Which of us in the presence of a painting has not felt that we lack the keys to decipher it? We feel an emotional response but the work still seems to evade our understanding. Francoise Barbe-Gall combines a nuanced understanding of the way viewers respond to paintings with a rich knowledge of their context & circumstances of their creation. The result is like a tour of an extraordinary museum in the company of a gentle yet authoritative guide. A fascinating range of works are grouped in six thought-provoking chapters that examine our different responses to the ways in which paintings define reality. The author takes as her point of departure the impressions that we all feel when confronted by a canvas & takes us on a voyage of discovery fired by her own passionate enthusiasm for the subject. What is the painting's relationship with the real world? Has the artist idealized nature or distorted it? Did they want to shock the viewer or provide consolation? With a clear approach & straightforward yet subtle analysis the meaning of each work slowly becomes clear. From Raphael's penetrating character study of Castiglione through Hopper's cinematic take on the wee small hours of the morning Barbe-Gall begins by covering a number of ostensibly realistic works made from the stuff of everyday life. Going in quite the other direction she then looks at the way paintings can express moments of heightened reality from the perfection of Boticelli's Primavera to the arresting glance of Vermeer's Girl with the Pearl Earring. She discusses paintings that distort the visible world (Parmigianino's Madonna with an improbably long neck Dali's melting clocks) & those that sow confusion to make us pay closer attention to the real world (Cezanne's depiction of a forest glade a mysterious fifteenth century altarpiece). Questions of history style iconography & composition are dealt in context of the paintings she discusses. Lavishly illustrated & featuring thirty-six fascinating works from Raphael to Rothko Breughel to Bacon this is also a magnificent art book. ...

This easy-to-follow guide shows how you can achieve that flawless & pretty look but stay natural & real at the same time. This book will show you how to:
- Look after your skin so that it looks healthy & beautiful
- Apply your foundation perfectly to contour your face
- Emphasise your eyes for a natural or a smokey evening look
- Choose your lip colour & apply your lipstick
- Match your make-up to your prom dress or party clothes It also

Includes:: make-up tips & must-haves for your handbag. Author Emily says: I have written this book to teach you the art of applying perfect makeup & to help you create the right look for you your skin & most importantly your age.






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This book shows you how to attract birds to your garden by creating nesting sites & feeding stations illustrated with 380 photographs. It also shows how to encourage birds to your garden with instructions for making feeders tables birdbaths nest boxes shelves & roosts from simple wooden designs hanging from trees to ornamental & decorative birdhouses mounted on posts. It explains what to feed garden birds from seeds grains & live food to fruits nuts & fat balls & suggests the best places to position your feeders & boxes. Each project is presented in step-by-step detail with a photograph of the finished structure & a list of the typical visitors that it may attract. Birds are a joy in the garden not only for their beauty & birdsong but also because they eat many harmful garden pests. To encourage birds to set up home you also need to provide nest boxes making sure you choose the right type for the birds you want to attract. This book contains over 40 inspirational ideas from simple tables birdbaths & nest boxes to more complex ornamental birdhouses & roosts that will both enhance your garden & attract a range of bird species. With its easy-to-follow instructions & 380 photographs this book is a must for everyone who wants to help their local feathered community. ...

Cooking can be fun & easy! Follow these simple photographic instructions to learn how to make a delicious healthy pizza. * Lilac/ Band 0 books wordless that tell a story through pictures & are designed to develop understanding about how stories work. * Text type: A wordless instruction text. * Ideas for guided reading at the back of the book provide practical support & stimulating activities. * Curriculum links: Physical Development ...

Collins Big Cat is a guided reading series for ages 4-11 edited by Cliff Moon. Top childrens authors & illustrators have created fiction & non-fiction books that your children will love to read banded to help you choose the right book for every child. Practical ideas for guided reading are included at the back of each book. * Orange/ Band 6 books offer varied text & characters with action sustained over several pages. * Text type
- An information text. * A wordless flow-chart on pages 22 & 23 summarises the process & helps children remember the sequence of events. * Curriculum links
- Design & Technology: Investigating & using materials different joining techniques; Science: Structures; RE: Celebrations. * This book is paired with a story on a similar theme: Arthurs Fantastic Party by Joseph Theobald.

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HOW TO MAKE A UNIVERSE FROM 92 INGREDIENTS takes on the impossible & triumphs
- it makes chemistry fun! A unique & imaginative
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How to Make & Use Compost features an A-Z guide which

Includes:: a comprehensive list of what you can &

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Move over cupid
- here is the love potion weve all been waiting for...! Containing 85 proven techniques this fascinating guide
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Today people are rediscovering the joys of baking their own bread not only as a cost-saving measure but with the desire to go back to basics & enjoy making something rewarding. Emmanuel Hadjiandreou is passionate about bread & in this his first book he shows you how to make it step by step. The book starts by explaining the key to good bread: why flour yeast & temperature are important & which kitchen equipment makes life easier. In Basic Breads youll learn how to make a Basic White Loaf with clear step-by-step photos. With this method youll have the base for a number of variations. The rest of the book covers Wheat- or Gluten-free Breads Sourdoughs Flavoured Yeasted Breads & Pastries & Morning Bakes
- in more than 60 easy-to-follow recipes.
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This book will show you how to use honey apples pears & garden fruits to make alcoholic & non-alcoholic drinks that you can enjoy throughout the year. There are many interesting drinks that have been lost to time but some such as cider mead (which has been around since about 7000BC) & perry are reinventing themselves. This book explains where & when to find your raw materials & what sort of equipment youll need. It

Includes:: delicious recipes that use common & less common fruits. It will also show you how to cut (expensive) corners without cutting corners on quality.

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