Book Selections for the Holidays!

Have you been through your list and still have a several friends and loved ones to find something special to gift this Holiday Season. I find a book is always a very special choice and something the recipient will enjoy all year long!

Here are just a few and added to all of the books I have reviewed this year,  (simply go back in my archives) under the feature; you have a huge selection for almost anyone and their special interests! Several of these I will review at length at a later date!

An Evening/ 1961 with Marilyn by Douglas Kirkland 

Published by Glitterati Incorporated 

The House of Thurn and Taxis by Princess Mariea Gloria Thurn and Taxis and Todd Eberle: Published by Skira Rizzoli

Cecil Beaton: Portraits and Profiles

Edited by Hugo Vickers

Frances Lincoln Limited Publishers

India Hicks Island Style

Foreword by H.R.H. His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales

Published by Rizzoli

Kimono: The Art and Evolution of Japanese Fashion

Edited by Anna Jackson, Keeper of the Asian Department at London's Victoria and Albert Museum

Published by Thames and Hudson

Decorating with Carpets: A Fine Foundation

by Ashley Stark Kenner and Chad Stark

Published by The Vendome Press

Piet Mondrian: The Studios: Amsterdam, Laren, Paris, London, New York: Edited by Cees W. De Jong

Published by Thames and Hudson

Thank you to the publishers who have provided publicity copies of these fine books. All are a fine addition to any library.

Add a lovely find from The India Hicks Holiday Collection to anyones' gift for a very special finish!

www.indiahicks.com/rep/karenalbert

email me with any questions at all! artbykarenablog@gmail.com 

For those in The Kansas City Area

Holiday Gathering for the Kids at Deb's House
You are Invited by Elizabeth Alex

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Join us for a holiday tradition to support our Romanian kids. Lyn Shaw and Dennis Langley open their beautiful home to host a cocktail party with food by Jasper, sale of Romanian glass, and special crafts made by the kids. This year we will also include a sale of elegant items by India Hicks https://www.indiahicks.com/event/india-hicks-for-the-spirit-of-avalon-benefit-uaf/shopping. 
By popular request we are holding the party on a Friday night. Stop by for just a few minutes or a few hours! Suggested donation is $50.00 paid at the door. Checks should be made to United Aid Foundation Business casual attire
.
Friday December 4th from 5:30-9:30
5225 Renner Road in Shawnee KS 66217

Thank you to my Family, Friends, and Followers who Support The Arts!

Please do leave a comment as they make my day!

xoxo

Karena

The Arts by Karena

My Stylish French Girlfriends by Sharon Santoni

Many of you are familiar with the blog, My French Country Home, where Sharon Santoni gives us personal glimpse into her life in Normandy,  France. A reflection on a life that is balanced, harmonious and very fulfilling. She has now written a book, My Stylish French Girlfriends, which is a wonderful journey through the lives and homes of many talented, unique women Sharon knows in France. 

Please enjoy our interview and some images from this inspired book that you must have for your library.


1) Sharon, how did you come to the decision to write your first book about your French girlfriends? I know that you have been encouraged to write a book for some time.

First of all Karena, thank you for inviting me over and for featuring my book, I am very honored.     Like many bloggers I dreamed of writing a book, and already had some ideas, but it was the editor Madge Baird of Gibbs Smith who suggested that my blog series about my French girlfriends would work well as a book.  They contacted me and asked if I'd be interested and of course I was thrilled, in particular when I thought more about the idea and realized that taking the photos could become a veritable tour de France!


2)  These ladies have such a variety of talents and careers. Did your friendships form naturally and easily? It seems some people have a circle of friends that are only in their own sphere of interests.


You are right, we generally connect with people who share the same interests as us, and that is certainly why there are so many creative women included in the book.  It was a complete privilege to be welcomed into the daily lives of these women, who opened up their homes to me and my photographer, Franck Schmitt.   We shared meals, we stayed in their homes and became part of their family life for a day or so.  I couldn't have written in the same way if there wasn't the connection of friendship and shared interest.

3) When you were young, did you ever imagine your life going in the direction it has taken? Making a move from England to France?

I don't think many people know how their lives are going to play out, but when I was little I know that I often told people I'd live abroad as an adult.  I love England,  and I spend time in the English countryside every month, but I was drawn to anything foreign:  languages, food, culture....    Today I have lived in France for longer than I ever lived in the UK, I am married to a Frenchman, and our children are all born here, but I still manage to see everyday living objectively, and that is what helps me write the blog.  And by the way, my house isn't a chateau!   It's just a family house. 


4) One thing that stands out to me in my French friends is the true balance they seem to have in their lives. How do you find balance in yours?

First of all I have a very patient husband, who never moans when I juggle several projects at the same time.  Like many women, I like to multi-task and to manage different activities simultaneously, it seems to make things more fun.

5) Who, what or where do you look to for inspiration? Where do you find creativity?

It sounds like a cliché, but I truly am inspired by all the everyday stuff around me.  My camera never leaves my side and I am happiest in my garden.  We are lucky here in Normandy because we are in the countryside but only an hour from Paris, so I can easily pop in to the city for lunch, or an appointment.  I firmly believe in the importance of everyday creativity, no matter which shape that may take.

6) Do you have a mentor or is there someone who has had a great deal of influence for you?

I have a couple of good friends who I can call on to talk ideas through, but for the bigger decisions it's always my husband who helps me think things through and sort priorities.  He is very pragmatic and clear thinking, and he's always ready to listen.

7) Where do you want to go next in this journey? Are there any upcoming plans, for a book of fiction, for book signings etc. 

The blog has always grown organically, and I am happy to be led in new directions when they present themselves.   I'd love to see the blog continue to grow and who knows, maybe another book in the not too distant future.

Author Sharon Santoni

Sharon thank you so much for the opportunity to have our conversation and to feature this very special book.

Readers please visit Sharon's blog My French Country Home and purchase her book, My Stylish French Girlfriends. It is so full of life, beautiful homes, the French countryside, a real treat! You will be thrilled that you did!

Thank you to my Friends, Family, and Followers who Support The Arts!

Do leave a comment or message as they make my day!

Sign up for email alerts to receive my latest features!

xoxo

Karena

The Arts  by Karena

Enlightened Blooms: Solarized Diptych Floral Photographs by Brad Oliphant

ENLIGHTENED BLOOMS: SOLARIZED DIPTYCH FLORALS

BY BRAD OLIPHANT

PUBLISHED BY GLITTERATI INCORPORATED 
Forward by Russell Hart

Tulipa ‘Black Parrot’ | Parrot Tulip

Brad Oliphant has had a camera in hand for forty years. Even as a child climbing trees on the family horse ranch, capturing birds and the magic of newborn colts, he was ready for the action and beauty he saw through an artists eyes. Later as a fashion and commercial photographer, he found that he had a  need for more adventure, and turned to nature, finding  flowers to photograph in a most unique and incredible way.

In this book, Brad desired and has succeeded in presenting to us, from an array of thousands of floral images taken, diptychs of flowers in a uniquely new perspective. These few chosen images cannot begin to convey the beauty and enchantment of this book. After a long winter, what could be more satisfying and awe- inspiring than to page through hundreds of flowers that glow from within with an almost indescribable magic.

Nymphaea odorata | Water Lily

Amaryllis belladonna | Amaryllis

Malus domestica | Apple Tree

Dahlia hortensis | Dahlia ‘Red and White’

 Tulipa ‘Rococo’ | Parrot Tulip

Add to your libraries collection of fine art books  and purchase Enlightened Blooms: Solarized Diptych Floral Photographs , full of an exquisite new body of work at Amazon.com or your local bookseller. You will be so profoundly pleased that you did, and I certainly cherish my copy!

Brad's fine art website can be found at http://www.bradoliphantphotography.com and I feel you will enjoy it immensely!

The tremendous amount of  travel, patience and hours of work to create these works of art may be deceiving to some, make no mistake though, this gorgeous and evocative book has been a true labor of love for Mr. Oliphant!

Brad's offers prints, posters, metal prints/ canvas prints, greet cards and digital downloads all for prices and sizes ranging from an 8” X 12” for $45, to a 40” X 60” for $1,115.00. He even offers gift cards. Brad also has options for different types of photographic papers, each differing  in price.  It all can be found easily on his website or contact him for additional information (contact info on Brad's site). On his website, on the bottom “navbar” on each gallery of work, if you click on the “purchase/order cart” you will have an array of items and prices to choose from within his website. 

Fine Art Photographer Brad Oliphant

From Enlightened Blooms: Solarized Diptych Florals by Brad Oliphant, © 2015, published by Glitterati Incorporated www.GlitteratiIncorporated

Thank you to Glitterati Incorporated and Sara Rosen for the review copy of Enlightened Blooms: Solarized Diptych Florals.

Thank you to my Friends, Family, and loyal Followers who Support The Arts.

Please leave a comment as they make my day and be sure to sign up for email alerts for my latest features! 

xoxo

Karena

The Arts by Karena

Ellipsis: Dual Vision by Stephen Posen

Ellipsis: Dual Vision by Stephen Posen c 2015

Published by Glitterati Incorporated,

www.Glitteratiincorporated.com  

Preface: Alexandra Posen

Foreward Colin Cheney

Introduction: Scott Indrisek

Essay: Zac Posen, Fashion Designer

Renowned artist Stephen Posen began life in St. Louis, Missouri in 1939, studied painting there at Washington University and then went on to Yale University for his Graduate Studies. At that time, Yale's student body included a group of creative talents including Posen, as well as other bright minds such as Brice Marden, Richard Serra, and Chuck Close.

Posen then spent two years in Italy on a Fulbright Scholarship where he met his wife and life-long partner, Susan.

Mosque ceiling, Istanbul, Turkey, November 2012; Hot air balloon interior, Cappadocia, Turkey, October 2012

Beginning his art career with well known photo-realistic paintings, he had the early support of Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, and others. Beyond the Realist Movement, over the years Posen's painting style grew in the direction of abstract expressionism and even pop art.  A master technician, he has stretched the boundaries of his creative quest down many paths.  Posen works out of studios in New York City and in Bucks County Pennsylvania.

This tome shows his works in unique pairings of photographs where Posen uses color, form, content, or other interface, yet lets the viewer determine an association between them. Each of us may very well see something different in our minds view. There is an energy in these diptychs that is playful, poetic, and poignant.

Drum set at flea market, Quakertown, Pennsylvania, May 2013; Logs, Riegelsville, Pennsylvania, July 2013

Mosque door with curtain, Adana, Turkey, November 2012; Airplane window, Atlantic Ocean, June 2013

Road through Bethlehem Steel yards, Pennsylvania, July 2011; Swimming pool hose, Cherry Hill Farm, Pennsylvania, July 2011

Alligator paw at Farmers’ Market, Quakertown, Pennsylvania, June 2012; Pool toy reflection, Cherry Hill Farm, Pennsylvania, July 2012

Ishtar Gate, Archeological Museum, Istanbul, Turkey, November 2012; Kiss impersonator, Las Vegas, Nevada, January 2012

Stephen Posen

Posen's works of art are part of many major collections around the world and are included at The MoMA and Guggenheim Museums.


This is a most unique book to add to your art library and may be purchased at Amazon or through your local bookseller. It includes 174 four-color paired photographs which will both thrill and challenge you!

To view many more works of art by Stephen, also be sure to visit Mr. Posen's website at www.stephenposen.com   

My thanks to Glitterati Incorporated for the review copy of Ellipsis: Dual Vision.

Thank you to my Friends, Family and Followers who Support The Arts.

Please leave a comment as they make my day and sign up for email alerts to receive my latest features.

xoxo

Karena

The Arts by Karena

Everything: The Black and White Monograph by Christopher Makos

Christopher Makos, the iconic photographer well known for his striking portraiture as well as his genius at capturing a moment in time, of a particular culture, is now out with his black and white monograph featuring 248 images.  Containing photographs of Man Ray, Warhol, Georgia O'Keefe, Lana Turner, Halston, John Lennon, and Erte' just to name a few, with the printing done in rich quadrotone, this tome will truly fascinate you.

Mr. Makos' photography has been shown at the Tate Modern in London, The Guggenheim, The Whitney Museum of Modern Art, The Reina Sofia in Madrid and more.

He has authored several important books, including Warhol/Makos in Context, Andy Warhol China 1982, Christopher Makos Polaroids, and the cult classic, White Trash Uncut revised in 2014.

Mick Jagger, Montauk, New York 1977

Makos: "I love photography because it's like being a psychotherapist. When I photograph people it's so interesting to see their responses and their reactions. You often have to calm them down or bring them to a place that is comfortable for them and for you to capture them. People often say that when they come to my studio I put them at ease, at least enough to let their authentic inner personality shine. It is this interaction between me and my subject that I enjoy so much. I like doing portraits of people because it is so intimate, it is singular, just between me and the subject matter. not like photographing crowd shots and all that." Adapted from The Cabinet of Kong a film by Ivan Kordoba (video link below)


Christopher, thank you so much for taking the time for this interview at The Arts by Karena.

Blue, 1982

1) Were you visually attuned at a young age? I understand you traveled a great deal as a child.

Yes, I was always interested in anything visual. Because of my heritage, (I am of Italian and Greek descent) we went to Italy every summer when I was growing up. I was always receptive and open to new things.

Jack Nicholson, Aspen 1983

2) Where do you enjoy traveling now?

As a photographer I have traveled all over the world. I live in New York City, and so now I enjoy LA in the winter. Also Italy, Greece, in the summer, as well as Shanghai.  Shanghai is like NYC was in the 70's and 80's as it was becoming new, shiny, and very exciting. 

Ascot 1997

3) Did you have a mentor or other artists you admire?

Warhol was a mentor, I was part of The Factory in the 70's ( this was Warhol's infamous studio during the height of his career, where his good friends and even his entourage would spend time) Also the artist Man Ray and I were very close and I spent his last birthday with him in Fregene, Italy.

Elizabeth Taylor, Far Hills, New Jersey 1988

4) You have taken images of some of the most elite and wealthiest of the world as well as some of the grittiest elements of life. What can you tell me about that experience?

I've been very fortunate. Some of it is also about where you live. Back in the 70's I was living in the West Village, in Greenwich, and the time was very exciting, a lot of action. Even Leonard Bernstein hosted  parties that included guests from all cultures. I always stay tuned to what stimulates me.

Easter, Palm Beach 1984

5) When you do have time to relax, what are a few of your favorite activities?

It is hard for me to shut down. In L.A. I keep a bicycle and I find cycling to be very relaxing and calming. Also working on my books. 

Andy Warhol, NYC 1986

6) Christopher, what words of advice would you give the beginning photographer?

Stay very focused and consistent. Keep showing the same photos over and over again. Open your eyes and see the world. Be ready and open to new things.

I tell people not to feel sorry for me when I die. I have been very lucky and have had the life of ten people. I've enjoyed life to a great degree. It is not about money, its about desiring and wanting to see the world, being passionate. 

Christopher Makos

From Everything: The Black and White Monograph by Christopher Makos, C 2014, Published by Glitterati Incorporated www.GlitteratiIncorporated.com    

Please purchase Christopher Makos' Everything: The Black and White Monograph at Amazon.com or your local bookseller.

To visit Mr. Makos' website, see upcoming events and to make a purchase of his incredible works of fine art photography go to www.makostudio.com  

Should you be in the Los Angeles area on February 14, Mr. Makos will have a book signing at Ron Robinson at Fred Segel on Melrose Avenue from 4:00 to 7:00 PM.

Enjoy this video, Christopher Makos: The Cabinet of Kong by Peter Wise
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RW1ebfrQX6M   

Thank you to my Family, Friends and Followers who support The Arts!

xoxo

Karena

The Arts by Karena

Thank you to Sara Rosen from Glitterati for the review copy.
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