Many an art student and BFA graduate arrive at the sorry state that despite all their classes and books on painting, they still don't understand the rudiments of oil painting - the basics of colour mixing and creating the illusion of form. That's where "The Oil Painting Course You've Always Wanted" comes in, an invaluable primer on oil painting that sets itself apart from other books on this subject. First, this book is a course - a composite of lessons that the author, Kathleen Staiger, has developed over many years of teaching. Structured so that each detailed lesson builds on the previous one, the book reinforces the learning process with fully explained diagrams, illustrations, exercises, and demonstrations. Second, there is a logical, workable method of sure-fire colour mixing. Third, the book is tailored to the insecurity of the beginner; skills are built slowly, with precise guidance and logical explanations. Staiger has been teaching this course for years with amazing results. Students who have never touched a paintbrush are now exhibiting and selling their paintings. Experienced painters find they learn something new in every lesson. This book is organized around a progressive set of lessons: Class 1: How to Create the Illusion of Three Dimension; Class 2: Making Your Brush Behave; Class 3: Foolproof Colour Mixing; Class 4: Putting It All Together Class 5: Still Life Painting; Class 6: Landscape Painting; and Class 7: Portrait Painting. The features include: a complete, foolproof primer; includes author's sure-fire method of colour mixing; and step-by-step lessons, complete with diagrams, exercises, and demonstrations.

Calgary artist Chris Flodberg is a virtuoso oil painter, a painter's painter. He became known for his landscapes but has since tackled a startling range of themes: World War II warships, intimate interiors, post-apocalyptic banquets, abstracts, guard dogs and, most recently, ninety-six self-portraits in ninety-six different styles. These are monumental paintings that grab the viewer by the throat and demand attention. Flodberg is inspired by art history, but the art he creates is his alone: visceral, intensely rendered, relentlessly probing, beautiful but often uncomfortable. An acutely self-aware painter, Flodberg places a high value on honesty. His art is a dazzling collection of self-portraits and statements on everything from war and greed to the blossoming trees on his street. Chris Flodberg: Paintings brings together 160 of Flodberg's paintings from his first two decades. It is accompanied by five essays by Monique Westra and short musings by the artist himself.