For Henri Matisse, drawing was an exercise as personal as it was essential to his art. These black and white and gently coloured sketches allow the viewer to appreciate the quality of Matisse’s lines, their confidence and ease, as well as the intense relationship between artist and model. Matisse’s joie de vivre, his love of beauty, and his fascination with the human body are fully in evidence in this lovely volume.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 64

Dimensions: 185 x 230 mm

Publication Date: 21-08-2017

If seeing is believing, then artists might be the biggest liars of all. Painters, sculptors and photographers often try to convince their audiences that the paint is wet; the fruit is real; the window is open; the figure’s eyes are following you around the room. This fun and informative book takes young readers on a thematic tour of art as illusion. From the Parthenon through examples from nearly every major movement and culture, vibrant works of art are revealed to contain visual tricks, puns, hidden clues and just plain deceit. Seurat’s pointillism, da Vinci’s mysterious Mona Lisa, Magritte’s playful paintings-within-paintings, Duane Hanson’s eerily realistic statues are all explored in detail to discuss the techniques, styles, use of perspective, and composition that implore us to look at them again and again. Filled with ideas for do-it-yourself optical projects, each chapter focuses on a theme such as colour, hidden pictures, and surrealism. Designed with the curious eye in mind, this book will introduce young readers to beguiling works of art with fresh insight and a new way of appreciating some of the world’s most important works of art.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 96

Dimensions: 193 x 240 mm

Publication Date: 21-08-2017

This delightful introduction to the inventions of Leonardo da Vinci teaches young readers about the painstaking but rewarding art of design and discovery. George the sheep is happy living outside in his meadow except for one thing: when it rains, he shrinks to the size of a mouse; when the sun comes out he grows enormous. Befuddled, his owner Leon sets out to find a way to shelter George from the rain. A huge set of bat wings to dry his fur? A wheeled chariot to keep out the wet? Finally he alights on the perfect solution—a large umbrella. But when the wind plays havoc with this contraption Leon must put pencil to paper once again to come up with a solution. Through careful measuring, sketching, and a truly indefatigable spirit, Leon, like his fifteenth-century namesake, solves the kinds of problems that have challenged inventors throughout history. Cleverly invoking the mechanical genius of Leonardo da Vinci, this delightful children’s book explores the art of invention through illustrations and an entertaining story.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 32

Dimensions: 240 x 320 mm

Beautifully illustrated in the style of Pablo Picasso, this tale of music's ability to soothe a savage beast introduces children to aspects of the great artist's work. The kingdom of Mirador is terrified of a monstrous, fire-spewing beast that lurks just outside the village walls. No one has actually seen the creature except for the king, whose constant reminder of impending danger turns the village gloomy and joyless. One spring day a troupe of musicians and their dog enters the gates. Suddenly there is fun and romance, song and dance. The people are no longer afraid—until the loathsome beast does, in fact, appear. What happens next will delight children and adults alike as the magic of art and music transforms screams of terror into peals of laughter. Drawing on details of Pablo Picasso’s masterpiece Three Musicians, artist Vanessa Hié uses brightly hued watercolors, bold lines, and graphic images to familiarize children with Picasso’s style. The book closes with a reproduction of Picasso’s original painting and an engaging lesson on the artist’s use of images and symbols, his fascination with theater and music, and his passionate pleas for peace in the wake of world war.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 32

Dimensions: 240 x 320 mm

Based on the beloved series of water lily paintings by Claude Monet, this children’s book draws readers into the atmosphere and colors of Monet’s garden at Giverny, where a lovely but vain frog tries to insert herself into the artist’s work.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 32

Dimensions: 240 x 320 mm

One of the art world's most recognisable and popular styles, Impressionism is also one of the most complex. In this sumptuous overview Norbert Wolf lends his attention to all aspects of Impressionism: its historical precursors, contemporary rivals and the movements it inspired. Over 200 large format reproductions of entire works and highlighted details introduce readers to the Impressionists' aesthetics and techniques. Wolf draws insightful parallels between these paintings and other contemporary works of music, photography, and literature. Tracing the movement's expansion from France to the rest of Europe and North America, this volume shines a spotlight on the main protagonists not only highlighting the French pioneers--Claude Monet, Gustave Caillebotte, Edouard Manet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, and others--but also Max Liebermann, Lovis Corinth, John Singer Sargent, Mary Cassatt, William Merritt Chase, and James McNeill Whistler, to name a few. As luxurious as it is authoritative, this wide-ranging investigation of a momentous period in art history reveals works and ideas that will surprise even the most seasoned aficionado.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 272

Dimensions: 280 x 340 mm

22 Colour Illustrations; A must-have for botanical art enthusiasts and Maria Sibylla Merian fans, this gorgeous collection of frameable reproductions is blooming with color and meticulous detail. More than three centuries after Maria Sibylla Merian established herself as a scientific trailblazer—and after more than two centuries of obscurity—the work of this pioneering naturalist and artist is being rediscovered. Merian’s work, The New Book of Flowers, raised the artistic standards of natural history illustration. Published in 1675, the book employed impeccable botanic accuracy with artistic expression. In it, Merian moved away from traditional methods that favored single illustrations and instead composed her studies to explore the relationships between flowers and insects. This poster book draws its nearly two dozen illustrations from The New Book of Flowers. Exquisitely reproduced, each illustration reveals the exacting detail and luminous colors that are the hallmark of Merian’s work. Perfect for close study as well as decoration, this treasury of botanical delight will help brighten any room—and inspire anyone drawn to the beautiful world of flowers.

Pages: 48

Dimensions: 28 x 35 mm

Publication Date: 20-04-2020

The Working Woman’s Handbook is a detailed, practical guide that covers the spectrum of establishing and growing a self-made career: from choosing a path and finding clarity, to obtaining clients and setting up a workspace. Author Phoebe Lovatt offers tips for negotiating and setting rates, improving creative skills, and networking. Finally, she coaches readers on how to look after themselves through nutrition, exercise, and finding a balance between work and play. Along the way, she includes words of wisdom from other successful women such as Teen Vogue editor Elaine Welteroth, musician Neneh Cherry, and WAH Nails founder Sharmadean Reid; worksheets and goal-setting outlines; and specific, helpful “how-to” sections. This feisty, philosophical, and feminist-leaning book will help young women find happiness and professional fulfillment by following their dreams—and Phoebe’s hard-won advice.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 176

Dimensions: 130 x 190 mm

Publication Date: 04-09-2017

When it comes to viewing art, living in the information age is not necessarily a benefit. So argues Michael Findlay in this book that encourages a new way of looking at art. Much of this thinking involves stripping away what we have been taught and instead trusting our own instincts, opinions, and reactions. Including reproductions of works by Mark Rothko, Paul Klee, Joan Miró, Jacob Lawrence, and other modern and contemporary masters, this book takes readers on a journey through modern art. Chapters such as “What Is a Work of Art?”, “Can We Look and See at the Same Time?”, and “Real Connoisseurs Are Not Snobs,” not only give readers the confidence to form their own opinions, but also encourages them to make connections that spark curiosity, intellect, and imagination. “The most important thing for us to grasp,” writes Findlay, “is that the essence of a great work of art is inert until it is seen. Our engagement with the work of art liberates its essence.” After reading this book, even the most intimidated art viewer will enter a museum or gallery feeling more confident and leave it feeling enriched and inspired.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 248

Dimensions: 180 x 240 mm

Publication Date: 11-09-2017

This radical new examination of one of the most important Flemish Masters presents Bouts as a maker of images—and considers his oeuvre alongside the work of current-day filmmakers, game creators, and sports photographers. One of the foremost painters of the 15th century, Dieric Bouts was a master of composition, technical precision, and spiritual messaging. But, as this innovative exhibition catalog suggests, he was also a shrewd commercial artist, successfully procuring important commissions, and expertly conveying religious devotion. Filled with new perspectives informed by the latest research, this volume explores how Bouts’ career was influenced by the cultural and political environment of his hometown of Leuven. Filled with luminous reproductions and photographs of Bouts’ most important paintings and altarpieces, it focuses on several in depth, including The Last Supper, The Triptych of the Descent from the Cross, The Martyrdom of Saint Erasmus with Saints Jerome and Bernard, and Christ Crowned with Thorns. Refreshing and authoritative, this unconventional perspective on a painter who lived half a millennium ago is certain to surprise and satisfy scholars and fans of Bouts and of Renaissance artists in general.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 240

Dimensions: 245 x 292 mm

Publication Date: 01-12-2023