Art Journey - Abstract Painting: A Celebration of Contemporary Art Kindle Edition

This is not a how-to book, but rather a large, hardcover coffee table book featuring mostly pastel and mixed media abstract paintings. Contrary to another reviewer, I didn't see pixelated images and I am very sensitive to that, being a graphic designer. I thought one image *might* be pixelated but upon closer inspection it looked like the texture of the paper showing in the photograph, so I'd say the photos are good quality and this book is worth the cost.Most of the artists do briefly discuss their technique and list other artists whom they consider influences in the text. In total, it's a nice book to look through for inspiration. I wish the editor had considered adding the artists' instagram handles or websites so you can easily find more of their work online, but I've found a few of them from basic searches.

I purchased this book for the interviews with the artists rather than the examples of art. For inspiration and technical ideas I prefer looking at art from well known artists. I was very pleased with the interviews because they gave me a good idea of what the artists were trying to do and what was important to them. The book was just what I expected. I gave it four stars because of the quality of the art.

Was inn great condition

Great selection of paintings/artists. As a beginning abstract artist, I found the artist interviews enlightening and informative. I agree that the paper isn’t the best quality but the book would, likely, be far too heavy if it was printed on thicker paper.

This is a stunning book. It arrived in excellent condition and on time. The quality of the reproductions is very fine. The paintings are rich in color and texture. What I especially appreciate are the in depth interviews with each artist. There is a nice mix of men's and women's art. There is also an impressive mix of many styles.

I was disappointed. If I had known it was mostly pastel works I would not have purchased. And it is not a true representation of top artists working in abstraction. It is a collection of what I would call saccharine abstraction. If that's your deal, great. If it is not, don't get this. If I had leafed through it in person I would have put it back on the shelf.

Most collections of abstract paintings lean very heavily in the direction of oil on linen, many of which are so self-conscious that they quit being art. Not this one. For once I was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of paintings made with pastels, some even with watercolor, and plenty of mixed media. The result, IMO, was a lot of truly interesting abstract paintings instead of the usual dreary, puffed-up zombie formalism. I especially like the biomorphic abstracts. Very inspiring.

I've recently started taking my art down the path of abstraction and this book is full of inspiring information. Each artist has answered a series of questions about their process and inspirations. I have found some of the answers interesting, however, I mainly enjoy the book for all the amazing and varied examples of abstract art. If you can get your hands on this book, do!

These publications from North Light Books are always pleasant to look through, though they are very predictably mainstream in content.This volume showcases abstract work; it's certainly colourful enough and as expected it is completely dominated by American artists. 89 artists are represented with over 100 works reproduced in large colour plates.A fair range of approaches are taken with oils, acrylics and mixed-media all represented – and a surprisingly large number of works executed in pastel; I found this interesting, as I used pastel for a period in my own abstract work – it isn't a particularly spontaneous medium to paint in, so it often reveals the artist's process in constructing the work.I don't see their inclusion as a negative factor in assessing this collection.This is a large and fairly well-presented volume (there are a couple of out of focus photos that detract a little from the usual high standard) the “look inside” option above gives a pretty good idea of the kind of work included.Rather an expensive book, but it may be of interest to those who are perhaps contemplating experimenting with abstraction in their own work.

Poss even just 2 stars. The pictures are ok, but there are far more pastels than any other medium. The words are pedestrian. The same questions, unispired as they are, asked virtually of every artist. It would have been much more interesting to just allow them to talk.

Overall I found this book to be a disappointment. The author has a very noticeable preference for pastel paintings, with 88 out of a total 134 paintings in the book being pastels. After a while, the pastel paintings began to all look similar with their grainy, chalky texture. The author also asked the same questions of the individual artists, and I was bored before I got halfway through the book. Most interesting were the acrylic/collage paintings and those of mixed media, and I think the author blew a real opportunity to show the breadth of abstracts across all media. I realize this book was not meant to be an instructional book, but I did hope for something that was inspiring in some way. My mistake. I have an acquaintance who paints with pastels, and I will give this book to her.

I like the short essays where the artists discuss their work. These little essays is juxtaposed to the image they are discussing. I like the quality of the images. Having said that a page in a book never compares with the real work. This book is a good introduction/guide/reference for anybody interested in abstract art. It helps to open the mind and guide the hand that holds the brush.

I found it to be a very good book.