These are poems and paintings which reflect the poet's struggle to make order out of chaos. For years, Mikdadi has struggled for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. At different junctures in his life, his despair at the intransigence of both sides and at the sheer cruelty of what Palestinians have had to endure, led him to write poetry and, occasionally, to paint in watercolours. These are some of the poems and paintings that he produced during his life. They speak for themselves. Maeve Binchy felt that Faysal Mikdadi's passion makes his poetry impossible to ignore. This is a black and white version of the colour book also published by Lulu. It has been printed because the colour version, being printed entirely in colour, was deemed a trifle expensive. This black and white version allows readers to afford a copy. The colour version has also been published as an e-book.

The equivalent of a foundation course in traditional oil painting for beginning to intermediate level artists, this in-depth book uses the still life as a practical way to master oil techniques. The still life is a practical, forgiving genre as it does not require the likeness of a portrait or the accurate proportions of the figure and, unlike the landscape, it doesn’t change with the weather. Instead, it gives aspiring artists ample time to study and the opportunity to look closer. It can be used as a purely formal subject for drawing and painting techniques, or a platform for emotional expression using personal symbolism and imagery. However, though the still life is used throughout as a teaching tool, this is first and foremost a book about oil painting. It begins with simple compositions that build to more complex arrangements. Starting with essential information on how to best set up your studio—including lighting, equipment, materials (paints, solvents, brushes, mediums), and preparing your canvas and paper for oil painting—Still Life Painting Atelier then offers concrete lessons in a logical progressive sequence, with step-by-step illustrations, finished paintings, diagrams and tips. Chapters cover: • How to address composition through thumbnail sketches and line drawings • Using underpainting to study the characteristics of light and shade • The basics of color theory and color mixing • How to use a variety of brushes to create sharp and soft edges • Techniques that are helpful when painting metal and glass • How to apply glazing and scumbling to bring luminosity and texture

DIV Paintings by Renaissance masters Cranach, Dürer, and Holbein are among the highlights featured in the first comprehensive study of the largest collection of early German paintings in America. /div