The Pulse of Mixed Media: Secrets and Passions of 100 Artists Revealed

Millions have visited the museums that bear her name, yet few know much about Madame Tussaud. A celebrated artist, she had both a ringside seat at and a cameo role in the French Revolution. A victim and survivor of one of the most tumultuous times in history, this intelligent, pragmatic businesswoman has also had an indelible impact on contemporary culture, planting the seed of our obsession with celebrity.

In Madame Tussaud, Kate Berridge tells this fascinating woman's complete story for the first time, drawing upon a wealth of sources, including Tussaud's memoirs and historical archives. It is a grand-scale success story, revealing how with sheer graft and grit a woman born in 1761 to an eighteen-year-old cook overcame extraordinary reversals of fortune to build the first and most enduring worldwide brand identified simply by reference to its founder's name: Madame Tussaud's.

We don't have to know what a painting is if we know how it makes us feel. A fun, fascinating survey of abstract art, Journeys to Abstraction offers a behind-the-scenes look at how contemporary artists break free from literal depiction to rejoice in the pure expressive power of color, line and texture.

• 58 artists share 100 striking abstract paintings, along with the ideas, inspirations and diverse working processes behind them.
• Covers a wide variety of traditional and non-traditional media and techniques, including watercolor, collage, acrylics, ink and more.
• Four step-by-step demonstrations show how abstract pieces come together from start to finish.

It is the statue of Jesus on the cross Mary-Margaret is especially drawn to, and one day she decides to give Him a thorough and loving cleansing. But then something strange happens, and moments later she lies unconscious, a great gash in her head, blood on the floor. Word gets out that this strange happening is the opening of the statue's eyes and the flowing of blood from its head. Soon a full-scale religious mania descends on the quiet church, and everyone, from Father Diamond to his small but loyal band of parishioners, is affected by it. When she has recovered, Mary-Margaret returns to the church, and to her duties caring for her housebound and even fatter mother Fidelma. Among the parishioners, Stella Morrison meanwhile impatiently awaits the return of her son Felix from boarding school, and Alice Armitage the return of her much older son from Afghanistan.

Mary-Margaret goes back obsessively to the statue of Jesus. He has told her things, things she must act on, and urgently. But He has become remote and uncommunicative once again, and she is in despair. The act she decides on is a shocking one, and it will bring together the lives of the O'Reillys and the Morrisons in a way that will change their lives forever.

Paint a lazy stream or crashing waves with ease!

The path to better water-themed paintings has never been clearer. Celebrated teacher and television artist Robert Warren presents a liberating new approach to painting that begins with acrylics and finishes with oils for impressive, luminous effects unlike any other method. Learn how to paint a favorite but ever-changing and complex subject in easy-to-follow steps!

• Complete, illustrated instruction on this exciting technique in which an acrylic underpainting and directly applied value plan set the stage for oil-painting success
• 12 fun step-by-step projects (plus line drawings) you can finish in a few hours
• Lessons and tips for mastering water in all its forms, including oceans, rivers, lakes, falls, ponds, reflections and more
• The simple solution to overworked, underwhelming oil paintings!