This book presents a wealth of images that will spark the imagination of all who see them. There are times when all artists struggle for inspiration. This can be particularly true when you try to create patterns, textures and designs with which to decorate your work. In this book, Carolyn Genders presents a wealth of images - of both natural and manmade objects - that will spark your imagination as soon as you see them. The book also highlights how these images can be visually abstracted, refined and developed to create other beautiful patterns, designs and forms. The result is not only a useful guide to how the creative process works but also a visually glorious sourcebook of images. This book is a must for all - whatever field you work in and whether you are an amateur or a professional artist.

Louisiana Coushatta Basket Makers brings together oral histories, tribal records, archival materials, and archaeological evidence to explore the fascinating history of the Coushatta Tribe's famed basket weavers. After settling at their present location near the town of Elton, Louisiana, in the 1880s, the Coushatta (Koasati) tribe developed a basket industry that bolstered the local tribal economy and became the basis for generating tourism and political mobilization. The baskets represented a material culture that distinguished the Coushattas as Indigenous people within an ethnically and racially diverse region. Tribal leaders serving as diplomats also used baskets as strategic gifts as they built political and economic allegiances throughout the twentieth century, thereby securing the Coushattas' future. Behind all these efforts were the basket makers themselves. Although a few Coushatta men assisted in the production of baskets, it was mostly women who put in the long hours to gather and process the materials, then skillfully stitch them together to produce treasures of all shapes and sizes. The art of basket making exists within a broader framework of Coushatta traditional teachings and educational practices that have persisted to the present. As they tell the story of Coushatta basket makers, Linda P. Langley and Denise E. Bates provide a better understanding of the tribe's culture and values. The weavers' own ""language of baskets"" shapes this narrative, which depicts how the tribe survived repeated hardships as weavers responded on their own terms to market demands. The work of Coushatta basket makers represents the perseverance of traditional knowledge in the form of unique and carefully crafted fine art that continues to garner greater recognition and appreciation with every successive generation.

Having a better understanding of Indonesia's public financial management systems will be helpful and useful to project teams and consultants who will process and implement ADB-funded projects in the country. Foreign aid to Indonesia takes the form of loans or grants. The loans can be made either to the government or to state-owned enterprises with a guarantee from the government. This report documents Indonesia's financial management systems covering budgeting, funds flow monitoring and analysis, accounting and reporting, and auditing. It also provides insights into the quality of internal control systems, staff capacity, and information technology structure. The intent is to provide project teams and consultants with a better understanding of financial management systems during project preparation. Find out how high-quality financial management assessments support project implementation through the identification of key risks and enabling the implementation of mitigating actions and reforms.