New Art Instruction Books Donated to the Library!

We were fortunate this past year to have six beautifully illustrated art instruction books donated to us by The Shelby Ferris Art Study Group. The books were donated to us in memory of both Shelby Flowers Ferris and Elizabeth Montgomery Clarke.

First, we have Women Artists written by Margaret Barlow. This large, beautiful book covers the lives and work of female artists from the time of the Renaissance until present day. It includes well-known artists like Mary Cassatt, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Frida Kahlo, as well as, artists like Judith Leyster, Kathe Kollwitz, Dorothy Tanning, and Judy Chicago. This book highlights the artists accomplishments and their influence on art despite limited access to formal training and society's pressures for them to conform to what was considered to be "womanhood."
Next, there is William Newton's Complete Guide to Watercolour Painting by, you guessed it...William Newton. This instruction

guide has beautiful full color pictures as well as step-by-step guides to complete your own watercolor projects. You'll get an introduction to painting basics, materials you'll need, the use of color, and how to choose your subjects.

Two other books donated also cover watercolors. First, there is Painting Beautiful Watercolor Landscapes by Joyce Hicks.This author also gives a list of commonly used materials for watercolor painting and step-by-step guides for layering color and choosing your projects.

The other watercolor book is Painting Expressive Watercolor by Bridget Woods. This book, too, is richly illustrated with 259 color photographs. It also explains the importance of color, tone, shape, texture and scale through exercises and shared techniques. It encourages readers to explore the medium of watercolor to express sensations and ideas as well as to develop handling skills, confidence, and to find your own unique style as an artist.

The last two books to be donated are: Dramatic Color in the Landscape: Painting Land and Light in Oil and Pastel by Brian Keeler and AcrylicWorks: the Best of Acrylic Painting edited by Nancy Reyner. Like the other art instruction books, these two tomes have full color photographs and a variety of projects. Brian Keeler's book focuses on creating landscapes using oil and pastels. His book doesn't have the easy step-by-step guides of the others, but it illustrates each topic in depth so that the reader can see what is being taught. 

AcrylicWorks is less an instruction book and more of a collection of paintings done by artists who favor the acrylic medium. Each full color picture is accompanied by a paragraph or two about how/why the artist created the piece.


Again, we would like to thank The Shelby Ferris Art Study Group for their generous and beautiful donation to our library!