Black Velvet

This book contains 275 reproductions of black velvet paintings. It traces the roots of the art form from ancient China and Japan through to Victorian England, the Pacific, Southeast Asia and the Americas.

BLAZE Red-hot reads from Temptation! SHE NEVER TOOK NO FOR AN ANSWER… All long luscious legs and blond hair, Lacey Longwood was Madame X—every man's fantasy. And Alec Danieli's nightmare, because he couldn't touch her and still do his job. Lacey wasn't happy about that. She wasn't used to being ordered around, nor was she used to being turned down when she wanted someone as badly as she wanted this intense and simmering ex-marine. He was sexy as black velvet…and Lacey was, after all, the black velvet vixen. "An exquisite love story pulsing with a blazing intensity and sensuality." —Romantic Times

Philip was unhappy until he put on his Uncle's black velvet jacket and then something amazing happened. How can a dusty, rolled up, thirty-year-old jacket make a boy's birthday wish come true? "The Black Velvet Jacket" is a true story of a young man's coming of age. It inspires all those who believe that wishes really do come true.

Bodyguard and actress, the two can’t see eye to eye… An up-and-coming actress, Lacey receives a threatening message. The message starting with “Vixen” in red begins to reach her at not only a fan meet, but also her bedroom, resulting in 24-hour security. Living in a world of spotlight, she resists her rigid bodyguard, Alec, at first, but she falls for him after learning who he is as a person in the midst of life-threatening incidents. She loves him, but the two live in different worlds. He’s someone who will be gone after his mission.

Jesus, matadors, panthers, bandits, Indians, movie stars, waifs, and, of course, Elvis are recognized icons of the oft-despised, uber-kitsch art form of black velvet painting. In Black Velvet Art author Eric A. Eliason and photographer Scott Squire present a comprehensive overview of this covertly-loved and overtly-reviled tradition. In cooperation with a network of artists, collectors, importers, and gallery owners in Tijuana, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Calgary, this book draws from the largest survey of velvet painting ever undertaken. The book traces velvet's historical development as a folk art shaped by both indigenous traditions as well as Western consumer expectations in such markets as the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, and particularly the U.S./Mexico border and the black velvet capital of Tijuana. In black velvet, class and taste challenge art as a consumer phenomenon, democratic spirit faces down elitism, reproduction questions originality, and sexuality seduces and provokes religiosity. What is most significant about black velvet art to many Americans is its signaling of the nadir of bad taste. Black velvet is the "anti-art" in many ways. Eliason seeks to explore how and why black velvet serves this function and to examine ways it deserves a glowing redemption.

Velvet is a young Arabian mare. She lives on a humble farm with her two friends: Graham the Friesian stud and Pete the Clydesdale. Despite being happy in her surroundings, Velvet feels left out. She can see that her breed is different in size and strength compared to the breeds of the other horses. Velvet tries very hard to be like the other horses, but is unsuccessful at her attempts. This makes her feel sad and disheartened. One day however, Velvet is offered an opportunity to become a race horse. She is nervous at first and resists the idea of leaving her home to embark on this new adventure. After much encouragement from her friends however, Velvet bucks up the courage to take the opportunity presented to her. With a leap of faith Velvet soon discovers a world where she not only fits in, but becomes a first class sensation.

The King himself puts in a cameo appearance at a rural Quebec Gas-Bar de la Nuit where the glowing ends of several dozen cigarettes counterpoint an urgent bass line to the syncopated doo-wap of several tens of thousands of fireflies.

There would be times when Riah Millican came to regret that her husband had learned to read and write, and then shared his knowledge with her and their children. For this was Durham in the 1830's, when employers tended to regard the spread of education with suspicion. But now Seth Millican was dead and she was a widow with the need to find a home and a living for herself and her children. The chance of becoming a housekeeper didn't work out, but it led to Moor House and a scholarly recluse obsessed with that very book learning that could open so many doors and yet create so many problems; especially with her daughter, Biddy, who was not only bright, but witful... THE BLACK VELVET GOWN is the story of a mother and daughter, often at odds with each other, facing the need to challenge and fight the prejudice of an age--a narrative of great power and diversity that is one of Catherine Cookson's major achievements. "From the Paperback edition.