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Lisa Yuskavage: Wilderness

by | Dec 2, 2020 | 2020 Gift Guide, For the Nature Lover

Lisa Yuskavage: Wilderness
Christopher Bedford, Helen Molesworth (Author), Heidi Zuckerman, Mary Weatherford
$55.00

Though she is arguably best known for the voluptuous female nudes that populate her paintings, Lisa Yuskavage’s work is just as focused on the ethereal settings in which these subjects appear. Yuskavage creates finely detailed landscapes that blur the line between the fantastical and the familiar, melding abstraction with realism to depict self-contained worlds. These outdoor scenes defy conventions of landscape painting with surreal color palettes of lush greens and delicate pinks, cast in a gauzy light quality that highlights the almost magical nature of her paintings.

Published in conjunction with a joint exhibition between the Aspen Art Museum in Colorado and the Baltimore Museum of Art in Maryland, this volume includes color reproductions of Yuskavage’s paintings and watercolors from the early 1990s to the present, as well as an interview between Yuskavage and fellow artist Mary Weatherford.
Based in New York City, American artist Lisa Yuskavage (born 1962) received her MFA from the Yale School of Art in 1986. In the years since, her signature style of figure painting has developed something of a cult following for its attention to art historical tradition and a decidedly contemporary, pop culture-based approach to the representation of the female form. Her work has been in solo exhibitions around the world. Yuskavage is represented by David Zwirner.

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Oceanology: The Secrets of the Sea Revealed

by | Nov 16, 2020 | 2020 Gift Guide, For the Nature Lover

Oceanology: The Secrets of the Sea Revealed
DK
$50.00

An informative and utterly beautiful introduction to marine life and the ocean environment, Oceanology brings the riches of the underwater world onto the printed page.

Astounding photography reveals an abundance of life, from microscopic plankton to great whales, seaweed to starfish. Published in association with the Smithsonian Institution, the book explores every corner of the oceans, from coral reefs and mangrove swamps to deep ocean trenches.

Along the way, and with the help of clear, simple illustrations, it explains how life has adapted to the marine environment, revealing for example how a stonefish delivers its lethal venom and how a sponge sustains itself by sifting food from passing currents. It also examines the physical forces and processes that shape the oceans, from global circulation systems and tides to undersea volcanoes and tsunamis.

To most of us, the marine world is out of reach. But with the help of photography and the latest technology, Oceanology brings us up close to animals, plants, and other living things that inhabit a fantastic and almost incomprehensibly beautiful other dimension.

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Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other

by | Nov 16, 2020 | 2020 Gift Guide, For the Movie/TV Buff, For the Nature Lover, For the Traveler

Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other 
Sam Heughan, Graham McTavish
$26.99

From their faithful camper van to boats, kayaks, bicycles, and motorbikes, join stars of Outlander Sam and Graham on a road trip with a difference, as two Scotsmen explore a land of raw beauty, poetry, feuding, music, history, and warfare.

Unlikely friends Sam and Graham begin their journey in the heart of Scotland at Glencoe and travel from there all the way to Inverness and Culloden battlefield, where along the way they experience adventure and a cast of highland characters. In this story of friendship, finding themselves, and whisky, they discover the complexity, rich history and culture of their native country.

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Botanicum Medicinale: A Modern Herbal of Medicinal Plants

by | Nov 9, 2020 | 2020 Gift Guide, Finding Your Inner Calm, For the Nature Lover

Botanicum Medicinale: A Modern Herbal of Medicinal Plants
Catherine Whitlock
$29.95.00

Remedies derived from plants are the world’s oldest medicines. Used extensively in China, India, and many African countries, herbal medicine has become increasingly popular in the West along with other holistic and alternative therapies. Botanicum Medicinale offers a modern guide to 100 medicinal plants, featuring beautiful, full-color botanical illustrations and informative, engaging text.

Each entry describes the plant’s classification and habitat, traditional and current medicinal uses, and an interesting fact or two. Readers will learn, for example, that absinthe, the highly alcoholic, vividly green potable, was traditionally flavored with bitter wormwood (Artemesia absinthium); that cannabis may have been used by Queen Victoria for menstrual pain; and that willow bark contains a chemical similar to aspirin. Detailed and striking artwork depicts each plant. The entries are arranged alphabetically—from Adonis vernalis (a perennial in the buttercup family) to Vinca minor (also known as the common periwinkle). The 100 plants featured in the book all have a long history of medicinal use or are the subject of new medical research. Many treat a range of conditions, from insomnia to indigestion. Some plants are lovely enough to be in a bridal bouquet; others are considered weeds. Cross-reference features at the end of the book connect specific medical conditions and the plants used to treat them.

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Wild Kitchen: Nature-Loving Chefs at Home

by | Nov 8, 2020 | 2020 Gift Guide, For the Home Chef, For the Nature Lover

Wild Kitchen: Nature-Loving Chefs at Home
Claire Bingham
$34.95

With environmental concerns at an all-time high, many of us are looking to promote sustainability in everyday ways, especially at home. It is more important than ever that our kitchen and dining spaces allow us to live in harmony with nature. This glimpse into the home kitchens and dining areas of twenty of the world’s top chefs, food bloggers, and restauranteurs reveals inspiring ways that the food-obsessed are embracing the “wild” at home in their everyday cooking and dining.

From a chef who experiments with herbs in a city apartment to a blogger who forages with her family in a local forest, each personality’s featured kitchen story offers a behind-the-scenes view of their unique cooking philosophy along with their insider tips for creating a unique kitchen space. Each chef—from Julia Sherman and David Tanis to Judy Williams and Rita Sodi—provides a simple recipe that uses their favorite natural ingredients. Offering advice on essential utensils, entertaining, and bringing the outside in, the book also features a directory of websites and restaurants for those interested in finding out more.

The desire to know where our food comes from and to minimize our carbon footprints is ever-growing. Wild Kitchen offers fresh insights into kitchen design and styling from those who understand the sustainable lifestyle best, and will inform, delight, and inspire all food lovers looking to get back to nature.

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Backyard Birdwatcher’s Bible

by | Nov 5, 2020 | 2020 Gift Guide, For the Nature Lover

The Backyard Birdwatcher’s Bible
Paul Sterry
$35.00

The Backyard Birdwatcher’s Bible is that rare type of book, one that is as packed with information as it is pleasing to look at. The latest in a successful line of “bibles,” following The Beekeeper’s Bible and TheBotanical Bible, this new volume has the broadest appeal yet. An elegant aesthetic is paired with practical tips on identifying, attracting, and caring for backyard birds, as well as crafting bird-friendly gardens and bird houses. With additional sections focused on everything from the bird life cycle to bird behavior, symbolism, and meaning in art, this authoritative book is brimming with engaging answers to all of your birdwatching questions.

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