With many of her subjects rendered in hyper realistic style, wearing a second skin of black paint or dark-florals, Laura Rubin’s art is unmistakeable. To tell the story behind her art, Laura begins the book by sharing her journey from art student to professional artist, providing encouragement for budding pros and enthusiasts alike. Laura also talks about what inspires her, with mythology and psychology being just two subjects that feed into her emotion-infused work. The reader is then invited behind the scenes to watch the artist at work in her studio, located in her hometown of Thun, Switzerland.  Laura’s portraiture sketchbook is opened to reveal simple drawings and recent studies made as the early stages of future paintings. Throughout these sections are artworks from past and present. In addition, there is brand new art by Laura, created exclusively for this book.  Finally, the reader is led through detailed, step-by-step tutorials demonstrating the artist’s workflow and the key fundamentals of portraiture (pose, light, and composition). From using reference models, and expert tips for working in Procreate, to sketching, coloring, and advancing the portrait from realism to hyperrealism, the process is explained from start to finish.

Chinese ceramics and their glazes have delighted and enthralled the world for centuries. In this book, Nigel Wood traces the development of Chinese glazes from the Bronze Age to the present day. He carefully describes how Chinese glazes were made, and how they evolved over some 3000 years of continuous production. He provides analyses and shows how their superb qualities can be reproduced with common Western raw materials. The book is lavishly illustrated with hundreds of colour plates of Chinese potters and Chinese kilns.

Once crafters experience the ease with which intricate designs can be created on pewter, they are hooked in no time. Both Easy pewter projects and Pewter it were so popular that it was only a matter of time before Sandy Griffiths succumbed to the pressure of her fans to write another book. Pewter impressions is a collection of more than 30 original pewter projects with easy to follow step-by-step instructions and clear photographs. It starts at the beginning so that there is no need for novices to go back to earlier books to enjoy this rapidly growing craft. Beginners' exercises explain the basics, teaching crafters how to apply the art of embossing and then add lustre, radiance and dimension to their design. These are followed by a wide range of stunning projects that will appeal to every crafter out there. The projects combine pewter with mosaics, canvas, glass paint, gold and silver leaf foil, crystals and more, offering a variety of looks and finishes. The projects vary from fabulous frames and beautiful boxes to gorgeous gifts and delightful decor items. For beginners there are clear instructions, while experienced crafters will find inspiration for personalized projects. In addition to the projects, Pewter impressions covers: Essential tools and how to use them; Tracing and transferring patterns; Low and high relief embossing; Moulding; Texturing; Adding colour and patina; Cutting out and adhering designs to various surfaces. There are exquisite photographs of all finished projects as well as templates for all designs used in the book.

The ultimate illustrated guide to the sculpture parks and trails of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. This exciting guide to the sculpture parks, trails and gardens of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales is the perfect book for those who like art and the outdoors. Divided up into countries and regions, the book is informative as well as beautifully illustrated with fabulous images of sculptures by a broad array of international artists. It provides information on all the major sculpture venues of interest, featuring the best and most established, while also providing a wide range of other interesting places to visit and explore. Each feature provides directions of how to get there, along with an overview of the park or trail, and lists sculptures of particular interest and quality, while maps of each area will help you find places close by to visit. This makes it easy to see which places are suited to you depending on your preferences, level of interest and time available. This fully revised 2nd edition provides updated information and new entries for England, as well as brand new sections providing thorough coverage of Scotland, Ireland and Wales. The ideal guide for those with a passion for both nature and sculptures.

An inspirational practical guide with bold and colourful designs, Polymer clay is a popular medium suitable for and loved by crafters of all ages and skill levels.

It is available in every imaginable colour and easily cured in a home oven, making clay art accessible to everyone. Clay surfaces can be enhanced in many ways and borrowing techniques from other crafts, such as stamping, punching, mosaicing and embossing adds tremendously to the versatility of this craft, making it fun and rewarding. This book shows you how to use it to create exquisite jewellery, stylish gifts, decorative boxes, buttons, faux finishes, attractive home accessories and much more.

Lots of step by step photographs ensure that not even a rank beginner can go wrong, and full page pictures of the finished items will inspire clay crafters to try the terrific projects. Many techniques, from basic conditioning to creative canework and millefiori-finishes, are clearly explained and illustrated, then contextualised in the various projects. Use these techniques to create your own unique pieces and custom designs. Owing to the nature of the medium, no two pieces will ever look exactly the same.

So go get your clay and start playing!

Whittling Woodland Animals introduces the simple art of whittling with 15 wilderness creatures to create from scratch. The relaxing and rewarding craft of whittling is synonymous with a woodland setting, which provides the ideal subject matter for this new book from seasoned woodcarver, Peter Benson. Intricately carved and infused with character, this collection of 15 whittled woodland creatures makes a perfect beginner's guide to the hobby. Making delightful gifts and trinkets for nature lovers, you'll want to carve every single animal in the book. The main tools and techniques are clearly explained, how to carve safely and clear step-by-step instructions for each animal. A handy campfire-friendly size, simply grab your whittling kit and head out into the woods to while away the hours.

The Art of Chip Carving teaches crafters of all levels how to create 15 decorative rosette patterns. Chip carving is that art of forming intricate geometric patterns by carefully cutting away small triangles of wood to slowly create the full project. Tatiana Baldina's incredibly detailed instructions, with photographs accompanying every step, will allow even a complete beginner through the process of recreating her patterns, while more experienced carvers will relish the opportunity to try out new designs. The projects can be used to decorate all manner of objects, from boxes to plates and wall panels to furniture. The book also contains a comprehensive introduction to the art, including choosing the appropriate tools and materials and instructions for all the different cutting techniques you'll need.

This book applies ecolinguistics and psychoanalysis to explore how films fictionalising environmental disasters provide spectacular warnings against the dangers of environmental apocalypse, while highlighting that even these apparently environmentally friendly films can still facilitate problematic real-world changes in how people treat the environment. Ecological Film Theory and Psychoanalysis argues that these films exploit cinema’s inherent Cartesian grammar to construct texts in which not only small groups of protagonist survivors, but also vicarious spectators, pleasurably transcend the fictionalised destruction. The ideological nature of the ‘lifeboats’ on which these survivors escape, moreover, is accompanied by additional elements that constitute contemporary Cartesian subjectivity, such as class and gender binaries, restored nuclear families, individual as opposed to social responsibilities for disasters, and so on. The book conducts extensive analyses of these processes, before considering alternative forms of filmmaking that might avoid the dangers of this existing form of storytelling. The book’s new ecosophy and film theory establishes that Cartesian subjectivity is an environmentally destructive ‘symptom’ that everyday linguistic activities like watching films reinforce. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of film studies, literary studies (specifically ecocriticism), cultural studies, ecolinguistics, and ecosophy.

An exploration of public performance in everyday life, by the leading cultural and social thinker 'All the world's a stage' declares the melancholy Jacques in Shakespeare's As You Like It. Today that's an unhappy thought. A cluster of demagogues has recently dominated the public realm through their powers as actors; they are brilliant performers. More unsettling, the demagogue, the dancer, the musician all share the same non-verbal realm of bodily gestures, lighting and blocking, costuming, stage architecture. So too, the roles and rituals of everyday life and everyday acting can be malign or sublime, repressive or liberating. Performing constitutes one art - an ambiguous art. In this book, the acclaimed sociologist Richard Sennett explores uncomfortable connections between performances in life, art, and politics. He draws on his own early career as a professional cellist as well on histories both Western and non-Western. He is not a pessimist; at the end of his study, he shows how this ambiguous art might become more ethical.

Jump on board and get ready to travel the world with this globe-trotting scratch art book. Follow the prompts and tips for creating amazing scratch art images of some the world's most iconic landmarks, including the Taj Mahal, the Great Pyramid of Giza, Christ the Redeemer, and the Eiffel Tower. With a scratch pen, fold-out map, and 9 scratch pages to complete, as well as fun facts, travel tips, and more, this will be an unforgettable adventure!

By 1650, the spiritual and political power of the Catholic Church was shattered. Thanks to the twin blows of the Protestant Reformation and the Thirty Years War, Rome, celebrated both as the Eternal City and Caput Mundi (the head of the world) had lost its pre-eminent place in Europe. Then a new Pope, Alexander VII, fired with religious zeal, political guile and a mania for building, determined to restore the prestige of his church by making Rome the must-visit destination for Europe's intellectual, political and cultural elite. To help him do so, he enlisted the talents of Gianlorenzo Bernini, already celebrated as the most important living artist: no mean feat in the age of Rubens, Rembrandt and Velazquez. Together, Alexander VII and Bernini made the greatest artistic double act in history, inventing the concept of soft power and the bucket list destination. Bernini and Alexander's creation of Baroque Rome as a city more beautiful and grander than since the days of the Emperor Augustus continues to delight and attract.

Around the World is an amazing globe-trotting travel book, mixing journal entries, fun facts and information, plus scratch-art pages of incredible landmarks and a fold-out world map!

Resin craft is an exciting way to make jewellery and other accessories. Learn how to create everything from earrings to key rings with this definitive guide to resin craft. This collection of techniques will get you started on your resin journey even if you've never tried it before and, if you do have some experience, there are 17 inspirational projects to make. Resin craft offers so many possibilities to create original jewellery and accessories that will amaze your family and friends, and it is easy to do at home with just a small number of tools and materials. This collection is packed full of step-by-step instructions for techniques such as mixing and pouring resin, creating your own moulds, and how to use pigments and inks. Author Mia Winston-Hart also explains how to use botanicals with resin, and she has advice for how to source and prepare your own botanicals for really bespoke pieces, with instructions for drying your own flowers and plants. There is comprehensive information about all the safety issues surrounding resin craft and the author explores the various different types of resin available including plant and vegetable-based resins, and how to choose and use them safely. There are also instructions on how to create your own moulds alongside the different resin techniques, as well as 17 eye-catching resin projects. All of the projects are accompanied by step-by-step photography so you can see exactly what to do at each stage. Choose your favourite from this collection which includes floral earrings; heat proof coasters, a beach scene tray, a galaxy themed table top, a shell comb, a flower and gold leaf keyring, glittery hair clips and a floral phone case. Some of the many techniques covered include: sanding, deep pouring, making your own moulds, how to avoid bubbles in your work, de-moulding, mixing and pouring, working with different layers, and drying and preserving botanicals. There are comprehensive step-by-step instructions for the projects including how to add jewellery findings, as well as working with different moulds and materials. There is even a trouble shooting section so you can iron out any problems once you start putting your newfound skills into practise.

With Barry Flanagan is a vivid account of a friendship that evolved into a working relationship when Richard McNeff became 'spontaneous fixer' (Flanagan's description) of the sculptor's show held in June 1992 at the Museum of Contemporary Art on Ibiza, where they were both living. McNeff was to gain a privileged insight into the sculptor's singular personality and eccentric working methods, learning to decipher his memorably surreal turns of phrase and to parry his fascinating, if at times unsettling, pranksteresque quirks . In September 1992 Flanagan and McNeff took the show to Majorca, resulting a lively visit to the celebrated Spanish artist Miquel Barcelo. The following year McNeff was involved in Flanagan's print- making venture in Barcelona and in his Madrid retrospective. Flanagan rescued him from a rough landing in England in 1994 by commissioning a tour of stone quarries there. Subsequently McNeff ran into a fourteen- year-old profoundly deaf girl who turned out to be his unknown daughter. She had a talent for art and the superbly generous sculptor was instrumental in helping with her studies. Late in 2008 Barry was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. By June 2009 he was wheelchair- bound. Two months later he died, and McNeff read the lesson at his funeral. Fleshed out with biographical detail, much of it supplied by the sculptor himself, supplemented by photographs and details of the work, this touching memoir is the first retrospective of a major Welsh-born artist. With Barry Flanagan captures the spirit of this remarkable Merlinesque figure in a moving portrait that reveals a true original.