Mexicasa: The Enchanting Inns and Haciendas of Mexico

Book Description

Perched on a rugged coastline, set in verdant ranch land, or tucked away in a picturesque colonial town, the magnificent inns and haciendas of Mexico spring to life in the pages of Mexicasa. Historically and culturally important, these living museums contain wondrous collections of Mexican arts and crafts as well as enchanting gardens and courtyards. Acclaimed photographer Melba Levick captures the stunning architecture and colorful folk art that draws admirers from all over the world, while author Gina Hyams reveals the tradition and unique story behind each retreat. An extensive directory listing the contact information for each of the 21 featured inns makes this an indispensible resource book as well as a celebration of the spirit of Mexico.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful Book!.......2006-08-12

I can't say enough about the quality of the pictures in this book. Startling and brilliant color. Nice writeups about the inns and haciendas. For anyone traveling to Mexico and looking for unique and historical places to stay, this would be a great book to read before the trip. Highly recommend.

I wanna move to Mexico!.......2004-01-13

You can almost feel the colours and shapes, taste the food and smell the flowers in this lavishly illustrated book on Mexican Haciendas and Hotels. I can see why allot of the people that started these Inns sold everything they had and moved to Mexico to start a new life. This book will be an inspiration to architects and would also make a great coffee table book. Be careful to check the binding when you get it. The glue on mine all fell off in chunks after the first read!

Beautiful pictoral essay of historic Mexican inns and hotels.......2003-04-12

This book is good, maybe even great, but still can't compare to Melba Levick and Masako Takahashi's AWESOME "Mexicolor". Masako's other book, "Mexican Tiles" comes close, and still edges out "Mexicasa" a little bit as well, so when all is said and done I think I just have to chalk it up to Masako's EVIDENT love and appreciation for the unfathomable beauty of things Mexican. Melba Levick seems to me to see things more from the outside looking in, and without so much PASSION, kind of like a more disinterested spectator than a participant, but that could just be my opinion.

That said, this book is is REALLY NICE. I DO really like it and I highly recommend it- especially if you already own and really liked "Mexicolor" and "Mexican Tiles". Or if you aren't so much into artesanias and Mexican interior design, but are more of an armchair traveler or are interested in actual historic hotels and haciendas.

Give your coffee table a treat.......2002-06-21

What Gina Hyams and Melba Levick have created here is a wonderful compilation of photos of 21 of Mexico's most spectacular and beautiful inns and bed & breakfast places.
Melba Levick must have had a ball taking these shots. There's hardly a picture that isn't beautiful in its own right - and there must be at least 300 of them. For this observer, the Mexican talent for blending and matching and mixing colors is the highlight of page after page. We see gardens and patios and pool areas and bedroom and dining areas and a host of living spaces where the eye is simply enchanted by the way the owners of these homes have decorated their various spaces. My own personal favorite is, of all things, a bathroom wall composed of talavera tiles where almost no two tiles on the wall match each other.
All the houses are fully described by Gina Hyams and in most cases she gives us anecdotes and stories about how the various places came about. Thus, for instance, in Hacienda Katanchel in the Yucatan,we read that the present owners discovered the place in 1996. It had been abandoned for 35 years and originally dated back to the 17th century. So what they acquired were 740 acres of dense jungle in which were buried many crumbling buildings with trees growing through walls and ceilings. They gradually cleared the mess away and started building and renovating in a blend of Mexican, Mayan and Spanish styles. And you should see the place now.
On a less ambitious scale, we read about Mesón Sacristia de la Compañia in Puebla. This began as a family-run antique store which the owners turned into a restaurant and then an inn. It has one extra little twist for people who stay there - everything in the place is for sale. The owners are continually having to replace dishes and furniture.
And so the stories go... Pick up a copy and give your coffee table a treat.

Book Description

Quickly master techniques of silk-screen printing for both art prints and textile design. Constructing a printing board and frame, preparing inks or dyes, printing the color runs, working with different resists, more, including special print project for the beginner. Clear explanations and 193 illustrations, including 19 in full color.

Screen Printing: A Contemporary Guide to the Technique of Screen Printing for Artists, Designers, and Craftsmen

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Screen Printing: A Contemporary Guide to the Technique of Screen Printing for Artists, Designers, and Craftsmen
J. I. Biegeleisen
Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill Pubns
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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The Complete Book of Silk Screen Printing Production

ASIN: 0823046656

Silk-Screen Printing for Artists and Craftsmen

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Silk-Screen Printing for Artists and Craftsmen
Mathilda V. Schwalbach
Manufacturer: Dover Pubns
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKS6C0

Book Description

The best, full-service guide to the best full-service printer is now thoroughly updated, with the latest information on the new Epson printers, materials, software and other products.

Epson is the company at the cutting edge of digital photo quality printing, and their superb equipment makes possible for everyone to print sparkling photographs at home. With the help of Rob Sheppard, editor of Outdoor Photographer and PCPhoto magazines, and this fully updated manual, amateurs can enter Epson's brave new world with all the latest information on printers and papers. Two-page spreads with write-ups and pictures from acclaimed photographers George Lepp, John Shaw, Greg Gorman, Jack Reznicki, Joyce Tenneson, and others explain how Epson printers and digital photography have enhanced their art and expanded their business. There's advice on choosing a printer, selecting standard and specialty papers, using image processing programs to refine photos, adding finishing touches that turn a good print into a great one, and much more.

Customer Reviews:

Beware of Books That Say They Are Complete.......2006-03-20

First of all I am a fairly serious amateur photographer, and had my own darkroom before digital cameras came on the scene, and I love working with Photoshop.

That said let's see what exactly is in this book that has received a wide spectrum of reviews.
The first part of the book discusses choices in buying printers. I have always been curious about how many people actually go out and plunk down a bunch of money to buy a book about buying a printer or a camera. To me the best way is to get recommendations from other people or look up reviews of products on the internet.

The author then presents information on the printer software screen that pops up when you want to print your photo. Contrary to what one reviewer wrote, the book does not discuss printers other than Epson, and the discussion and pictures of the software screen are all about Epson printers. He does discuss that old bugaboo of picture resolution vs printer resolution, something that has always puzzled me. One interesting bit of information is that if your picture resolution (not printer resolution) is above 400dpi your picture may deteriorate in the printing process.

Then follows a fairly useless section of about 50 pages dealing with adjusting your photographs in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. The information is very rudimentary, and cannot suffice as a manual for photo manipulation. After all there are 800 page books on this subject. One and a half pages on layers and layer masks? No way. The manual that comes with Photoshop is 400 pages long, and is still inadequate for most people.

There is a section on basic color management which is informative if you've had no real orientation to the subject.

The last part of the book is devoted to subjects such as matting, framing and displaying photographs, and doing special projects such as making letterheads and mailing labels.

The book ends on the topic of changing color prints to black and white, and making panorama shots and prints. Again only a bare bones approach to these subjects.

Finally Mr. Sheppard talks about archival values of printer paper. Interesting, but the discussion involves only Epson papers. That's fine with me as I own 4 Epson printers, but not so fine if you own a Canon.

I bought this book sight unseen because I wanted an entire book on management of photos between computer and printer. To my intense disappointment I found that only 25 pages of this 160 page book were on this subject.

Great information........2006-02-22

I've been using an Epson wide-format printer for quite awhile, but I still learned something from this book. It covers more than the Epson line, too, so I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about how to get the best output of their digital images.

Clear, concice, and to the point........2005-11-11

Many digital photographers are struggling with the ink jet printing process, Rob Sheppard's book is a great guide ot help demystify the terms and procedures that
might other wise stand in the way of making great prints. Rob explains in a clear and concise manner his approach to the printing process. I have recommened this book
to a number of friends looking for a way to get started, the right way, in ink jet
printing. Way to go Mr Sheppard, another helpful book from you!

Great info for anyone who prints.......2005-11-11

Rob has done another outstanding job with this book on digital printing. For anyone with questions on how to get the most out of your image before you print and then how to get the most out of your printer, this is the book for you! When people ask me about books that can help them with their printing, I always refer to Rob's book.

Bill Campbell
Campbell Digital Institute

Who Better??????.......2005-11-01

Who better to write a book on printing than Rob Sheppard, editor of Outdoor Photographer and PCPhoto magazines. . . author of many books and a wonderful seminar/workshop leader. If you have read Rob's other books, I suggest you add this gem to your collection - no matter which printer you have!

Epson Complete Guide to Digital Printing (A Lark Photography Book)

Average customer rating:

Digital Printing Demystified
"Updated Edition" is a joke; beware of bogus revision
User friendly book
FREE!!!! Epson Complete Guide To Digital Printing
Well worth the investment

Epson Complete Guide to Digital Printing (A Lark Photography Book)
Rob Sheppard
Manufacturer: Lark Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Digital Photography | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Equipment | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Desktop Publishing | Graphic Design | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Printing | Graphic Design | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Digital Photography | Digital Photography & Video | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Digital Printing | Digital Photography & Video | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Peripherals | Hardware | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1579904270

Book Description

Epson is the company at the cutting edge of digital photo quality printing. Their STYLUS Photo Inkjet models have enabled anyone to print sparkling photographs right at home. Now, Rob Sheppard, editor of Outdoor Photographer and PCPhoto, helps amateurs enter this brave new world. Two-page spreads with write-ups and pictures from acclaimed photographers explain how Epson printers and digital photography have enhanced their art.

Customer Reviews:

Digital Printing Demystified.......2004-11-06

In this book, Rob Sheppard has explained the many factors that can affect the success or failure of an inkjet print. This book is mostly about printing photos on Epson inkjet printers and papers but a lot of the factors involved in a good inkjet print can be applied to printing digital art.

One of the most important factors of a great print is the paper. When choosing a paper, you must consider the purpose of the print. How will it be used? Sheppard discusses the many types of Epson papers and the paper's characteristics that can affect your print such as paper weight, thickness, opacity, surface texture and whiteness.

Sheppard then moves on to printers. He discusses the different types of Epson printers and what to consider when purchasing a printer. There is more to consider than just dye vs. pigment ink. You also need to consider droplet size, printer resolution and borderless printing. Resolution is a very important and confusing topic. Sheppard explains the difference between image resolution and printer resolution. He helps to make sense of these strange numbers and how to use them.

Not every photo is perfect. Sheppard walks you through the various digital darkroom techniques that you can use to fix or enhance your photos. He discusses the many adjustments that you can make to your photos using software such as Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. He also discusses special borders and edge techniques.

One of the most confusing aspects of color printing is how to get the print to look like the image on your computer monitor. The colors in the print usually do not match the color on your monitor. Sheppard discusses color management and calibrating your monitor and printer to alleviate this problem. However, the color on the print is also affected by your paper choice and how the print will be viewed. Will the print be hung on the wall? What type of lighting will be in the location? Sheppard shows you how to make a test strip before printing the final print.

Now that all the hard work is done and you have a great print, Sheppard suggests several projects such as postcards, newsletters, posters, greeting cards and more. He also discusses archival paper and inks, print storage and printer maintenance. Throughout the book, Sheppard profiles several professional photographers who have had success with Epson printers and papers.

Rob Sheppard has authored four books on photography. He is also editor for Outdoor Photographer and PCPhoto magazines.

"Updated Edition" is a joke; beware of bogus revision.......2004-08-03

This is a pretty good, if a bit basic, book on printing. I enjoyed the first edition. However, I picked up this so-called "updated edition" recently and was astonished to find virtually no new content. Here's a comprehensive list of the changes in the second edition:

* New image on cover along with Updated Edition banner

* Copyright page shows 2nd edition and 2004 (vs. original 2003) copyright

* TOC shows Simplified Color Management title on page 103 instead of Simplified Work Flow (original heading)

* On page 103, the heading has been changed from -- you guessed it -- Simplified Work Flow to Simplified Color Management

That is it! They used the same printing plates to reprint the book and only changed the plates for the pages listed above.

Essentially they changed two words in a heading on one page and some overhead (copyright page & toc) and are calling it a "Revised Edition."

Lark Books generally has attractive digital photography books with good content at competitive prices, but they've lost a lot of credibility with me on this one.

User friendly book.......2004-04-05

I recently attended the Epson seminar in Kansas City and bought this book afterwards because they raffled it at the seminar--I didn't win! It has helped me to apply all the information I got from the seminar. Up till this point I was getting a lot of confusing advice about things like resolution and color adjustments. Rob Shepard makes it easy to understand. Thanks to the seminar (which I recommend) and this book,it has started to make sense to me and is not so difficult.

FREE!!!! Epson Complete Guide To Digital Printing.......2004-04-05

I found eight pages of new and useful information in this book.

*ALMOST* all of the other material covered in this book can be found (for the price of looking it up) within the various PDF's that come with an Epson Printer, the various PDF's available at Epson's Support (Downloads) website and/or at:
www.inkjetart.com/

The aspect of this book that made the strongest impression on me was the ten sections that are advertisments for businesses that use Epson products. This is not "How To" or even "Why To" information and serves only Epson and the advertised individuals and companies.

I paid for this. Special Ordered it in Juneau Ak. Now I can't send it back. Anybody want my copy? Cover the Postage (send me a box with the stamps or whatever) and it's yours.

DON'T be a "Dave"- look it up on the web for FREEEEEEEEEEE! (as in speech, not beer).

Well worth the investment.......2004-02-17

It's hard to see how anyone would think this was NOT an Epson marketing book, with every chapter followed by a biography of some professional printer who gives a glowing testimonial about the place of Epson in his life! Yet, the book was very useful to me in an area of digital photography in which it seems difficult to find readable information. This book took me from being completely frustrated with printing, ready to give it up completely, to feeling comfortable, in control, and excited about making prints. For me, at least, it was the right book at the right time.

Book Description

With a warm mixture of fantasy and reality, "Rose is Rose" presents the Gumbo family and the magic in their everyday life. It stars child-at-heart Rose, her "decent Neanderthal" husband Jimbo, and their anything-but-precocious son Pasquale. Nominated for Best Newspaper Comic Strip of 1993 and 1995, "Rose is Rose" is loved by cartoonists as well as readers in more than 400 newspapers. "Peanuts" creator Charles Schultz says, "Ever since 'Rose is Rose' began, I have been one of its most ardent admirers."

Peace of Mind is a Blanket that Purrs is a warm and charming gift book that reminds us of the securities that Pasquale -- and all young children--find in life.

Customer Reviews:

LOVE IT.......2003-03-03

This is such a wonderful book full of phrases from Rose is Rose. I love this book and read it to bed every once in a while! Wonderful to read to children and adults alike!

I feel I am reading about myself!.......2000-06-09

I Love Rose! My name is Rose and when I first came across the comic strip it was awesome. I felt like someone was looking into my life and writing about it. Brady has done an awesome job this time, as always.I want to say that the insight is so close to my life that I get the chill reading the strip every day. I have a husband named Jim or James and a son who is a dead ringer for Pasquale and we have a cat named Georgia Peach. Our lives and Roses life paralell alot. I love the work and love Brady's writing!

A simple way to make you smile!!.......1999-06-17

This book if full of original pictures and phrases, yet follows the themes of the comic strip as any fan would expect! The picture on the cover and the title is what first grabbed me...and there's much more of that warm, fuzzy feeling inside! It's really worth the money to have a little treasure like this at home.

content and animation are not up to par.......1999-03-11

I believe this book was nto the way ti whould have been. I believe it was very dry and unfunny. I had many strips that seemed to make no sense, and others so bland I could barely stand to reas them. the other thing I disliked was the animation. It seemed to have no depth or perception, and feel it could have been done much better wuiet easily. I realize my opinions do not agree witht he other readers, but it is just how I feel.

Nice as a gift, but I wouldn't have bought it.......1999-02-10

I received the book as a Christmas gift. Ten minutes later, I was finished reading it. Like one other reviewer, I am used to more "meat" in a comics book. If it was supposed to be a coffee table experience, it should have been sold in hardback with a glossy cover.

Amazon.com

He was a once-praised novelist and short-story writer who battled alcoholism and obscurity and moved to Los Angeles for his third desperate attempt at making money by screenwriting. She was a British expatriate, an up-and-coming Hollywood gossip columnist with a secret past. Although Sheilah Graham wrote about her romance with F. Scott Fitzgerald after his death (one of the many versions she wrote of her life story, Beloved Infidel, was made into a movie with Deborah Kerr and Gregory Peck), she never quite told anyone the whole truth. Her son, Robert Westbrook, works to set the record straight, using his mother's papers and other resources to place the affair within the contexts of Graham's and Fitzgerald's lives and the "golden age" of filmmaking in which it occurred. The result is a love story peppered with scintillating anecdotes about the movie stars and writers with whom they rubbed elbows, an intimate portrayal of an artistic (but financially ruthless) community as viewed through two of its fiercest aspirants.

Customer Reviews:

Insightful and entertaining.......1999-10-11

I love it when nonfiction keeps me up late at night, turning pages. "Intimate Lies" may well be the definitive source on the last years of Fitzgerald's life, during which he tried (and failed) to be a Hollywood screenwriter. Westbrook's evenhanded, well-researched treatment of the romance between Fitzgerald and columnist Sheilah Graham (Westbrook's mother)is a snapshot of Hollywood just before World War II, a mixture of glamor, socialism and absurd censorship.

Fasinating.......1998-11-11

I didn't really expect to like this book. I have always enjoyed F. Scott Fitzgerald's works and that was what drew me to this book. I had heard about Sheilah Graham and i think i had read somewhere of there relationship. Bored one day with my usual 'type' of books i picked this one up amd began to read. What struck me immendiatly was the honesty, brutal at times being displayed by the Miss Graham's own son Robert Westbrook. His writing is presise and detailed recreating the golden age of Hollywood. He presents Fitzgerald honestly showing other aspects of the doomed author. His mother is shown as a master of the 'makeover' recreating herself from a very humble beginning. Take a chance with this book i think you'll be pleasently surprised..

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