[ebooks] Sketching (Collins Gem) by Jackie Simmonds at Arts-Photography

Review

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Not A Coffee Table Book; It Isnt Supposed To Be...By E. SincoxAs much as I like a good woodworking book that gives me instructions and dimensions I can use as a basis for a project; I have just as big an affinity for books that make me think about what Im creating before I even make my first saw cut. These are the kinds of books that also help me to stop worrying about being so exact with my measurements and dimensions and just let the form evolve and grow as I build it. This is the spirit I want to nurture in my own artistic style of woodworking.Greene Greene: Creating a Style is not your typical coffee table book on Greene Greene furniture; though it does contain some of the best detailed photographs of Charles Henry Greenes works I have seen to date. Instead; this is more of a study of how their architectural style; and resulting furniture style; developed and how they refined this style over the years. It works to provide substance to the architectural beliefs that Charles Greene wrote about early in their career; when he said:"Our attempts mostly in the line of domestic architecture may be arranged in three grand divisions: 1) to understand as many phases of human life as possible; 2) to provide for its individual requirement in the most practical and useful way; 3) to make these necessary and useful things pleasurable."The first chapter discusses plans; beginning with the request for a simple bungalow from Mr. Mrs. Arturo Bandini in 1903. This U-shaped design was one of their first that encouraged a flowing relationship between inside and outside spaces. In the houses that follow; Makinson and Heinz show you another 13 or so plans; stepping through the evolution of the overall idea of building a structure that is harmonious with its surroundings.In the second chapter; the focus turns to the materials they used; from shingles and siding to natural stone and brick garden walls. Through their distinctive and creative use of natural materials in their design elements; they fashioned graceful and inviting houses that did not rely upon grandiose budgets.The chapter most woodworkers are going to jump to is the third one; which focuses on interior rooms they designed in their entirety; from the hardwood flooring laid on a bias to the candlestick sitting on the fireplace mantle. This chapter contains photographs of rooms staged as they would have appeared when the home owners saw them for the first time. Though they depict different rooms; in different houses; during different stages of their architecture career; they always display what Charles Greene referred to as "the oneness of all that exists." If you take your time; and really examine at the details in the imagery; you can easily find the small things that build on and complement each other to create continuity and harmony within each space.If you are looking for a book with a bunch of pictures of the typical Greene Greene elemental styles we see every time Charles or Henry Greenes name is mentioned; then this may not be the right book for you. But; if you are interested in reading about their first architectural projects and seeing how these projects planted seeds that grew into what we now expect to see; and if you are interested in trying to apply Charles Greenes third grand division of architectural belief to your own work; to make necessary and useful things that are also a pleasure to touch and use and see; then... maybe this is a book you should consider reading.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. New Greene Greene MasterpieceBy GeppettoI think I have every Greene and Greene book printed. I also build furniture using their designs. I just made a trip to Pasadena to tour the Gamble House. While this book is new and you would not expect it to offer much enlightening material; it is one of my favorites. The photography is just fantastic and captures the essence of the GG building architecture as well as their furniture design. I highly recommend this book.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great content; useless formatBy OldtimerThis is a book thats not well adapted to Kindle edition. The text is very interesting; but the pictures that; with no doubt; must be magnificent in color and printed form; become almost useless in b/w and the smallish size of the kindle version. Even a pdf or a mediocre color scanned copy of the printed book would be million years ahead. This is the last book reliant on pictures that I purchase in kindle format. I didn find the option to have it returned (as I managed to do with another architectural book in kindle version I bought). I think must improve a lot the picture presentation and management for Kindle; or the format; a very practical one indeed; will become confined to literature; essays and text that dont depend on images for having a wholesome experience.