Drawing on the immense popularity & the timeless appeal of Celtic ornaments, author David Balade, an acclaimed artist who created many drawings & paintings in the Celtic style, has chosen the most interesting, diverse & typical patterns & motifs of Celtic art for this beautifully designed practical & historical sourcebook. Starting with an illustrated introduction to the Celts & the development of Celtic art, all designs showcased in Designing Celtic Ornament are placed in their historical context. The chapters which follow examine the major patterns of Celtic ornamentation: spirals, interlacements, labyrinths & beasts. Each chapter opens with a general introduction to the elements of the pattern & is followed by the many modifications it underwent during the ages. A short introduction to each variation with illustrated examples from magnificent manuscripts such as the Book of Kells, The Book of Durrow or the Lindisfarne Gospels explains the specific characteristics of a certain pattern, how it was created & what it symbolised. More than 200 of the depicted designs can be reproduced & applied to contemporary work. The final chapter gives easy to follow step-by-step instructions for replicating twenty of the most beautiful motifs to be found in this exquisite collection of Celtic ornaments. Designing Celtic Ornament not only explores the history & symbolism of the most popular Celtic motifs, but also provides a fantastic & ideal resource for artists, designers & crafters working in all media. ...

The distinctive style of Japanese art known as Rinpa embraces bold, graphic renderings of natural motifs & formalized depictions of fictional characters, poets, & sages. An aesthetic that arose in Japan in the 16th century & flourished until modern times, the Rinpa school is celebrated for its use of lavish pigments & its references to traditional court literature & poetry. Central to the Rinpa aesthetic is the evocation of the natural world
- especially animals & plants with literary connotations
- as well as eye-catching compositions that cleverly integrate calligraphy & image. Featuring beautiful colour reproductions of some ninety works
- including painting, calligraphy, printed books, textiles, lacquerware, ceramics, & cloisonne
- from the Metropolitan Museum of Art & other notable public & private collections, ” Designing Nature” traces the development of Rinpa, highlighting the school`s most prominent proponents &, for the first time, the influence of this quintessential Japanese style on modern design aesthetics in both the East & the West.



...

Alex Mac Lean has been photographing the history & evolution of the American landscape for over thirty years, from the great desert spaces to agricultural patterns & city grids. A trained architect who is closely involved in landscape heritage protection issues, Mac Lean has set out to create a series of pictures that show & explain the universal history of town & countryside. What he has to say may be invigorating or alarming, but it always raises the issues of the landscape's future. This new collection of exemplary photographs taken across the American landscape reflects Mac Lean's passionate interest in the effects of time, geological movements, shifting landscapes, redeployment, pollution, urban sprawl, & the overlapping of surfaces & activities. More than 400 photographs reveal in a unique way the physical splendour of America: both the beauty of the ongoing inhabiting of the land & the potential for modern planning to create spectacular environments. ...

Unpromisingly
- for a walking book
- Desire Paths begins on a hospital gurney as the author prepares for open heart surgery.

...

You`ve just passed someone on the street who could be the love of your life, the person you`re destined for
- what do you do?
...

Did you just get reamed out by your boss? Did Bob in accounting eat your sandwich out of the fridge again? Don`t take your stress out on your coworkers, take it out on this mini punching bag! Desktop Boxing is the perfect desk accessory for inconspicuous yet effective stress relief, & everyone from 9-to-5ers to boxing fans will enjoy this fun distraction. The kit

Includes:: a mini desktop punching bag with suction cup base, two tiny boxing gloves for your pointer fingers, & a 32-page book with basic finger boxing moves & boxing trivia.

...

Legendary & nostalgic. Aluminum, riveted propellers, noisy, but also safe & familiar. The DC3 has earned the epithet “ Workhorse of the Skies”. Thousands were produced from the end of WWII into the 1950s by the Douglas Aircraft works. Military, civilian, government, private, you name it. Utterly reliable. Even now it’s possible to find them flying from remote airports, landing on the tightest strips. If we do not have this item in stock we will order it for you from our supplier. Delivery generally takes 3 weeks within the UK. For overseas delivery queries please email sales@stanfords.co.uk ...

Millions of golf enthusiasts & Tiger Woods fans daydream of being on the golf course while stuck at work. A perfect gift for Dad on Father`s Day or anyone who loves golf, this kit will help relieve some of that cubicle-induced anxiety by allowing you to get in a quick round right on your desktop. Kit

Includes:: two golf balls, two clubs, a green felt fairway, a packet of s&, & a 32-page book of fun facts & the rules of the game.

...

One of the greatest & most addictive games ever devised has been made even more so with this Desktop Ping Pong set. Gorgeously crafted to a smaller scale, this set

Includes:: two paddles, two ping pong balls, & a small net with two rubber suction cups for a solid grip on whatever surface you make your game court.

...

Created in 1909, Skee-Ball is one of the most recognized & iconic games in the arcade world. This officially-licensed kit will include a mini-size Skee-Ball machine, 5 balls, & a 32-page illustrated book on how to play the game. This one-of-a-kind Skee-Ball machine will come in three pieces that snap together, one upright target piece & two base/ramp pieces, with a small tray in back so the balls can collect in the tray. It`s a must-have desktop version of the classic game! ...