The Artist - UK (2021-04)

http://www.painters-online.co.uk artistApril 2021 65

ART BOOKS Reviewed by Henry Malt

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The Whole Story – painting

more than just the fl owers

Christina Hart-Davies

Books on

natural

history

painting are

not exactly

thin on the

ground.

Many of

them cover

very similar

ground,

albeit from slightly diff erent perspectives

and diff erent hands. Only the most

dedicated enthusiast would rush to add

each new one to their burgeoning library.

So, why should you consider this one?

Well, for a start, it’s magnifi cently done. The

small format and limited extent prevent

an anything-and-everything scattergun

approach and, while the range of subjects

is actually quite wide, the way the material

is presented is nicely focused. Christina,

who has written for this publisher before, is

a sensitive artist with a light touch.

Here are fl owers, leaves, fruit, fungi,

lichens, butterfl ies, moths and even a

cat. There’s very little instruction as such,

mostly just short descriptions of each

subject. You’re left largely to draw your

own conclusions and learn by example. A

few demonstrations help to point the way,

though.

Two Rivers Press £15.99, 76 pages (P/B)

ISBN 9781909747630

John Nash: The Landscape of

Love and Solace

Andy Friend

Unlike his older

brother, Paul,

John Nash had

no formal art

training, but

nevertheless

managed to

emerge more

or less fully-

fl edged into

the London art

scene in 1913. He

became highly

regarded by his contemporaries, including

Walter Sickert, Dora Carrington and

Harold Gilman and, in his turn, went on

to infl uence Eric Ravilious and Edward

Bawden.

Working in both oils and watercolours,

Nash was also an illustrator, cartoonist and

wood engraver. As well as his extensive

and sensitive work on landscape, he was a

fi ne botanical painter. Inevitably, perhaps,

for someone of his generation, he was also

a First World War artist.

This extensive and thorough account

of Nash’s life looks at both his artistic and

personal relationships, particularly with

his wife, Christine Kühlenthal. She takes a

major part in the story, as revealed in her

letters and journals, published here for the

fi rst time. The complete tale is here.

Thames & Hudson £30, 352 pages (H/B)

ISBN 9780500022900

Painting Animals in

Watercolour

Liz Chaderton

There is no shortage

of books on painting

animals, but this

pleasant general

introduction should

suit those who

are not looking

for detailed

explanations of

individual species.

This is not to

suggest that it

is superfi cial,

rather that Liz Chaderton avoids the

complication and over-explanation that

can mar understanding in larger tomes.

This is a compact book, both in format

and extent, but it is genuinely surprising

how much Liz manages to pack in.

Crowood books are often characterised

by longer writing than some alternatives,

but here they show that their designers

are adept at creating visually attractive

pages that convey a great deal even at a

glance.

Liz’s style is pleasantly loose, but by

no means lacking in detail, and her

explanations, concise as they are, are

complete and easy to follow. Examples,

exercises, hints and tips complement

a good variety of species and details

including textures and features.

Crowood Press £9.99, 112 pages (P/B)

ISBN 9781785007873

Addictive – An Artist’s Sketchbook

Adebanji Alade

Looking at another artist’s sketchbook can feel like an

invasion of their privacy. It can also be unenlightening

as you look at half-worked ideas and visual notes that

had so much meaning for their creator and tell the

viewer precisely nothing. When the artist is Adebanji

Alade, however, it’s a diff erent ball-game altogether. The

work here is surprisingly complete because sketching

is what he does. These are real people, captured in

real time and they live, breathe, even move on the

page. The images are mostly faces, and they’re active,

attentive, thoughtful, in repose. To catch the subtlety of

expression requires quick working and you’ll be amazed

by what Adebanji – and you – can achieve.

This isn’t an instructional book, but the sheer volume

of work and the busyness of the pages is inspiring.

The spiral binding could make it seem mannered, but

actually conveys the feel of a much-used sketchbook.

Search Press £19.99, 288 pages

(Spiral Bound)

ISBN 9781782218739