The word grotesque was first coined at the end of the fifteenth century in Italy to describe a style of painting found in Ancient Roman ruins in which foliage intertwines and merges with human and animal forms. The re-discovery of these ruins was deeply influential to artists and designers. Through drawings and prints, grotesque motifs were disseminated as patterns for decoration in architecture, metalwork, textiles and ceramics. The fantastic nature of the grotesque enabled artists to incorporate imagery that pushed the boundaries of the known world. Within the confines of ornamental designs, artists turned elements from nature into otherworldly beings. Creatures, fearsome or playful, graceful or rigid, take their place in dense and sinuous designs for locks, ewers, rings, tapestries, stained glass and more. These intimately scaled works, often measuring just a few inches, are at times erotically charged and at others moralizing. Centuries later, these drawings and prints open a window to the imagination of artists and designers as the Age of Exploration unfolded around them.

When their hard-drinking, but loving, father dies in a car accident, teenage brothers Kyle and Klint Hayes face a bleak prospect: leaving their Pennsylvania hometown for an uncertain life in Arizona with the mother who ran out on them years ago. But in a strange twist of fate, their town’s matriarch, an eccentric, wealthy old woman whose family once owned the county coal mines, hears the boys’ story. Candace Jack doesn’t have an ounce of maternal instinct, yet for reasons she does not even understand herself, she is compelled to offer them a home. Suddenly, the two boys go from living in a small, run-down house on a gravel road to a stately mansion filled with sumptuous furnishings and beautiful artwork—artwork that’s predominantly centered, oddly, on bullfighting. And then there’s Miss Jack’s real-life bull: Ventisco—a regal, hulking, jet-black beast who roams the land she owns with fiery impudence. Kyle adjusts more easily to the transition. A budding artist, he finds a kindred spirit in Miss Jack. But local baseball hero Klint refuses to warm up to his new benefactress and instead throws himself into his game with a fierceness that troubles his little brother. Klint is not just grieving his father’s death; he’s carrying a terrible secret that he has never revealed to anyone. Unbeknownst to the world, Candace Jack has a secret too—a tragic, passionate past in Spain that the boys’ presence threatens to reveal as she finds herself caring more for them than she ever believed possible. From the muted, bruised hills of Pennsylvania coal country to the colorful, flamboyant bull rings of southern Spain, Tawni O’Dell takes us on a riveting journey not only between two completely different lands, but also between seemingly incompatible souls, casting us under her narrative spell in which characters and places are rendered with fragile tenderness.

Open these pages and wander through the Minotaur's labyrinth and open Pandora's box to discover a world of heroes, goddesses, nymphs, dragons and more just waiting to be colored to life in this visually stunning new coloring book for all ages. Through intricate pen and ink illustrations, colorists are invited to explore this mythological landscape and the fantastical imaged creatures of Greek myths and world folklore, where you encounter seductive sirens and delicate fairies, menacing hydras and playful satyrs. Let your imagination run wild with the heroes of Olympus and one hundred vivid illustrations that invite your unique creative touch.

Add your own color to Tolkien fantasies with these illustrations from renowned artists. This beautiful coloring book—suitable for Tolkien fans of all ages—presents more than 100 pages of famous scenes from Middle-earth. It includes the Trees of the Valar and Mount Doom, and characters as beloved as Gandalf the wizard or as feared as Smaug the dragon. Line art by renowned artists illustrates the fantastical world of Middle-earth and is ready to be colored. This work is unofficial and is not authorized by the Tolkien Estate or HarperCollins Publishers.

Sixteen lovely illustrations: "Adam Naming the Beasts," "Sleeping Apostles," "Angel and Woman," adaptations of wallpaper and textile designs, and much more. Color and place near a source of bright light for stained glass effects.

★Delicate creatures coloring book for adults★ magical creatures straight from the enchanted forest The coloring book includes A4 56 pages black backs magical fragile creatures unicorn-like, butterfly-like, seahorse-like beautiful creatures zentangle-like outlines Softcover The coloring book is a great gift for unicorn and butterfly fans, and lovers of fantastic creatures.