Tag: art book

Artists’ Journeys That Shaped Our World by Travis Elborough

Birthday Gifts, Books, Family Life, Summer

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Artists’ Journeys That Shaped Our World is a fascinating book that traces 30 different artists’ lives and examines how travel has resulted in some of the most iconic artwork of our time.  From Paul Cezanne to David Hockney, the book starts each artist’s chapter with a brief biography, how they ended up in the given city and a map before going on a more detailed journey which explains the culture, architecture and people of the time that led up to the artwork being completed. There are, of course, examples of the completed artworks by the artists as well.  

The range of artists featured gives a broad background to most of the planet with very little overlap of geographies.  The artists are more contemporary but there are some that go back into the 19th Century and the use of photographs is breath taking.  The detail in each biography is also a beautiful gateway into a history of modern art, making this a handsome book for young art lovers who might be thinking of studying art, or as a reference for the future.  The insight to the places as well as the background to the artwork make for an interesting coffee table read as well as informative for art lovers.

This is a lovely book for travellers, artists and even photographers as you wind through the city lanes and across landscapes to join up the dots of your favourite artists, and learn about new ones too.  Happy travelling!

Elements of Art – Book by Susie Hodge

Birthday Gifts, Books, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

I am not an artist. I didn’t study art at school or college and I don’t have any areas of artistic flair so I am a complete novice on the academia of art and the techniques behind it.  Elements of Art is a book which anyone, artist or otherwise, can pick up and read, become immersed in a whole new world and learn what the artists were trying to convey.

I had no idea that there are seven essentials that make up any artwork; colour, value, line, shape, form, texture and space. They’re fundamental components of any artwork regardless of the media. Then there’s the principles of art; balance, contrast, emphasis, harmony, unity, proportion, rhythm, movement, variety, repetition or pattern, and scale. See? There’s a lot more to art than you might think!

The book is broken down into two section, Part 1 is the elements of art and Part 2 uses 30 famous works of art as examples to put into practice the elements. There’s artwork there from Jan van Eyck to Andy Warhol and not just two dimensional but sculpture and film too. The chapters are packed with information but also beautifully illustrated and easy to read.  I particularly like the detail that Hodge goes into with each of the artworks. It not only brings the artwork to life but ties in the knowledge in Part 1 of the different elements and makes them relevant to other artwork you might see which is not featured in the book.

I really liked reading through Elements of Art and started flicking through as soon as the book arrived. It’s really easy to pick up and put down, so although it’s not a huge, chunky book it’s actually more of a coffee table book.  I learned loads about art and how it applies to the era it was created in but also about the elements and principles which I’d never thought of before.  You can read the book cover to cover or just delve in to where your favourite artwork is, so you don’t need the commitment of sitting down and reading every single page, unless you want to!  

This book is particularly good for art lovers who don’t have an art education and I couldn’t help but think of the GCSE and A-Level art students who would benefit from this and really enjoy it. Either way, I know that this is a lovely book to keep or to give as a gift and provides an insight to enhance any art outing.

Available in paperback from £15.99 at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Elements-Art-Ways-Decode-Masterpieces-ebook/dp/B0CDXPPLP2/ref=sr_1_1?crid=IHMK54K7VZFM&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.vfzuaAQbP1JqW8bxF8NRT7ots3hVZ2uLZ2-kqPjMX008GM_DGvFdq__b31l6WaS0B05wqrSYQwsE6Kk98E3BeC_ptLfEDmmDRI8334RI2m8crPXBSFcrNQZDO_ANYolk7a92ouoDn83gacKeFthTkl2fkY_IoMsZ9OXFsiGD_tyvUmLfurP-USztendRsWwhMEg83KrdzphoHv6gYKCN5-ZZQOWC1iefhQJ99GumjZ4.4XPQgnbNdDGxP8vtVfOz-YEe9iB8sHu5okzhq6z8bU0&dib_tag=se&keywords=elements+of+art&qid=1713703639&sprefix=elements+of+art%2Caps%2C103&sr=8-1