Art Issues (UK)

Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking

2012-02-20T08:16:00.001-08:00

"This is a book about making art. Ordinary art. Ordinary art means something like: all art not made by Mozart. After all, art is rarely made by Mozart-like people; essentially—statistically speaking—there aren't any people like that. Geniuses get made once-a-century or so, yet good art gets made all the time, so to equate the making of art with the workings of genius removes this intimately human activity to a strangely unreachable and unknowable place. For all practical purposes making art can be examined in great detail without ever getting entangled in the very remote problems of genius."
—-from the Introduction

Art & Fear explores the way art gets made, the reasons it often doesn't get made, and the nature of the difficulties that cause so many artists to give up along the way. The book's co-authors, David Bayles and Ted Orland, are themselves both working artists, grappling daily with the problems of making art in the real world. Their insights and observations, drawn from personal experience, provide an incisive view into the world of art as it is expeienced by artmakers themselves.

This is not your typical self-help book. This is a book written by artists, for artists -— it's about what it feels like when artists sit down at their easel or keyboard, in their studio or performance space, trying to do the work they need to do. First published in 1994, Art & Fear quickly became an underground classic. Word-of-mouth response alone—now enhanced by internet posting—has placed it among the best-selling books on artmaking and creativity nationally.

Art & Fear has attracted a remarkably diverse audience, ranging from beginning to accomplished artists in every medium, and including an exceptional concentration among students and teachers. The original Capra Press edition of Art & Fear sold 80,000 copies.

An excerpt:

Today, more than it was however many years ago, art is hard because you have to keep after it so consistently. On so many different fronts. For so little external reward. Artists become veteran artists only by making peace not just with themselves, but with a huge range of issues. You have to find your work...

Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking

2012-02-20T06:56:00.001-08:00

The Story of Art (Gombrich, Ernst Hans Josef//Story of Art)

2012-02-19T20:34:00.001-08:00

The 16th revised and updated edition of this introduction to art, from the earliest cave paintings to experimental art. New artists have been incorporated such as Corot, Kollwitz and Nolde, and six fold-outs present large-scale works such as Van Eyck's 'Ghent Altarpiece.'

The Story of Art Pocket Edition

2012-02-18T20:09:00.001-08:00

Combining text with hundreds of full-colour illustrations, this book traces the history of art in an unfolding narrative, from primitive cave paintings to modern controversial art works.

The Encyclopedia of Acrylic Techniques

2012-02-17T03:08:00.001-08:00

The Encyclopedia of Acrylic Techniques: A Unique A-Z Directory of Acrylic Techniques with Step-by-step Guidance on Their Use

2012-02-16T08:02:00.001-08:00

The Calligrapher's Bible: 100 Complete Alphabets and How to Draw Them

2012-02-16T06:06:00.001-08:00

A comprehensive guide for all calligraphers, whether amateurs or professionals, this book contains over 100 different alphabets with detailed instructions on how to draw all the letters. It contains information about tools and materials, basic layouts and illumination and ornamentation.

The Calligrapher's Bible: 100 Complete Alphabets and How to Draw Them

2012-02-15T07:24:00.001-08:00

The New Encyclopedia of Jewellery Making Techniques

2012-02-15T06:35:00.001-08:00

A fully revised and updated edition of a classic craft instruction text, including new step-by-step techniques to reflect new materials and methodologies in metalworking.

The Art Book

2012-02-13T07:15:00.001-08:00

The Art Book

2012-02-12T00:16:00.001-08:00

This is a pocket-sized A-Z guide to 500 great painters and sculptors from medieval to modern times. Each artist is represented by a full-page colour plate of typical work, accompanied by information on each image and its creator. Artists, styles and subject matter are cross referenced.

Macramé: String Theory

2012-02-12T00:11:00.001-08:00

An advanced macramé reference book with photos.

A History of the World in 100 Objects (BBC Audio)

2012-02-11T05:30:00.001-08:00

A History of the World in 100 Objects

2012-02-09T05:06:00.001-08:00

This book takes a dramatically original approach to the history of humanity, using objects which previous civilisations have left behind them, often accidentally, as prisms through which we can explore past worlds and the lives of the men and women who lived in them. The book's range is enormous. It begins with one of the earliest surviving objects made by human hands, a chopping tool from the Olduvai gorge in Africa, and ends with an object from the 21st century which represents the world we live in today. Neil MacGregor's aim is not simply to describe these remarkable things, but to show us their significance - how a stone pillar tells us about a great Indian emperor preaching tolerance to his people, how Spanish pieces of eight tell us about the beginning of a global currency or how an early Victorian tea-set tells us about the impact of empire. Each chapter immerses the reader in a past civilisation accompanied by an exceptionally well-informed guide. Seen through this lens, history is a kaleidoscope - shifting, interconnected, constantly surprising, and shaping our world today in ways that most of us have never imagined. An intellectual and visual feast, it is one of the most engrossing and unusual history books published in years.