A monumental new history of British conflict, publishing for the eightieth anniversary of VE Day'An impressive audit of the monuments all around us and their often forgotten back-stories. A hundred individual histories, skillfully assembled, built into a poignant meditation on why they still matter.' David OlusogaPublished for the eightieth anniversary of the end of World War Two, this moving book examines the inspirations and individuals behind our memorial-studded country. Acclaimed historian Tessa Dunlop travels the length and breadth of the United Kingdom on a quest to uncover a story of national warring and national mourning, of fighting each other and of fighting together. In so doing, Lest We Forget summons a stellar cast of veterans, military experts and families of the fallen to reveal what our monuments and war heroes say about us, both then and now.Why did Scotland take nearly 600 years to commemorate its most famous freedom fighter? When did Wellington become anti-Establishment? Who are the Glorious Dead? Can the Cenotaph stay above politics? And how do you commemorate contested, asymmetrical wars?Through veteran testimony and contemporary voices like Falklands hero Simon Weston and HRH The Duke of Kent, Tessa brings to life the pride and the pain involved in commemorating 2,000 years of war and peace across Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales in a monumental British story.Lest We Forget, freedom is not free.'In this wonderfully incisive, moving and timely book about commemoration, Dunlop breathes life into 100 British monuments – some famous, others less so – that together reveal our island story. A stunning achievement.' Saul David Read more

An inspiring and motivating coloring book for someone who needs a moment of relaxation and stress relief.Positive quotes and wonderful patterns will allow you to break away from the chaos of everyday life and plunge into the land of peace and relaxation.Originality - All drawings are drawn by hand. We always create individual patterns with passion. This guarantees the uniqueness and originality of the workmanship.The 50 best quotes, finished with attention to every detail, guarantee high-quality workmanship.Diversity - Each project is different. Which guarantees fantastic and creative play with colors.Single-sided pages - Each image is placed on a separate page.Creativity - Creating the world with your own colors creates a sense of independence and fosters creativity, improves self-esteem and builds self-confidence.A wonderful gift - This coloring book is a great gift for anyone who needs a moment of peace, relaxation and inspiration.Specifications:Premium Soft CoverDimensions: 8.5 x 11 inches50 individual projects. Read more

Make traditional, simple, and fun paper craft models with this easy origami book!The ancient art of origami originated in Japan, where it is steeped in traditional values.The models presented in the series include many with strong symbolic meanings, such as the carp, the frog and the crane, which symbolize longevity, good luck, and perseverance.There is a more playful side to origami as well: the stylized paper sumo wrestler with realistic moves has entertained Japanese children for centuries, and the paper samurai hat is a favorite of kids.In this book, you will find 16 fun and stimulating origami models to get you started on your journey!You’ll discover:Classic and contemporary models―Try your hand at recognizable models like heart and sailboat, as well as original designs like ninja star and samurai helmet.Tips and techniques―Pay attention to tips that help you select the right paper, work through tough steps, and add your own creative twist.Symbol glossary―Find a comprehensive guide to standard origami symbols, as well as helpful info on how to read origami diagrams.And much, much more!Origami is an ideal activity for children since paper folding develops dexterity and creativity.Origami is also a craft based on a few fundamental 3D folding techniques.This book s a useful starting point for fans of all ages and abilities. Although this book is aimed at origami beginners, it contains projects suitable for origami fans of all ages and abilities and is the perfect book for all those who enjoy making things with their hands! Read more

An educational and fun activity book for children with dots to color in and cut out ready-made crafts created by a little artist.Large simple pictures such as animals, cars, flowers and unicorns make this activity book suitable for both boys and girls.The book contains 50 large funny pictures with large dots to color in.Pictures can be colored with dot markers, ordinary markers or crayons and even with fingers covered with water paint.When coloring pictures with your fingers covered with water paint, wipe your fingers with a wet cloth when changing colors.Each picture is signed to make it easier to color.Each page contains a designated line that makes it easy to cut out the image.The pictures are age appropriate for the little artists.The book is recommended for children aged 2-5 years.Active coloring helps children develop concentration, recognize shapes, colors and improves imagination.When coloring such pictures, children do not get bored so quickly, which gives many hours of great and relaxing coloring fun.Dimensions: 8.5 x 11 inches50 creative dot pictures. Read more

Learn to make beautifully textured home décor accents with inexpensive air-dry clay! The process is easy, and the results are surprisingly stylish when you follow the tips, advice, and instruction from author and clay artist-designer Radka Hostasova. Read more

Make dozens of fun and easy origami projects with this colossal origami kit.Origami Extravaganza! has something for everyone. Whether you're an origami beginner or an advanced paper crafter, this kit will keep you entertained with its variety of both traditional and modern origami models. It is one of the most comprehensive origami kits available today--meaning that if you're only interested in buying one kit, this should be it. Paper folding models cover a wide range of topics from flowers and animals to elegant containers and celebratory designs. The simple, straightforward instructions make it a fantastic origami-for-kids kit and an easy way to learn origami. After folding a few dozen projects, you will have a substantial base in the art of origami and should be able to create original origami pieces!This easy origami kit contains: A full-colored 96-page booklet Clear step-by-step instructions Easy-to-follow diagrams Paper folding basics and tips 38 fun origami projects 162 sheets of authentic origami folding paper A variety of different colors and patterns Several foil folding sheetsThe array of origami creations in this kit is remarkable--making it one of the most extensive origami kits available. You will have a hard time running out of new and exciting origami models to fold!Origami projects include: Simple Swan Flamingo Dandelion Blossom Pine Tree Cup Classic Box with Lid Fox Puppet Samurai Helmet And much more… Read more

An updated edition of the acclaimed monograph, celebrating one of the most iconic and revolutionary artists of our time."Yayoi Kusama transcended the art world to become a fixture of popular culture, in a league with Andy Warhol, David Hockney, and Keith Haring." ―The New York TimesKusama is internationally renowned for her groundbreaking work on themes such as infinity, self-image, sexuality, and compulsive repetition. A well-known name in the Manhattan scene of the 1960s, Kusama's subsequent work combined Psychedelia and Pop culture with patterning, often resulting in participatory installations and series of paintings. This revised and expanded edition of the 2000 monograph, which is arguably still one of the most comprehensive studies on her work to date, has been augmented by an essay by Catherine Taft and a collection of new poems by the artist. Read more

With an engaging text by renowned Michelangelo scholar William E. Wallace, Michelangelo: The Complete Sculpture, Painting, Architecture brings together in one exquisite volume the powerful sculptures, the awe-inspiring paintings, and the classical architectural works of one of the greatest artists of all time. Including everything from his sculptures Pietàs and David to his beautiful paintings of the Sistine Chapel and the Doni Tondo, the book provides an opportunity to view Michelangelo’s work as never before, and to more fully understand the artist who, through his work, spoke of his life and times. The frescoes are specially printed on onion skin paper to recreate the actual appearance of light reflecting off of the plaster walls. The stunning black-and-white photography of the sculptures is printed in four colors to bring out the rich details of the marble. Read more

In the mid-1950s, Yves Klein (1928–1962) declared that “a new world calls for a new man.” With his idiosyncratic style and huge charisma, this bold artist would go on to pursue a brief but bountiful career, producing more than 1,000 paintings over seven years in an oeuvre now considered a mainstay of postwar modernism.Klein made his name above all with his large monochrome canvases in his own patented hue of blue. International Klein Blue (IKB), composed of pure pigment and binding medium, is at once rich and luminous, evocative and decorative, and was conceived by Klein as a means of evoking the immateriality and infinitude of the world. The works of this “Blue Revolution” seem to draw us into another dimension, as if hypnotized by a perfect summer sky. Klein was also renowned for his deployment of “living brushes,” in which naked women, daubed in International Klein Blue, would make imprints of their bodies on large sheets of paper. This Basic Art introduction presents key Klein works to introduce an artist who was at once a showman, inventor, and pioneer of performance art. With page after page of the ever-alluring International Klein Blue, it is both an essential guide to a modern art master and a meditation on the unique effects of a single color.About the seriesBorn back in 1985, the Basic Art Series has evolved into the best-selling art book collection ever published. Each book in TASCHEN’s Basic Art series features:a detailed chronological summary of the life and oeuvre of the artist, covering his or her cultural and historical importancea concise biographyapproximately 100 illustrations with explanatory captions Read more

From the bestselling author of SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome, the fascinating story of how images of Roman autocrats have influenced art, culture, and the representation of power for more than 2,000 years What does the face of power look like? Who gets commemorated in art and why? And how do we react to statues of politicians we deplore? In this book—against a background of today’s “sculpture wars”—Mary Beard tells the story of how for more than two millennia portraits of the rich, powerful, and famous in the western world have been shaped by the image of Roman emperors, especially the “Twelve Caesars,” from the ruthless Julius Caesar to the fly-torturing Domitian. Twelve Caesars asks why these murderous autocrats have loomed so large in art from antiquity and the Renaissance to today, when hapless leaders are still caricatured as Neros fiddling while Rome burns. Beginning with the importance of imperial portraits in Roman politics, this richly illustrated book offers a tour through 2,000 years of art and cultural history, presenting a fresh look at works by artists from Memling and Mantegna to the nineteenth-century American sculptor Edmonia Lewis, as well as by generations of weavers, cabinetmakers, silversmiths, printers, and ceramicists. Rather than a story of a simple repetition of stable, blandly conservative images of imperial men and women, Twelve Caesars is an unexpected tale of changing identities, clueless or deliberate misidentifications, fakes, and often ambivalent representations of authority. From Beard’s reconstruction of Titian’s extraordinary lost Room of the Emperors to her reinterpretation of Henry VIII’s famous Caesarian tapestries, Twelve Caesars includes fascinating detective work and offers a gripping story of some of the most challenging and disturbing portraits of power ever created. Published in association with the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC Read more

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERIn Cork Dork, Bianca Bosker trained her insatiable curiosity, journalist's knack for infiltrating exclusive circles and eye for unforgettable characters on the wine world as she trained to become a sommelier. Now she brings her whip-smart yet accessible sensibility along for a ride through another subculture of elite obsessives.In Get the Picture, Bosker plunges deep inside the world of art and the people who live for it: gallerists, collectors, curators and, of course, artists themselves - the kind who work multiple jobs and let their paintings sleep soundly in the studio while they wake up covered in cat pee on a friend's couch. As she stretches canvases until her fingers blister, talks her way into A-list parties full of billionaire collectors, has her face sat on by a nearly naked performance artist and forces herself to stare at a single sculpture for an hour straight while working as a museum security guard, she discovers not only the inner workings of the art-canonization machine but also a more expansive way of living.Encompassing everything from colour theory to evolutionary biology, and from ancient cave paintings to Instagram as it attempts to discern art's role in our culture, our economy and our hearts, Get the Picture is a rollicking adventure that will change the way you see forever. Read more

A beautifully produced book about the 17th century development of baroque Rome, with Italian sculptor Bernini very much at the centre of its redevelopment "A total delight, a brilliant vignette of 17th-century Rome, the Baroque and the Catholic church – warts and all – rolled into an erudite narrative.... with an ease of writing that is rare in art history." - Simon Jenkins By 1650, the spiritual and political power of the Catholic Church was shattered. Thanks to the twin blows of the Protestant Reformation and the Thirty Years War, Rome, celebrated both as the Eternal City and Caput Mundi (the head of the world) had lost its pre-eminent place in Europe. Then a new Pope, Alexander VII, fired with religious zeal, political guile and a mania for building, determined to restore the prestige of his church by making Rome the must-visit destination for Europe's intellectual, political and cultural elite. To help him do so, he enlisted the talents of Gianlorenzo Bernini, already celebrated as the most important living artist: no mean feat in the age of Rubens, Rembrandt and Velazquez. Together, Alexander VII and Bernini made the greatest artistic double act in history, inventing the concept of soft power and the bucket list destination. Bernini and Alexander's creation of Baroque Rome as a city more beautiful and grander than since the days of the Emperor Augustus continues to delight and attract. Read more

Shortlisted for the East Anglian Book Awards 2016! It has been estimated that over 90% of England's figurative medieval art was obliterated in the image destruction of the Reformation. Medieval angel roofs, timber structures with spectacular and ornate carvings of angels, with a peculiar preponderance in East Anglia, were simply too difficult for Reformation iconoclasts to reach. Angel roof carvings comprise the largest surviving body of major English medieval wood sculpture. Though they are both masterpieces of sculpture and engineering, angel roofs have been almost completely neglected by academics and art historians, because they are inaccessible, fixed and challenging to photograph. 'The Angel Roofs of East Anglia' is the first detailed historical and photographic study of the region's many medieval angel roofs. It shows the artistry and architecture of these inaccessible and little-studied medieval artworks in more detail and clarity than ever before, and explains how they were made, by whom, and why. Michael Rimmer redresses the scholarly neglect and brings the beauty, craftsmanship and history of these astonishing medieval creations to the reader. The book also offers a fascinating new answer to the question of why angel roofs are so overwhelmingly an East Anglian phenomenon, but relatively rare elsewhere in the country. Read more

Let Dani Banani of the popular Etsy shop FunUsual Suspects show you how to make 50 kawaii creations out of inexpensive and easy-to-find polymer clay. Kawaii—the culture of cuteness, originating in Japan—is everywhere, and it’s time to join the cuteness revolution with these amazingly fun projects.Just follow the simple step-by-step photos and instructions to create darling characters, ranging from small trinkets to larger home accessories, including:25 itty-bitty and ridiculously cute charms, earrings, brooches, and figurines of Popsicles, macarons, French toast, waffles, bacon and eggs, donuts, tacos, sloths, unicorns, and more.15 adorable midsize pieces, such as plant holders, desk accessories, and ring holders in the shapes of llamas, hedgehogs, whales, jellyfish, and more.10 large “showstopper” pieces, such as a rainbow soap dish, fairy garden, penguin tic-tac-toe game, and robot paper clip holder.  With information to get you started, including techniques on softening the clay, color mixing, and baking, Crafting Cute will have you delightfully sculpting in no time.     Read more

A tribute to Yayoi Kusama, the world’s most popular artist, according to The Art Newspaper and The Guardian. Yayoi Kusama is one of Japan’s most important and famous artists, beloved across multiple generations and different audiences, capable of wonder and amazement. Infinito presente is a tribute to her original and unique art, focusing on Fireflies on the Water one of her most iconic Infinity Mirror Rooms from the collection of the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. Fireflies on the Water is a room-sized installation where, as the title suggests, the lights seem almost natural, like fireflies on a quiet summer’s night. The pool of water creates an incredible sense of stillness and the mirrors reflect never-ending images of themselves, creating a sidereal ambience. Space appears infinite, without top or bottom, beginning or end. As in Yayoi Kusama’s early installations, including her Infinity Mirror Room (1965), Fireflies on the Water embodies an almost hallucinatory approach to reality. Although linked to the artist’s personal mythology and the process of therapeutic work, this work also references sources as diverse as the myth of Narcissus and Kusama’s native Japanese landscape. Read more

Cozy Vibes Bold & Easy Coloring Book by Southern Lotus!This book features bold and easy-to-color illustrations of cute and cozy items that evoke feelings of relaxation and contentment. Whether it's food, drinks, or peaceful hygge nooks, each page invites you to unwind and enjoy the coziness of life.Here's what the book offers:- 40 cute and easy designs- Large size 8.5x8.5 inches.- All pages are printed on single-sided paper, making it easy to color and tear out. If using markers or other wet mediums, place a blank sheet underneath your coloring page for the best coloring experience!- Share meaningful gifts with your loved ones or friends to spread love, laughter, and joy. Read more

Fresh ideas and techniques for the rapidly evolving area of three-dimensional textiles.Leading textile artist Ann Goddard takes three-dimensional textiles to a new level in this practical book. Drawing inspiration from natural landscapes, organic material and a concern for the environment, Ann's work combines textile and non/textile elements with construction. Linen, loose fibres, paper and yarn are complemented by seemingly unlikely materials including concrete, wood, lead and bark. Fragile is juxtaposed with hard, natural with man-made, beauty with imperfection. The techniques range from stitching, wrapping, couching, and knotting to sawing, drilling, and casting. In this book, previously separate art media are combined to create eclectic works; boundaries are crossed, expectations challenged and categorisation rejected.  Mixed Media Textile Art in Three Dimensions takes a linear look at the creative process from themes, research and experimentation through to preparing elements, conveying meaning and constructing three-dimensional forms, encouraging you to broaden your horizons in textile work.Brimming with beautiful artwork from the author and featuring the work of some inspiring and exciting artists creating three-dimensional constructions. Read more

With the increasing disappearance of stained glass in medieval churches, the surviving wood carvings on church misericords and bench ends are extremely important in providing an insight into the medieval mind. The carved images were often used to convey the messages of the Christian faith in the Middle Ages but they were not just concerned with religion and religious symbols - they also told stories of mythology, humour and satire, showing illustrations of everyday life and people. This book outlines the history of church seating and discusses the craftsmen and the influences behind their work. Using illustrations, the author then explains the subject matter of these wood carvings, revealing how one can discover so much about medieval life - the spiritualism, moralism and the wit - within the carvings still found in churches today. Read more

Learn how to master one of the most ancient yet simple and appealing ceramics techniques. Taught with a modern approach by a master potter, this amazing collection of pinched projects is the perfect place to start your new ceramics hobby or to explore new ways to shape clay as a more experienced crafter. Pinching is a wonderfully direct method of interacting with clay that allows for making a range of forms and styles. Projects are simple and small and require only a few tools and your own hands. Begin a new adventure with fabulous pinched ceramics and learn everything from choosing clay and a style of decoration, to firing and beyond: Ranging from functional wares to purely decorative sculptural forms, each project is explained with step-by-step sequences and plenty of options for surface decoration.Fully cross-referenced throughout, there is a wealth of choice and styles to mix and match to make each project truly unique. A gallery of makers provides added inspiration and shows the potential of this underrated making method. This book proves that pinching is a way of working equal to all other methods and that it can produce items of refinement and sophistication. Read more

Sculpting can be a really exciting hobby, though it may seem quite daunting at first. Thankfully, you don’t need to be a professional artist or anything like that to be able to sculpt – anyone can do it! This book covers all the basics of sculpting. Give you a read and you’ll no doubt pick up lots of useful hints and tips that will soon get you sculpting like a pro! Read more