Painting the Allure of Nature
Whether we believe in the Garden of Eden, in simian ancestors on  the African plains, or in neither, nature has a powerful hold on  all of us. Most artists have been drawn to nature in a usually  futile attempt to capture its mysteries. Bourdet's title refers  to painting of nature's power to entice a loftier goal than what  she actually attempts, which is to paint one's emotional  response to nature. Fortunately, she excels at this more modest  goal. A gifted teacher and a fine artist, Bourdet guides us  through the basics of sketching, field notes, using a reference  library of photos, color mixing, and the realistic rendering of  birds, flowers, leaves, snow, fog, wood, cobwebs, etc. She  offers masterly technical advice in segments on, for example,  avoiding mud on paper, not in the field. Wendy Jelbert's  Painting Nature's Details (LJ 3/15/97) took a narrower approach,  while Robert Reynolds and Patrick Seslar's Painting Nature's  Peaceful Places (North Light, 1994) was more akin to folk art.  Bourdet's book is more comprehensive and earthier than either.  Highly recommended as a solid, inspiring take on illustrating  and interpreting nature.Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.