This month’s art and design picks aim to inspire and educate, with books that provide masterclasses in everything from drawing to photography or even how to forage your own paint!
The drawings of Vincent van Gogh / Lloyd, Christopher
“A compelling and authoritative overview of the drawings of Vincent van Gogh, one of the most celebrated and intriguing figures in the history of art. Vincent van Gogh believed that drawing was the ‘root of everything’. This was reflected in the remarkable number of more than a thousand graphic works produced by the artist during his short, dramatic life – many of them personal, often lonely explorations of the emerging modern world, anxieties that still speak to us today” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Breathing space : Iranian women photographers
“A remarkable look at Iran through the lenses of 23 women photographers, at a moment in history when Iranian women are fighting for their rights with courage and determination. Exploring a range of photographic styles and genres, they record the past and present upheavals of their homeland as well as tackling subjects such as the nature of memory, the tension between tradition and modernity, and the scars of conflict and loss. Whether documentary or conceptual, their images have global resonance and speak of the hunger for freedom and the power of women to shape the world”(Adapted from Catalogue)
Botany for the artist / Simblet, Sarah
“This beautifully illustrated guide to botany in art explores the extraordinary world of plants and inspires you to try drawing them yourself. Masterclasses by famous artists – from Renaissance masters to contemporary illustrators – showcase different approaches to drawing and painting plants over the centuries. Botany for the Artist is a visual feast, not just for anyone wishing to create fresh, vibrant, drawings, but for gardeners, photographers, and everyone who is passionate about plants and how they are portrayed in art.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Found and ground : a practical guide to making your own foraged paints / Ross, Caroline
“Learn the secrets of creating paint from the ground beneath your feet; from the rocks, clay and soil of the earth itself. Covering every aspect of making natural paints, from finding the raw materials of stones and soils, to the techniques needed to refine them into beautiful pigments and paints, this book is suitable for the complete beginner as well as those with some expertise in art” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Glass houses
“Glass Houses presents 50 stunning architect designed homes that utilize glass to maximum effect. Each house is celebrated with awe-inspiring photographs that showcase the dynamic, light-filled living spaces that only glass can deliver.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Monet : the restless vision / Wullschläger, Jackie
“A magnificent new biography of the founder of Impressionism. In the course of a long and exceptionally creative life, Claude Monet revolutionized painting and made some of the most iconic images in western art. Yet behind this great and famous artist is a volatile, voracious, nervous yet reckless man, largely unknown”–Publisher’s description.” (Catalogue)
