painting. The book includes useful information about materials, basic plant anatomy, flower and leaf shapes, and then explores the techniques for drawing and coloured pencil work, as well as painting with watercolour and gouache. Subjects include exotic and common plants, flowers, fruit and vegetables, as well as flowers in the garden. Packed with step-by-step demonstrations and stunning illustrations, this is an inspiring, practical guide, as well as a visual treat.

Many of the flowers and fruits growing in our gardens and greenhouses today were brought to the West by collectors or traders. This book describes the origins of these plants, with quotations from the people of Asia who first appreciated, cultivated and wrote about them. Almost all the illustrations are by Asian and Middle Eastern artists, some of them hired by European collectors. Celia Fisher begins with an account of the long history of gardens in the East, and of how Eastern plants and botanical knowledge came to be transmitted to Europe. This is followed by seventy-four alphabetical plant entries, ranging from acacia to wisteria, each illustrated with wonderful pictures from a range of books, manuscripts, paintings and drawings. A must-have for every gardener and appreciator of beautiful artwork, this sumptuously illustrated handbook describes over seventy plants that originated in Asia and the Middle East.

Learn to paint beautiful watercolor flowers in simple steps with this free and easy approach to watercolor painting for beginners. Marie Boudon's beautifully presented creative course will give you a good grounding in this new-to-you medium and teach you all you need to know to get started with painting flowers in watercolor. Find out about paper, brushes and paints, color mixing, wet and dry techniques, blending and gradients, contrast and even how to digitize your work. Then learn to paint roses, peonies, carnations, dahlias, anemones, poppies, leaves, details and textures and how to bring all of these together into beautiful compositions which make lovely art pieces, journal pages, handmade stationery and greetings cards, inspirational quote frames, personalized gifts and more.

Break Away from the Pack... In our digital, fast-paced world world, life can get pretty wild. How can you relax with so many things to do and so much clawing at your attention? How about taking a break to color? Coloring books make you stop and breath while putting your creative brain in gear. So grab your favorite colored pencils or markers and break from the herd to enjoy some creative coloring. With these 47 intricate and delightful drawings of our wild friends, you'll quickly find your body and mind unwinding as you let your colorist talents shine. All drawings are printed on one side and perforated for easy removal so once you've completed your creative break, you'll have a colorful print ready for framing and display.

Artist Harry Holcroft has visited many of the tropical equatorial rainforests of the world in his quest to paint images of this wonderful ecosystem. With the typical observational powers of an artist he has noticed considerable differences in the colour of the forests of the different continents. His stunning watercolours and sketches bring these remote regions to life on the page. Alongside the pictures, Harry's diary entries from his travels share with us his thoughts and observations. To complement Harry Holcroft's artistic presentation, Professor Sir Ghillean T. Prance's text gives the reader a scientific insight into the varying physiognomies of the great rainforests of America, Africa and Malaysia, explaining their history, the vegetation and some of the striking plants and animals to be found in these forests.He discusses some of the reasons why, although there are striking similarities between different areas, the rainforest is not a single uniform type of vegetation. Even within regions there is much variation to be seen by the visitor that travels around the Amazon region, the Congo Basin or the island of Borneo. He also stresses the vital importance of the world's rainforests as both a source of biodiversity and for its role in stabilising the climate. This book, views the rainforest through the eyes of both the scientist and the artist, who shows us the colour, the light, the diversity of the greens and blues of the vegetation, and, above all, the spirit and very essence of the rainforest.

Botanical artists hold a unique status: they can record plants and show them to the world, unlocking science for people outside that world, enabling them to be seduced by the most beautiful images, drawn and painted by very skilled hands. In this beautiful book, award-winning botanical artist, Isik Guner, shares with you her experiences of looking at wild species from around the world, how she does her research, and how she composes her illustrations from live specimens. She will guide you on your own journey, show you how to look for plant samples, and then record them. Straddling the scientific and art worlds, Isik's illustrations help to raise awareness of the valuable knowledge that scientists have been researching and discovering for many years and provide a wonderful inspiration for budding botanical artists. Observe, draw, paint, explore and master this wonderful art under Isik's careful guidance. Being inspired by the nature around you is the first step to becoming a botanical artist.

A Sparrow's Life's As Sweet As Ours is a collection of articles that began life as Bird of the Month columns in The Oldie magazine written by Oldie co-founder John McEwen and illustrated by renowned wildlife artist Carry Akroyd. In this beautifulnew book, Carry Akroyd presents a sequence of screenprints of birds full ofvariety and colour that illustrate British birds in all four seasons of theyear. These stunning prints give full rein to Akroyd's knowledge ofwildflowers, trees and the modern landscape of Britain. Her deft capturing ofeach bird's characteristics set beautifully in relation to its habitat shinesout from Akroyd's dynamic designs. John McEwen'saccompanying text is written with elegance and concision, and many of hisoriginal columns from The Oldie have been expanded and updated for thisnew collection. McEwen's light, eclectic approach connects snippets ofornithology, history, etymology and cookery, all expressed with wit andknowledge. His writing is spiced with poetry - from Chaucer to the present - aswell as facts and stories, while personal and other anecdotes are included toinform and, above all, entertain

A practical guide to painting nature's flora and fauna from award-winning botanical painting authors Meriel Thurstan and Rosie Martin. Recording the wildlife that surrounds us is an age-old art. The authors, in collaboration with the Eden Project, show us how to accurately and beautifully capture the natural world on canvas and make the most of the revival of this art form. Step by step, they take you through the whole process of capturing the essence of some of the most beautiful things on earth. From dinosaur skeletons and fossils to birds, butterflies and frogs. Learn how to paint the subtle scales on a fish, the iridescence of a feather or the lustre on a shell. The authors take you through the full range of skills and techniques you need to undertake natural history drawing and painting. Key techniques are explained with practical step-by-step demonstrations. Beautiful illustrations by the authors are featured throughout and will inspire you and illuminate the techniques you are learning. Painting Nature's Details is a stunning book on an art form that is fast becoming the new botanical illustration.

A BELOVED CLASSIC FOR DOG LOVERS OF ALL AGES With a new foreword by Ann Patchett In the 1930s, Lucy Dawson's friendly, sympathetic portraits of dogs were so popular with readers of American and British magazines that she agreed to gather them together in a book, Dogs As I See Them. Now available once again after being out of print for decades, and a complete replication the original 1936 edition, Dogs As I See Them includes all of Dawson's irresistible graphite and pastel drawings and handwritten notes. Along with her illustrations are her own amusing stories about the conduct of each of her subjects as they posed for her. Her charming reminiscences interpret the character and mood of each dog, and make us friends at once with each and every one in this gallery of endearing portraits. Dogs As I See Them is a remarkable collection dog lovers of all generations will take to their hearts.

We all love to be beside the seaside! Be it the crunch of the sand beneath your feet, or the promise of an unexplored rock pool that draws you to the sea, prepare to be whisked away by bestselling author Christopher Winn as you delve into the charming tales of England's coastline. Divided into eighteen chapters - one for each of the coastal counties in the UK - this book will entertain and illuminate, by casting new light on the many points of intrigue to be explored along 3000 miles of spectacularly diverse and historically rich English coast. Illustrated with beautiful black-and-white line drawings, by Mai Osawa, this book makes the perfect companion for any seaside outing. You'll find yourself exclaiming again and again - I never knew that!

This dazzling collection showcases the very best of the British Wildlife Photography Awards, presenting over 150 of the winning, commended and shortlisted images from the 2017 competition. Featuring a range of photography from world-leading professionals as well as inspired amateurs, it is a book that captures the magnificent diversity of the British Isles. Now in its eighth year, the annual competition has a long tradition of supporting conservation. It provides a platform for the finest examples of British nature photography, revealing its wonders to a wide audience and engaging with all ages through its evocative and powerful imagery. With a 20,000 prize from lead sponsor Canon, it is one of the most prestigious photography competitions, attracting major sponsors and culminating in an exhibition at London's Mall Gallery. British Wildlife Photography Awards 9 is divided into the competition's fifteen categories, from Animal Portraits through to the Young People's Awards. Every photograph is beautifully reproduced in a large format, with detailed technical information alongside the photographer's personal account, to appeal to both photographers and natural historians. Featuring a fresh new design, and supported by a major media campaign, this is a book that will bring every reader closer to the often unseen and always surprising world of British nature.

A unique and exciting approach to botanical illustration, this beginner guide demonstrates everything you need to know about capturing beautiful botanical specimens on paper. Each exercise guides the reader through a different aspect of botanical illustration, breaking the whole process down into simple, easy-to-follow stages. Whether you are a beginner looking for advice on composition and how to plot out your initial drawings, an experienced artist looking to develop your skills at colour mixing and working with unusual colours, or an old hand looking to capture more challenging and complex textures and shapes, there is something for botanical artists of all levels. Acclaimed artists Rosie Martin and Meriel Thurstan ran the popular botanical painting course at the Eden Project and have filled this fantastically illustrated guide with practical and inspirational worksheets, colour swatches, sketches and stunning finished paintings.

The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge is home to a significant collection of botanical artwork, and this calendar draws together twelve stunning pieces from the eighteenth to the early twentieth centuries. Beautifully laid out, this calendar showcases some of the best flower paintings from masters of the art including Jan van Os, James Holland and Valentine Bartholomew. Informative text accompanies each work in this art calendar and the datepad features previous and next month's views. Created by Flame Tree Studio - The Art of Fine Gifts.

Glamorous, elegant, and outrageously pink, Flamingoes have featured in fine art throughout the centuries. From the striking depictions in natural history books to the magnificent specimens that feature in paintings like Jakob Bogdani's Flamingo and Other Birds in a Landscape, this beautiful wall calendar celebrates these delightful creatures and their presence in art. Informative text accompanies each work and the datepad features previous and next month's views.

Following in the outstanding success of the first edition, this wonderful celebration of landscape photography shortlists the winning photographs from the second Landscape Photographer of the Year competition. '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 has created this prestigious competition and award, which was hugely successful in its first year. 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 of the British Isles. The full-colour book of best entries will showcase the best pictures from amateur and professional photographers alike.