Creating Gem, Beaded & Bonsai Wire Trees

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Creating Gem, Beaded & Bonsai Wire Trees

Name: Creating Gem, Beaded & Bonsai Wire Trees
Author: Sal Villano
ISBN: 978-1482742923

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS, 400 PHOTOS & DRAWINGS

by Sal Villano ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 4, 2013

An easy-to-follow guide for serious handcrafters.

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An experienced artisan offers step-by-step instructions, including more than 400 drawings and photographs, for creating decorative trees out of wire.

Novice artists will welcome Villano’s (How to Create Beaded & Wire Trees, 2009, etc.) clear directions as he introduces several types of wire-tree creations. This edition includes the “Weeping Willow,” which is the easiest to make, and the much more difficult “Mini Jade Leaf Cascade,” as well as such wall-art sculptures as the whimsical “Wind Swept on Round Base.” Although readers may be eager to quickly try their hands at making these lovely trees, the author notes that it’s best to read the entire book before beginning, and he assigns each project a one-to-10 difficulty rating. He briefly discusses the properties of different types of wire (aluminum wire, for example, is very pliable), provides a wire-gauge chart, and includes a thorough materials list with relatively easy-to-obtain items, such as enamel paint, beads and white craft glue. Villano adds several helpful tips for budding professionals who want to sell their creations, such as how to set prices, obtain a gallery for showings and write press releases. Although the author’s concepts are easy to comprehend and his voice is never patronizing, readers should note that the complex projects require a good deal of time and patience. Those who aren’t satisfied with their first attempts can take heart, however, as the author shares a 1977 photo of his first poorly formed tree sculpture and helpfully labels the mistakes he made: The trunk was too small, and the tree wasn’t securely bound to its base. With years of practice, Villano’s work is now beautiful, and although his book may feel a bit like a sales pitch at times, it remains a handy addition for any artist’s library.

An easy-to-follow guide for serious handcrafters.

Pub Date: April 4, 2013

ISBN: 978-1482742923

Page Count: 138

Publisher: CreateSpace

Review Posted Online: Jan. 6, 2014

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.