Merrell Publishers

<b>A new coloring book featuring 30 drawings of beautiful Pueblo pottery designs for you to complete</b><p>Pueblo pottery is renowned for its extraordinary beauty and craftsmanship. Pueblo is a Spanish word meaning ‘town’ or ‘village’. When the Spanish arrived in 1540 in what is now known as the American Southwest, they referred to the Indigenous communities and their settlements as Pueblos. The Pueblos are among the oldest settlements in North America, and their pottery-making tradition is as old as the ancient Pueblos themselves.<p/><p>Pottery is used throughout the life of a Pueblo person, and various forms are made for cooking, gathering water, food storage, and ceremonial use. The Coloring Book of Pueblo Pottery features more than 30 drawings for you to complete, whether by reproducing the traditional palettes or by finding inspiration in the swirling or geometric patterns and stylized motifs for a unique design of your own. Made predominantly by women, the pots are created from natural clay using a coil method; they are hand-painted and then fired outdoors. Designs vary from one Pueblo to another, but symbols and motifs relating to the natural world – birds, deer, plants, and water – are common. Today, such pottery is highly collectible and is found in museums and private collections around the world. This delightful coloring book allows you to create your very own masterpieces of this celebrated and cherished art form.<p/>

Once upon a time, only typesetters needed to know about kerning, leading, ligatures, and hanging punctuation. Today, however, most of us work on computers, with access to hundreds of fonts, and we’d all like our letters, reports and other documents to look as good – and as readable – as possible. 

But what does all the confusing terminology about ink traps, letter spacing, and visual centering mean, and what are the rules for good typography? Type Matters! is a book of tips for everyday use, for all users of typography, from students and professionals to anyone who does any layout design on a computer. The book is arranged into three chapters: an introduction to the basics of typography; headline and display type; and setting text. 

Within each chapter there are sections devoted to particular principles or problems, such as selecting the right typeface, leading, and the treatment of numbers. Examples throughout show precisely what makes good typography – and, crucially, what doesn’t. Authoritatively written and designed by a practitioner and teacher of typography, Type Matters! has a beautifully clear layout that reinforces the principles discussed throughout.

Jean-Michel Basquiat was only twenty-seven when he died in 1988, his meteoric and often controversial career having lasted for just eight years. Despite his early death, Basquiat's powerful œuvre has ensured his continuing reputation as one of modern art's most distinctive voices. 

Borrowing from graffiti and street imagery, cartoons, mythology and religious symbolism, Basquiat's drawings and paintings explore issues of race and identity, providing social commentary that is shrewdly observed and biting. This bestselling book, now available in a compact edition, celebrates Basquiat's achievements in the contexts of the key influences on his art. It not only re-evaluates the artist's principal works and their meaning, but also explains what keeps his painting relevant today.

Since 1997 Luciano Giubbilei has been creating serenely beautiful gardens in locations on three continents. Giubbilei is known for the understated elegance of his designs, but is constantly evolving his style and approach, both in response to individual clients and as his ideas develop. His work draws on his Italian heritage, especially the Renaissance gardens of the Villa Gamberaia in Tuscany, and a distinctively classical combination of restraint and opulent materials. This book – now published in paperback for the first time – explores 12 significant gardens from Giubbilei’s portfolio, including the garden that won him a gold medal at the world-famous Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show in 2009. The locations vary from private residences in London and Barcelona to corporate headquarters in Geneva and a holiday home in Morocco. Each project is fully documented, from the preparation of mood boards and initial sketches to final planting and finishing. As Tom Stuart-Smith notes in his foreword, Giubbilei’s gardens are characterized by their ‘quiet aura of calm and poise’ and their ‘restful confidence’: ‘The gardens are like the man, impeccably turned out, suave and urbane in a gentle way, quietly assertive but never bossy. Sophisticated and thoroughly Italian. … [His style] provides a form of instant theatre, where the designer forges places, conjures atmosphere and creates spaces out of nothing. This is great art.’ Separate sections on the design process, site development, nursery production and the sourcing of plants, as well as on the artists and craftsmen with whom Giubbilei collaborates, offer a fascinating insight into his working methods and sources of inspiration. Accessibly written by a leading garden professional and fully illustrated with planting plans, behind-the-scenes images and atmospheric photographs by Steven Wooster, this beautiful book is the definitive work on the gardens of an acclaimed designer. 

Some of the most stunning architectural structures in India are to be found below ground: these are its stepwells, ancient water stores. 

Stepwells are unique to India and from around the 3rd century CE were built throughout the country, particularly in the arid western regions. Excavated several stories underground in order to reach the water table, these cavernous spaces not only provided water all year long but also fulfilled other functions; they offered pilgrims and other travelers a respite from the heat, and became places in which villagers could socialize. Stepwell construction evolved so that, by the 11th century, the wells were amazingly complex feats of architecture and engineering.

The journalist Victoria Lautman first encountered stepwells three decades ago and now, a seasoned traveller to India, she has devoted several years to documenting these fascinating but largely unknown edifices before they disappear. Of the thousands of stepwells that proliferated across India, most were abandoned as a result of modernization and the depletion of water tables. Often commissioned by royal or wealthy patrons, the wells vary greatly in scale, layout, materials and shape. Those in what is now Gujarat state also served as subterranean Hindu temples that featured columned pavilions and elaborate stone carvings of deities. Islamic wells were generally less flamboyant, but incorporated arched side niches. Today, few stepwells are in use. The majority have been left to silt up, fill with rubbish and crumble into disrepair. Gradually, however, the Indian government and heritage organizations have come to recognize the need to preserve these architectural wonders. In 2014 India’s best-known stepwell, the Rani ki Vav in Patan, northern Gujarat, became a UNESCO World Heritage site.

In her introduction, Lautman discusses why and where the stepwells were built. She reflects on the reasons they became derelict and considers how the appreciation of stepwells is changing with the work of organizations and individuals who aim to protect and restore them. The main part of the book is arranged in a broadly chronological order, with up to six pages devoted to each of c. 80 stepwells, every one unique in design and engineering. The name, location (including GPS coordinates) and approximate date of each well accompany color photographs and a concise commentary by Lautman on the history and architecture of the well and her experience of visiting it. While many of the stepwells are rather decrepit, their magnificent engineering and great beauty cannot fail to impress.

In the early decades of the 20th century, the United States underwent a period of rapid change. The pace of life accelerated as the machine age took hold, and the landscape was transformed by increasing urbanization. Artists responded in a variety of visual styles, but what they had in common was a desire to reflect modern society and to challenge the conventions of art with a bold, energetic approach to colour and composition. The Coloring Book of American Modernist Artists presents 30 works of the period, ready for you to complete, whether by reproducing the original vibrant palettes or by experimenting and letting your creativity run free. Follow Marsden Hartley and Andrew Dasburg in finding spiritual inspiration in the wide open spaces of the American West, or immerse yourself in the atmospheric city streets as painted with the sleek lines and hard-edged forms of such Precisionists as George Copeland Ault. Max Weber’s expressive still lifes reveal primitive influences and an interest in native cultures, while Jan Matulka’s arrangement is more stylized and geometric. If your mood lends itself to something more abstract, be stimulated by the daring colour combinations of the Cubist-inspired work of Oscar Bluemner, or relax in the mindful contemplation of the swirl of multicoloured forms in Morgan Russell’s and Stanton Macdonald-Wright’s Synchromist paintings. Celebrate this important movement in the history of American art by creating your own modernist masterpieces!

As all book lovers know, a collection of books affords not only access to endless pleasure and knowledge, but also, when skilfully deployed around the home, the opportunity to create a multitude of decorative impressions, whether classically formal, strikingly colourful or apparently artless. In this beautifully illustrated guide – now published in paperback for the first time – the self-confessed bibliophile Leslie Geddes-Brown offers inspirational yet practical ideas about how to make the most of books in every room and forgotten nook of the house. In her introduction, Geddes-Brown emphasizes the versatility and lasting power of books, while subsequent chapters explore every conceivable option for storing and displaying them. ‘Living with Books’ shows how they can enhance the atmosphere of a home, making it a welcoming and memorable place. ‘Working with Books’ considers different ways of arranging essential reference books, from the library that is a paragon of order and logic to the seemingly chaotic piles of books an author might need constantly at their elbow or stacked about the floor. ‘Designing for Books’ explores stylish storage, shelving and lighting solutions, and provides tips on combining books with other objects to create effects that lift an interior out of the ordinary. Finally, ‘Making the Most of Books’ suggests ingenious ways in which to exploit to the full their enduringly irresistible appeal. From the dramatic impact of floor-to-ceiling shelves to the inviting ease of baskets of books by a cosy fireside; and from discreet shelves that blend into the background to a designer bookcase that becomes the focal point of a room, all the key aspects are considered. Lavishly illustrated throughout with photographs featuring homes from around the world and with an annotated directory of suppliers, this engaging guide will inspire all bibliophiles to get the best from their beloved books and transform any room into an alluring and magical place.

The Coloring Book of Latinx Artists features the artwork of more than a dozen leading Latinx artists currently living and working in the United States. 

This is the first coloring book devoted to the great diversity of Latinx artists, and it celebrates their new perspectives and stylistic innovations as well as social and political dialogue with contemporary art and visual culture. Rita Gonzalez curated the cohort of artists and artworks included in the book, and also provides the book’s introduction. Her introduction contextualizes the genre of Latinx art, and provides insight into the artists and works selected and showcased in the book. The coloring book format enables users of all ages to study and explore the work of the artists included. The Coloring Book of Latinx Artists inspires users to play, create, and contemplate.

For thousands of years, architects have used models to invent, experiment and communicate. A world in miniature, such models are even more varied in their purposes and materials than their full-scale counterparts. This beautifully designed book explores the uniquely fascinating nature of the architectural model through 26 illustrated essays, one for each letter of the alphabet – from A for ‘Ancient’ (on the world’s oldest models) to Z for ‘Zoom’ (on the photography of models). Unbound by the practicalities of life-size construction, models allow architects the flexibility and freedom to think in three dimensions. Whether made for purely speculative exercises or to solve a specific problem, they are aids to the imagination. Equally, they can be used as detailed and accurate representations of particular places (either built or as yet unrealized) in order to convey information to patrons or the public. Models can be made in a wide variety of media, from paper, cork and wood to such ephemeral materials as sugar and jelly. Most recently, the advent of digital technologies has transformed possibilities for prototyping, which in turn has greatly influenced architectural design. Models also have a vibrant life beyond the design process. Souvenir models collected on the Grand Tour, 1:1 scale plaster models of architectural fragments displayed in museums, and architectural toys that have delighted children and adults alike are just some of their manifestations outside the architect’s office. Written by architects, model-makers, curators, conservators and scholars, the texts in this absorbing Alphabet explore such varied but fundamental issues as modelling materials and techniques, scale, and the role of the model in the design process. They also go beyond conventional accounts to look at models under the X-ray machine, their use in film, and edible models. The result is a wide-ranging, insightful and original account of the multiple lives of the architectural model.

The first coloring book devoted to the art of Marsden Hartley, the key figure in the development of American Modernist Art.

Throughout his career as a painter he loved being in Nature, and felt most at home there. Making art was so important to him that he lived very simply, and mostly alone. He wrote poems about the experiences he was having, and made paintings that helped him express the strong feelings inside of himself. His paintings were sometimes of mountains or skies, sometimes of animals or flowers, or people or of ocean weaves - but in all these paintings he felt that the use of color was extremely important.

After traveling in Europe, Hartley returned to the United States and painted some of its most beautiful places: on the beaches of Cape Cod, in the deserts of the American Southwest, and in the mountains and valleys of California. He even spent some time in Mexico. In each of these places the colors he experienced were different - not just the colors of the landscape, but the colors of the art made by the people who had lived there for many generations. He was fascinated by the art of the Native Americans, the Egyptians, the Bavarian Peasants, and the Aztecs. As a result, many of the patterns, images, and colors that occurred in their art became part of Hartley's art, too.