Studio Lives

By examining the studios and studio-houses used by British artists between 1900 and 1940, this book reveals the ways in which artists used architecture - occupying and adapting Victorian studios and commissioning new ones. In doing so, it shows them coming to terms with the past, and inventing different modes of being modern, collaborating with architects and influencing the modernist style. In its scrutiny of the physical surroundings of artistic life during this period, the book sheds insight into how the studio environment articulated personal values, artistic affinities and professional aspirations. Not only does it consider the studio in terms of architectural design, but also in the light of the artist's work and life in the studio, and the market for contemporary art. By showing how artists navigated the volatile market for contemporary art during a troubled time, the book provides a new perspective on British art.

Although established over a hundred years ago, Hollywood movie studios still present themselves with a utilitarian modesty despite the star-spangled hype of their publicity machines. For employees, studio life offers a straightforward existence that overflows with all the tangible qualities of small-town America. Bicycles float cheerful worker bees to the mill and mailroom. At noon, carpenters and secretaries unite in the commissary where table-hopping percolates between studio hairdressers and studio brass. In a volume of personal essays and photographs, Rob Easterla details his ascent from nowhere to somebody in the Hollywood landscape as he clawed his way to the middle while crossing paths with celebrities such as James Spader, Debbie Reynolds, and Julie Andrews. While leading others into the trenches at Paramount Pictures, NBC, and Twentieth Century Fox, Easterla reveals the magic and horror of studio life from 1980 to 2011 as he labored within a world where normal rules did not apply and thick-skinned, fearless studio folk upheld a “can-do” attitude, even during the most challenging times. Through it all, Easterla reminds us that making movies is a singular art form that recruits only the most passionate, eager dreamers to participate in the process. Studio Life is a volume of personal essays that reveal a man’s escapades as he galloped onto a Paramount Pictures lot in the 1980s and began an unforgettable adventure.

Stars of the hit Netflix series Dream Home Makeover Syd and Shea McGee offer fans a new and intimate look into how they built their business in this bestselling autobiography. Do you want to live the best version of your life? Learn how Syd and Shea prioritized their values, defined their goals, and put their dreams into action—going from flat broke to design superstars—all while following their motto to “make life beautiful.” Most importantly, discover how you can do the same! For the one million-plus followers who turn to Syd and Shea McGee for advice on building a beautiful home and life, Make Life Beautiful is a behind-the-scenes look into how the couple transformed Shea’s small room of fabric samples and big dream of becoming a designer into one of the most successful and fastest-growing interior design businesses in the country. In Make Life Beautiful, Syd and Shea inspire you on how to build an authentic life by applying design principles such as: Embrace the process Get to the next level Find balance Elevate the everyday Make Life Beautiful is essential for entrepreneurs, interior designers, working parents, couples building a family & career, and anyone else chasing their dreams. Both longtime and new fans will gain insight into how the McGees built such a successful company. Don't miss Shea's long-awaited interior design book, The Art of Home: A Designer Guide to Creating an Elevated Yet Approachable Home. Now available.

“Roll-up-your-sleeves advice on throwing pottery, growing dahlias, cooking her tried-and-true recipes, and everything in between.” —Martha Stewart Living “Suited to any type of creative, offering up lessons on inspiration and creativity that are sure to bring out your inner talent.” —House Beautiful, Best New Design Books What makes a creative life? For an artist like Frances Palmer, it’s knitting all of one’s passions—all of one’s creativity—into the whole of life. And what an inspiration it is. A renowned potter, an entrepreneur, a gardener, a photographer, a cook, a beekeeper, Palmer has over the course of three decades caught the attention not only of the countless people who collect and use her ceramics but also of designers and design lovers, writers, and fellow artists who marvel at her example. Now, in her first book, she finally tells her story, in her own words and images, distilling from her experiences lessons that will inspire a new generation of makers and entrepreneurs. Life in the Studio is as beautiful and unexpected as Palmer’s pottery, as breathtakingly colorful as her celebrated dahlias, as intimate as the dinners she hosts in her studio for friends and family. There are insights into making pots—the importance of centering, the discovery that clay has a memory. Strategies for how to turn a passion into a business—the value to be found in collaboration, what it means to persevere, how to develop and stick to a routine that will sustain both enthusiasm and productivity. There are also step-by-step instructions (for throwing her beloved Sabine pot, growing dahlias, building an opulent flower arrangement). Even some of her most tried-and-true recipes. The result is a portrait of a unique artist and a singularly generous manual on how to live a creative life.

This reprint of this super popular title has been published in various formats. This medium-size format has been the bestselling version and has now been out of print for several years. There is a dedicated fan base of fervent Charley Harper fans and a new audience waiting to discover his work for themselves and to gift it to others.

How the culture and life of the British people have been transformed by the contribution of immigrants in recent history.