Leading artist Mike Bernard reveals every aspect of working with collage paint & other mixed-media approaches from the initial inspiration for a painting through to design colour surface qualities & finishing touches. In particular the book

Includes:: detailed information & advice on useful collage techniques & demonstrates how by starting with paper collage & then working freely with paint & other materials you can develop exciting & original results in interpreting whatever subject matter appeals to you. The book

Includes:: numerous illustrations again covering every step of the working process as well as a wide selection of subject matter -- from urban scenes to winter landscapes -- from around the world. There are step-by-step demonstrations of some of the key techniques as well as location sketches watercolour studies & striking finished paintings. Mike Bernards work

Includes:: exciting textures strong colour & the effects of light & he combines these qualities into original semi-abstract images of landscapes seascapes street scenes still life & figure compositions. His techniques particularly paper collage are important ones for all artists looking to expand their repertoire.





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* Introducing the hottest technique for textile artists today: collagraphy or printing from collage * Packed with hints tips & exercises exploring how to harness this exciting technique in your own work * Illustrated with stunning examples of collagraphy by some of the worlds finest textile artists Learn the secrets of one of textile arts most popular techniques: collagraphy. This comprehensive guide from one of Europes best-known textile artists & teachers contains everything you need to know about the exciting effects you can achieve using the almost endless permutations of collage stitch & print & how you can incorporate them into your own stitched-textile work.

Includes:: invaluable information on making a collagraphy plate using embroidery choosing suitable surfaces for print combining paper & fabric embroidering onto prints & how to work in series. Illustrated throughout with the best examples of contemporary collagraphy in textile art this book is a fascinating introduction to a technique that could become your latest textile-art passion.

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This book is the first in a new series which provides the reader with solid techniques & ideas for unique applications each book covering a popular craft subject area all presented in a appealing visual package organized into 52 units which may but dont need to be explored on a weekly basis. The Lab series offers artists & crafters a new type of format. While the book exposes readers to very hands-on techniques & solid project ideas the approach is fun & experimental. Readers dont need to work through the book in order. Rather they can flip around to learn something new or be inspired. The underlying message of the book is to learn & gain expertise through experimentation & play. There is no right or wrong result yet the reader gains skills & confidence in their medium to take their work to a new level. ...

While training for the priesthood a stint with a hospital chaplaincy team brought Mark face to face with a depth of suffering that blew his young confident faith apart. Years later he was still picking up the pieces but they began to show an entirely different picture of where & how God could be found. The Collage of God is for all who find it difficult to reconcile the realities of life with easy & comfortable notions about faith. In imaginative & beautiful language & illuminated by many"es from modern writers & poets Mark Oakley reconstructs faith as a collage of traditions & texts the myriad experiences of living imagination silence & prayer by which we respond to the grace of God revealed in fragile lives. A contemporary spiritual classic. ...

From the author of Guns Germs & Steel" Jared Diamonds " Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive" is a visionary study of the mysterious downfall of past civilizations. Now in a revised edition with a new afterword Jared Diamonds " Collapse" uncovers the secret behind why some societies flourish while others founder
- & what this means for our future. What happened to the people who made the forlorn long-abandoned statues of Easter Island? What happened to the architects of the crumbling Maya pyramids? Will we go the same way our skyscrapers one day standing derelict & overgrown like the temples at Angkor Wat? Bringing together new evidence from a startling range of sources & piecing together the myriad influences from climate to culture that make societies self-destruct Jared Diamonds " Collapse" also shows how
- unlike our ancestors
- we can benefit from our knowledge of the past & learn to be survivors. "A grand sweep from a master storyteller of the human race". (" Daily Mail"). " Riveting superb terrifying". (" Observer"). " Gripping...the book fulfils its huge ambition & Diamond is the only man who could have written it". (" Economist"). " This book shines like all Diamonds work". (" Sunday Times"). Jared Diamond (b. 1937) is Professor of Geography at the University of California Los Angeles. Until recently he was Professor of Physiology at the UCLA School of Medicine. He is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the widely acclaimed " Guns Germs & Steel: the Fates of Human Societies" which also is the winner of Britains 1998 Rhone-Poulenc Science Book Prize."


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Collar to Cleavage is a compelling read a book that invites the reader to share a series of interweaving life journeys. From a childhood in Wales to an adulthood of international proportions; from one country to another
- visiting putting down roots some in exotic far-flung places some in places where you would not want to live by choice. Then to a personal journey which explores the motives & struggles of the human heart. It deals with life transitions both spiritual & emotional; it challenges readers to examine how we process not only the joys but the difficulties & surprises that life has in store. This humorous & autobiographical account will resonate with everyone in some way. Readers are invited to reflect on their own issues in a wonderfully charming & light-hearted way & are introduced to larger-than-life characters from Swansea to Sumatra from enigmatic Japan to a chicken factory in New Zeal&. The book gives an intimate insight into the cultures of the Middle & Far East especially the role of women. The authors zest for life in all its fullness is infectious. She deals with the past
- the aching loneliness of a marriage her life as a corporate wife the shock of a cross-cultural adoption & exploring a life as a priest; we find that in her honesty we are able to understand ourselves better. Change is inevitable life changes happen. The book is a tale of her life but it may also be used as the basis for deeper thoughts & discussions on the appropriate sections. Collar to Cleavage will appeal mainly to female readers of autobiographies.

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How does one identify the antiques of tomorrow in the contemporary jewelry market those pieces that appeal to modern taste but also have the stamp of timeless collectible? Joanna Hardys selection of truly imaginative makers & pieces

Includes:: works to suit all tastes from the more traditional to the adventurous providing authoritative answers & expert direction in this hugely exciting & fast-developing market. In-depth profiles of 40 established & emerging contemporary artists from across Europe & the United States is complimented by useful background information about materials & techniques & a guide on how to take care of precious pieces. This title

Features: a concise reference section with biographical information for the artists; contact info for important galleries museums & art dealers; fairs events & schools; & a price guide to cover all collecting budgets will help the reader decide in which pieces to invest when confronted with such vast choice. This book is part of the Collect Contemporary" series which offers expert advice by leading specialists in the field who have many years experience in the auction market & a vast knowledge of the subject."



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When recession takes hold people traditionally think about their possessions & what they can sell. This time round anyone can turn things of value into cash partly thanks to e Bay & this manual about 20th century collectables will provide all the guidance needed. Written with verve by TVs Jamie Breese this innovative manual covers everything from the obvious to the obscure whether Action Man or action comics Marilyn Monroe or Madonna Hornby or horse brasses
- a truly remarkable range of modern collectables is covered.
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When I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings was published to widespread acclaim in 1969 Maya Angelou garnered the attention of an international audience with the triumphs & tragedies of her childhood in the American South. This soul-baring memoir launched a six-book epic spanning the sweep of the authors incredible life. Dedicated fans & newcomers alike can follow the continually absorbing chronicle of Angelous life: her formative childhood in Stamps Arkansas; the birth of her son Guy at the end of World War II; her adventures travelling abroad with the famed cast of Porgy & Bess; her experience of living in a black expatriate colony in Ghana; her intense involvement with the civil rights movement including her association with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. & Malcolm X; & finally the beginning of her writing career. Angelou has chronicled her remarkable journey & inspired people of every generation & nationality to embrace life with commitment & passion. ...

Dorothy Parker more than any of her contemporaries captured the spirit of her age in her writing. The decadent 1920S & 1930s in New York were a time of great experiment & daring for women. For the rich life seemed a continual party but the excesses took their emotional toll. With a biting wit & perceptive insight Dorothy Parker examines the social mores of her day & exposes the darkness beneath the dazzle. Her own life exemplified this duality for a while she was one of the most talked-about women of her day she was also known as a masochist whose passion for unhappiness knew no bounds". As philosopher Irwin Edman said she was "a Sappho who could combine a heartbreak with a wisecrack". Her dissection of the jazz age in poetry & prose is collected in this volume along with articles & reviews." ...