The British Museum iconic architecture has a fascinating historical story that is brought to life with this incredibly detailed biography.

The introduction is provided by both of the modern architects who were the geniuses behind the building as we see it today: the light courtyard that is now the heart of the museum. Read the rest of this entry »

Prestel Books are renowned for their quality and detailed art books and this one doesn’t disappoint.

Edward Hooper is the notorious realist painter that painted Nighthwawk (1942) the famous scene depicting big city loneliness in a diner.

Straight away, Wieland Schmied starts with provocative and thought provoking questions:

‘Is he a true Regionalist? Is his art great on account of its local color, or despite it? Or is his work not regionalist at all, and those who seek its origins in the American Scene are mistaken?’

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Seven Stories in Newcastle is an absolute gem of place even if children literature isn’t your forte. I first heard about them three years ago via Twitter and since then I’ve been pining to visit.  All I knew was they had so many events and activities, and indeed children’s authors visiting that I wanted to meet and be part of.

As I was up in Newcastle to see Tynseide Cinema’s creative activity, I finally had a chance to see what I’ve been missing  and lucky for me there was an Adult Tour available that day.

What. A. Treat.

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I’ve been writing for a few years, and though my agent has had some success with my work, inevitably there have been obstacles, the most frustrating of which is the interminably long timeframes involved while you wait for the powers-that-be to pass judgement.

I’m naturally hardworking, relatively prolific and pretty ambitious too. I’ve always been absolutely determined to earn a living from my craft and I guess that got me thinking about self-publishing at the time when e-readers were first coming onto the market.

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I was sent this book by Usborne yesterday. Last night, I picked it up to read the blurb before bed.  I read the whole book in one sitting – I just couldn’t put it down.

Author Kathryn demands your attention from the go and maintains the momentum throughout each of the 223 pages. Read the rest of this entry »

Did you know Jan van Eyck was the first person (known) to do a self-portrait?  Or the Master Wenceslas created the first ‘weather in art’ painting?

13 Art Inventions Children Should Know is 45 pages of griping, fun, quirky and oh so interesting facts on inventions that we take for granted but were so important to today’s artists. Although the book is geared towards kids, best for 8+, I could see this book being used for college art courses for beginners.

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Was Jaan Vermeer a Photographer?  Who is Banksy?

These are a couple of the mysteries author Angela Wenzel poses in this intriguing book by Prestel Books.

13 Art Mysteries  Children Should Know is 45 pages of unsolved mysteries that date back thousands of years.  This book is more geared to Children (as opposed to 13 Art Inventions Children Should Know) but still best for 7+.  The mysteries themselves are interesting regardless that they are related to art!

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This book starts with a powerful question:

 What is a sculpture?

Then it goes on to state:

‘The word ‘sculpture’ comes from the Latin word ‘sculpere,’ which means ‘to chisel’ or ‘to carve’. Read the rest of this entry »

Straight away author Alison Baverstock answers a question we had:

‘It was very difficult to choose just 13 British Artists to explore in this book.’

The British Artists chosen represent a range of eclectic people who influences, training, and family encouragement also varied. One common thread they all seem to have is that they weren’t particularly famous in their own time.  This is something that is often the case with artists with exceptions like Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst and Banksy.

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Being American, I was really interested in this book. I must admit that some I didn’t recognize but that was the point – each of these American Artists belong in this book and it was for us to learn why they are important. Even if you’re not American, this book is an insightful and fun book to have. Read the rest of this entry »