Beautiful, simple, and yet so much more
585951
For the price this is a very nice piece. It is on canvas, is it not flat for framing. You can still get it framed but you will need to go to a framing shop and that will be costly. Most people buy canvas art to hang as is. I personally like the look, some see it as unfinished, you decide.  This is a painting, not a print and some of the newer canvas art pieces have paint applied very thickly as to create a 3d effect.  That is not overdone here but rather just perfect.

Many people seem to be asking what color is this. i supplied an answer but in case you missed it here is my 2 cents. I am an artist and have spent my life working in the field along with running an art department ( I order every single color of paint you can imagine and then some, mat boards for framing etc) and this piece is quite neat. Depending on where you have it, it will pick up certain tones. It is mainly grey but it has a cool feel to it. I have a true blue bedspread, it is not teal or even a blue green like caribbean water. It is more of what they call a cornflower blue..even steel blue would be a good comparison. The painting above my bed takes on the blue shades. If you have warmed colors and anything with green in it in the room you hang it in I will bet you will almost certainly see it as more greenish. It will be more of a spruce green not a kelly green per say so still cool but you see what I am saying.

I do not find the color to be that much of a big deal. I personally love it. I like to think of this piece as a mood ring, you can look at it many times and it will reflect back what you are feeling. For the price it is well made. I have ordered canvas art from department stores at double this price and not had the quality be nearly as good so there is that. I will be buying more of this brand for sure in the future! I was also tickled to find something to go above my bed. I have a low ceiling and high headboard so traditional paintings were all too big and I LOVE trees so win win!
4045036
What a beautiful, simple, multi-layered, complex book!

My biggest fear, as I write this review, is that I might say something, in my own inadequacy, that would unintentionally underserve this wonderful writing.  On one level, it is the story of a womans growth, and her determination to wrest her life back to herself, as its rightful owner.  And it made me stop and think.this is itit is not a dress rehearsal.  And the book is a love storyof a person, of a place, of life, in all its manifestations.  Such keen powers of observation and description!

It is about the American West, and yet it is universal.  For me, this book has left me with a renewed and bigger sense of that which we might call the divine.  Not the imagined, limited concept of God as it has been handed down from one generation to another for a few thousand years now, unique to our particular species.  But that divinity of life, that preceded our species, and that will continue in its circle of beauty after we as a species are no more.  Well, there I go, probably saying it wrong!

Ill close by saying that as I read the book, [once without putting it down, and again putting it down for reflection between essays] I almost felt like I was hearing a response to Dylan Thomas in the far reaches of my mind, when he wrote And I rose, In the rainy autumn, And walked abroad in a shower of all my days.  The authors writing.which is really poetry riding under the protection of a prose oilskin duster.evokes that distant voice for me.

This book goes up on that special shelf, part of my literary survival kit!
4812947
I received this book as a gift, and was struck by its beauty and clarity. Each page's color theme comforts the mind along with its simple message. This is a great example of 'less is more'. Turning the pages is a therapeutic experience that reassures of the durability of goodness. Inviting for any age.
2700548
Admittedly, I was initially turned off by the title. My cousin lent me her copy during my stay at her house. I purchased my own copy on Amazon the next day.
This was such a lovely fable, filled with relevant life philosophies we all can adopt to make our days more pleasant, beautiful, and fulfilling. Its messages are universal. (Don't let the reference to God throw you. This is more of a "spiritual" than a "religious" text.)
The key to this book is in the quality of the message, rather than the sophistication of the prose. This being the case, you should expect somewhat unsophisticated language and a large typeface. However, I think the book's simplicity is what makes it so charming and accessible.
I can't wait to pass this along to all of my friends.
3200432
I rarely write a review for a book before reading it in its entirety, but for this book I shall make an exception. The artwork is beautiful, yes. But the book's contents are even more lovely. The introduction is revealing, and the prose is well-formulated, insightful, and inspiring. I intend to gift this to someone very special.
1740333
What a wonderful find!  Charlotte Moss's "A Visual Life: Scrapbooks, Collages, and Inspiration" is a book that offers us, and anyone to whom we gift it, the inspiration to enrich our lives with color, visual juxtapositions, and a use of resources both sublime and mundane.  Indeed, it is so likely that we will return to it  innumerable times that we should be grateful that the publisher embedded the colorful covers right into the book's structure rather than opting for a fragile dust jacket.

The main thrust of "A Visual Life" is to enhance the environments in which we live and work.  Moss does this by offering photographs of decor, objects of art, and gardens, with special emphasis on creating color vignettes.  But she is equally determined to advance the greater use of those holdings, such as photographs,  correspondence and memorabilia, available in virtually every household.  And, as if all this were not enough, Moss's book offers insights into the lives of remarkable women, Jacqueline Kennedy, Pauline de Rothschild, and Evangeline Bruce among them.  Provided in this regard are writings by and about these women, menus they planned, and scrapbooks they created.  These materials and Moss's book as a whole remind us that true style is more than anything else a matter of thoughtfulness toward others teamed with an educated eye, and "A Visual Life" goes a long way in helping to develop both.
1444417
Just from reading the introduction, it is immediately apparent that this book is written with lots of love and inspiration. It is truly a beautiful book for any family and is filled with not only budget-friendly, but creative and fun projects you and your child (of ANY gender!) will deeply enjoy. And I don't mean in the sense that you're happy they're happy but the activity kind of sucks for you. NO. I mean these are generally fun for ALL participants, and in many cases, will yield some really neat-looking goodies!

The fun stuff inside includes art projects using commonplace and inexpensive components, repurposing things that might have been discarded (desiccated oranges, matchboxes, stuff from leftover candle wax from used candles, etc.), as well as some learning things, and a couple of cool tricks.

The only note I have is the title. I don't really understand why the author chose to target this to girls, when these activities don't generally feel gendered. That, plus the fact it is likely to discourage boys because it appears to specifically be Not for them. I like to think we are moving pass that kind of thinking, so parents out there: This is for ALL your kids!
1404395
The title of my review basically tells exactly how I feel about this work. The writing (and the translation) is simply beautiful, and it's of such a length that it will take about 2 hours of your time to read. These 2 hours will not be wasted, I assure you, for you will read words written by a modern master of literature. The plot is quite simple, and often not even necessary, for the language and the writing carries this book from beginning to end. I only wish that the book were longer so that I could spend more time with a very delightful elderly man.
247746
I'll be honest: I don't know much about the art scene in Tokyo. I bought this book after hearing about it on Kickstarter. The folks working on it seemed earnest and passionate about creating a beautiful book: something lovely to hold in your hand, visually pleasing to look at, and everywhere filled with painstakingly crafted, reader-friendly attention to detail. They've succeeded on every count. From the fine mesh of its cover (who sweats the details on getting fabric like this anymore?) to the easy-on-your-eyes interior design, this book is an example of what print books can do that can't be done digitally. They've also chosen the content -- the mix of maps, essays, interviews, and background material -- in a way that makes the collection great fun to browse through. Like I said: I'm pretty much clueless about the book's topic itself, but I keep cracking it open for the pleasure it provides someone like me who's a fan of great publishing craftsmanship. Nice work fellas!
3596559
Beautiful and useful. It is hardly possible to ask for more.
1200234
This is a really beautiful, simple, sweet, touching, persuasive, and fascinating book.  It is poetry at heart, but prose in style. It just speaks from the perspective of the Realised.
The author has very beautifully captured/described the seven qualities of awakened life/awareness viz. Silence, Tenderness, Embodiment, Genuineness, Discernment, Delight, Wonder. It is devoid of elaborate theory or new age vocabulary. It does not offer any 'how-to' techniques for realisation, which is positive as well as dissatisfying. The presentation is suffused with very apt quotations, stories and anecdotes, which make it easy to understand and interesting. At the same time, it is very hard to classify and pass a judgment on this book in one or two readings, because the ideas presented are so delicate that the essence can easily slip out of our grasp and escape firm rooting in our hearts. It will make a great reading for occassional review for several years.
It is a very pleasing experience to read this book. But, it may not necessarily offer a framework to sketch our journey to realisation. Probably it may imple us to cultivate those seven sweet qualities in our life, with no prescription as to how-to.
This book does not address the Mind; it addresses the Heart.
4340542
Beautiful...Food for the mind and soul of the creative artistic connoisseur
1187405
This is such a beautiful little book! I've kept it on my desk even after finishing it just because it's just so lovely to look at. And for someone with an ever-expanding wish list of pretty (but often unnecessary) things, Sarah Lazarovic's message totally resonated.
3507998
This is a lovely book with striking photographs that really capture the expanse, colors, and (often) the majesty of Midwestern farmland. The text is simple enough for a beginning reader, but written with a clear and lyrical voice. It's hard not to fall in love with the exuberance of the two children, and the message--valuing farmland, the outdoors, and imaginative, energetic play--is an important one.
3127058
A perfect read. Beautiful images. Beautiful relationships. Beautiful transparency. It would be nearly impossible to really read and pay attention to this book and then ignore the opportunities to love well that surround each of us daily. I will be buying this for gifts to family and friends.
3527635
Beautiful book. Inspiring, very nice layout, a  resource to be looked at over and over again. A minimalist's delight.
4072826
Beautiful, beautiful, and really beautiful. Love this