In your hands is the third edition of International Artist’s annual Art Book Guide. The following spread contains a number of titles by established artists that you can utilize to enrich your own practice. Brush up on fundamental skills, learn something entirely new or simply enjoy skimming (and diving into) the content within the pages of these books. And because books are, of course, portable, you can learn anywhere. So go ahead and lose yourself in the stacks.
Painting the Poetic Landscape - Lessons and Tips for Oil Painters and Pastel Artists
By Barbara Jaenicke
Publisher: Haystack Press
Page count: 190 pages
Price: $49.95
This softcover book is a compilation of Barbara’s online lessons, also available at paintingthepoeticlandscape.com along with two video courses. The book features 21 lessons for landscape painters working in oil or pastel. Each lesson focuses on a particular topic and includes numerous progression images coupled with detailed explanations of each step.
Contact: paintingthepoeticlandscape.com
Cold Wax Medium: Techniques, Concepts & Conversations
(2nd Edition)
By Rebecca Crowell and Jerry McLaughlin
Publisher: Squeegee Press
Page Count: 316 pages
Price: $69
Cold Wax Medium: Techniques, Concepts & Conversations is a richly illustrated guide to both the practical and creative possibilities of cold wax medium. Completely rewritten and expanded, this second edition combines techniques, materials and process with inspiring artwork and insights from more than 90 artists worldwide—helping painters build skills, experiment boldly and develop a more personal artistic voice.
Contact: coldwaxacademy.com
Robert Burridge’s Loosen Up eWorkbook & Studio Notes
By Robert Burridge
Publisher: Robert Burridge Studio
Page Count: 146 pages
Price: $49.95
Release Date: 2020
This e-book features full-color images, active video, audio clips and Bob’s creative ideas for loosening up your own paintings. Includes examples using the Burridge “Goof-Proof Color Wheel,” 12 compositions, abstracts, landscapes and still life painting.
Contact: rburridge@robertburridge.com, robertburridge.com
Jerry Jordan: Together Always Our Spirit
By Michael Clawson
Publisher: FrescoBooks/ SF Designs, LLC
Page Count: 248 pages
Price: $140 (hardcover)
Release Date: 2023
Jerry Jordan’s highly anticipated art book will take you through his 67-year art career, from his first painting at the age of 13 through the ups and downs of learning to become an artist and trying to make a living at the same time. Featuring over 100 original paintings in breathtaking true-to-life color, this book will surely thrill the avid art collector and artist alike.
Contact: jerryjordantaos@gmail.com, jerryjordantaos.com
A Treatise on Portrait Painting: An Exploration in Palettes & Styles
By Cheryl Kine
Publisher: Cheryl Kline
Page count: 103 pages
Price: $125 (hardcover)
Release Date: August 17, 2020 (2nd edition, digital); 2015 (1st edition, print)
A Treatise on Portrait Painting: An Exploration in Palettes & Styles takes the artist on a creative journey, exploring many styles of portrait painting based on workshops and personal studies of the author, Cheryl Kline. Kline guides you step by step from her own painting process and makes a world of information accessible to even a beginning portrait artist. This second edition includes links to 11 demonstrations.
Contact: klineacademy@att.net, internationalartmagazineshop.com/collections/books
Two Perspectives: Scott Christensen & Quang Ho
Publisher: The Museum of Western Art
Page Count: 100+ pages
Price: $22 (softcover)
More than 100 original works from the exhibition Two Perspectives: Scott Christensenand Quang Ho that were on display at the Museum of Western Art from July 20 to September 21, 2024. This title features 100-plus pages of spectacular art and detailed information on both award-winning artists.
Contact: internationalartmagazineshop.com/collections/books
Southern Exposure: The Art of Paula B. Holtzclaw
By Paula B. Holtzclaw
Publisher: M.J. Jacobs LLC
Page Count: 144 pages
Price: $75 (hardcover with dust jacket)
Release Date: 2023
Copyright © Paula B. Holtzclaw 2023
Southern Exposure is a collection of many of Paula’s newest works as well as some of her older favorites. Whether painting her native Carolinas, or other areas across the nation, Paula’s signature expression remains a constant thread throughout her work.
Contact: pbhfineart@aol.com, paulabholtzclawfineart.com
Painting Life with Life in Watercolor
By Bev Jozwiak
Publisher: Creative Art Press
Page Count: 164 pages
Price: $45 (hardcover)
In this dramatic approach to painting the figure and animals in watercolor, Bev Jozwiak shows readers how to boldly interpret their subject matter in a spontaneous and loose way. More than 100 full-color paintings, plus follow along step-by-step examples can be found in this 164-page book.
Contact: internationalartmagazineshop.com/collections/books
A Common Majesty
By David Mensing
Publisher: David Mensing Fine Art
Page Count: 188 pages
Price: $38.95 (softcover)
David Mensing’s book A Common Majesty shares the experience of a life committed to art. The nearly 200-page book features 160 stunning images of recent paintings, accompanied by selections from his writings. Often humorous and always compelling, the overall presentation is an intimate portrait of the artist, his work and his faith.
Contact: internationalartmagazineshop.com/collections/books
Touching on Water / Paintings by Thomas Paquette
By Thomas Paquette and Kristy Buchanan
Publisher: Eyeful Press
Page Count: 100 pages
Price: $25
Touching on Water is the catalog of 77 of Thomas Paquette’s gouache and oil paintings in the exhibition of the same title at the Rockwell Museum, united by the theme of natural bodies of water and conservation. The catalog also includes an essay by curator Kristy Buchanan.
Contact: internationalartmagazineshop.com/collections/books
Malcolm T. Liepke: A Retrospective
By Thomas Paquette and Sally E. Mansfield
Copyright: Liepke Design, Arcadia Fine Arts Inc. & Arcadia Gallery
Price: $125 (hardcover)
Malcolm T. Liepke: A Retrospective (2004) is a large-scale monograph with over 200 full-color pages of the artist’s oil paintings. Featuring works from the 1980s to 2000s, this publication highlights his evolution from top illustrator to acclaimed painter, known for bold colors, confident brushstrokes and striking contemporary portraits.
Contact: internationalartmagazineshop.com/collections/books
Expression by Design: The Art of Kurt Anderson
By Kurt Anderson
Publisher: Studio KLA
Page Count: 84 pages
Price: $38.99
Kurt Anderson guides the reader on a tour of his wide-ranging artistic output. His insights provide a deeper understanding of how representational painting can speak to both modern and traditional sensibilities of expression and design. This book sheds light on these essential elements in Anderson’s art and process.
Contact: kurtanderson.net, internationalartmagazineshop.com/collections/books