Painting Stories

Painting Stories explores the accomplishments, struggles, and livelihoods of traditional artisans in Raghurajpur, a village known for its patta chitra painters. In this collection, Helle Bundgaard weaves thirty years of observations and experiences into a tapestry of stories, which together present a poignant image of the lives of Indian craft makers and their personal connections to the art that they create. The painters’ stories are situated in a rich cultural environment and steeped in social relations. For them, painting is more than a livelihood or an aesthetic expression – it is a way of life. Painting Stories is a window into a part of our world rarely seen, reminding us of both our rich diversity and our shared humanity. Written with the painters, students, and laypersons in mind, the book includes a discussion of ethnographic storytelling and resources for ethnographic writing, as well as color photographs that bring the stories to life.

Have you ever been to a museum and been captured by a particular painting? Felt like touching it, establishing a contact in order to discover what you might learn from it? What ideas, insights, or questions sprang to your mind? A single two-surfaced composition can be a source of inspiration and it has been so for many writers who expanded their initial attraction into a well-developed story that captured the attention of a multitude of readers. Why only them? Couldn’t also you be able to do like them and write a story after a painting that stimulated in you a particular reaction? If you see something in it that the artist did not imagine at the time, wouldn’t you like to add it to its value as a work of art that inspires reflection and change. The purpose of this book is twofold: first of all, it’s a reflection on what is at the heart of a creative writing process, with an analysis of the archetypal plots and characters that are found in a short story and an investigation in the working of the creative mind of a young adult. There will be the results of an analysis on the use of creative imagination in young writers, their preferred fictional archetypes, the way they connected their imaginary world to their real life and feelings, and their use of the elemental masculine and feminine principles in the construction of their stories. Secondly, it will be a practical guide on how to write a short story based on a painting from the past. You will be taken by the hand and guided into a journey that will allow you to write a short story about a painting that you consider special, particularly inspiring, that captured your curiosity and heart. There will be practical examples from students who underwent the same experience, at first doubtful of their own abilities to create something original and inspiring, but with the appropriate support, they managed to overcome the obstacles, learn something more about the writing process, and not only that, and eventually acquire some expertise in this field.

This book is a collection of stories set in Asia, inspired by the author’s travels to China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Japan, and the Philippines. The stories are about people from all walks of life, from young lovers to old friends, from farmers to factory workers, from cooks to merchants. They are stories about hope, love, loss, compassion, and redemption. They are stories about the human experience, told from a uniquely Asian perspective. The stories in this book are diverse and thought-provoking. They explore the different cultures and traditions of Asia, as well as the challenges and triumphs of the people who live there. In “The Beauty in the Painting,” a young woman in an ancient painting wrecks havoc on the wicked. In “Ah Mei and the City,” a young woman from a rural village leaves home to pursue her dreams in the big city. In “Dr. Chan’s Homecoming,” an elderly doctor returns to his hometown in China after many years away and discovers a gift. And in “Lucky Louie in the Golden Triangle,” a cook uses his creativity to escape the clutches of a drug lord. These are just some of the stories in this book. Each one is a unique and unforgettable tale that will take you on a journey through the fascinating world of Asia. If you are interested in learning more about Asia, or if you simply enjoy a good story, then you will want to read this book. It is a must-read for anyone who wants to experience the rich culture and diversity of Asia. Kim’s first book, “Where Chingchoks Chirp”, is a memoir, a collection of essays about his childhood days in Bangkok. “The Beauty in the Painting” is Kim’s second book published by Archway Publishing.

On a school field trip to the famous Lascaux Cave in southern France, a young girl encounters a primitive man who had created the remarkable paintings on the cave's walls. Includes a section with information on early homo sapiens.

Winner of the Randolph Caldecott Medal and the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Jean-Michel Basquiat and his unique, collage-style paintings rocketed to fame in the 1980s as a cultural phenomenon unlike anything the art world had ever seen. But before that, he was a little boy who saw art everywhere: in poetry books and museums, in games and in the words that we speak, and in the pulsing energy of New York City. Now, award-winning illustrator Javaka Steptoe's vivid text and bold artwork echoing Basquiat's own introduce young readers to the powerful message that art doesn't always have to be neat or clean--and definitely not inside the lines--to be beautiful.

Nopporn, a Thai student studying in Japan, is tasked with hosting a distinguished old family friend and his new wife, the beautiful, aristocratic Kirati. Despite their difference in age and status, and the social constraints of the day, Nopporn and Kirati are inexorably drawn to each other. A stirring portrayal of youthful romantic obsession, and later attempts to come to terms with the frailty of once-passionate feelings, Behind the Painting also affords an intimate insight into the sterile existence endured by many women of high social status at the time. First published in 1937, the novel has been reprinted more than fifty times in Thailand and has twice been adapted for film as well as a musical.

Six Stories is a radically new look at the intersection of science and art through “failed” images.

BLOOM is a collection of beautiful paint sketches created by the artist Ross Tran, most famously known as Ross Draws.