Developed out of the aesthetic philosophy of cha-no-yu (the tea ceremony) in fifteenth-century Japan, wabi sabi is an aesthetic that finds beauty in things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. Taken from the Japanese words wabi, which translates to less is more, and sabi, which means attentive melancholy, wabi sabi refers to an awareness of the transient nature of earthly things and a corresponding pleasure in the things that bear the mark of this impermanence. As much a state of mind—an awareness of the things around us and an acceptance of our surroundings—as it is a design style, wabi sabi begs us to appreciate the simple beauty in life—a chipped vase, a quiet rainy day, the impermanence of all things. Presenting itself as an alternative to today's fast-paced, mass-produced, neon-lighted world, wabi sabi reminds us to slow down and take comfort in the simple, natural beauty around us. In addition to presenting the philosophy of wabi-sabi, this book includes how-to design advice—so that a transformation of body, mind, and home can emerge. Chapters include: History: The Development of Wabi Sabi Culture: Wabi Sabi and the Japanese Character Art: Defining Aesthetics Design: Creating Expressions with Wabi Sabi Materials Spirit: The Universal Spirit of Wabi Sabi

Wabi sabi, the quintessential Japanese design aesthetic, is quickly gaining popularity around the world, as evidenced by recent articles in Time, The Chicago Tribune and Kyoto Journal. Taken from the Japanese words wabi, which translates to less is more, and sabi, which means attentive melancholy, wabi sabi refers to an awareness of the transient nature of earthly things and a corresponding pleasure in the things that bear the mark of this impermanence. As a design style, wabi sabi helps us to appreciate the simple beauty in imperfection--of a chipped vase or a rainy day, for example.

Explains how to incorporate the aesthetic ideals and cultural principles of Japanese design traditions in the home in a richly illustrated guide that reveals how designing with nature's beauty can create a simple and beautiful home that emphasizes the idea of doing more with less.

“Perfectly blending simplicity and complexity, her artwork is quite stunning and has really motivated me to want to use some of her techniques.” —The Altered Page The Japanese wabi-sabi philosophy of art is a style that finds inspiration and beauty in the imperfect, impermanent and humble nature of everyday objects. With Wabi-Sabi Art Workshop, you’ll learn to use your appreciation for these simple things in life as your inspiration for making expressive, intuitive art. You will come to embrace imperfection and recognize that, yes, in fact, there is such a thing as a happy accident! Inside Wabi-Sabi Art Workshop you’ll find: Dozens of inspiration images and tips for taking your own photos 27 traditional haikus 35 techniques using such diverse media as oil and acrylic paints, alcohol inkers, foils and leaf, pastels, plaster, collage and handmade papers, teabags, paper towels, coffee, crayons, encaustic paints, fibers and more Lots of Wabi-Sabi Wisdom—tips and troubleshooting 70 big, beautiful finished pieces of art illustrating featured techniques Links to online bonus content—step-by-step demonstrations illustrating six additional techniques Add Wabi-Sabi Art Workshop to your library and expand your artistic horizons today! “Directions are simple and to the point . . . an enjoyable read. (I know I’ll be pulling it out for rainy day Sundays, just to savor the text and enjoy the illustrations).” —Life Imitates Doodles

Winner of the ARSC’s Award for Best Research (History) in Folk, Ethnic, or World Music (2008) When Jamaican recording engineers Osbourne “King Tubby” Ruddock, Errol Thompson, and Lee “Scratch” Perry began crafting “dub” music in the early 1970s, they were initiating a musical revolution that continues to have worldwide influence. Dub is a sub-genre of Jamaican reggae that flourished during reggae’s “golden age” of the late 1960s through the early 1980s. Dub involves remixing existing recordings—electronically improvising sound effects and altering vocal tracks—to create its unique sound. Just as hip-hop turned phonograph turntables into musical instruments, dub turned the mixing and sound processing technologies of the recording studio into instruments of composition and real-time improvisation. In addition to chronicling dub’s development and offering the first thorough analysis of the music itself, author Michael Veal examines dub’s social significance in Jamaican culture. He further explores the “dub revolution” that has crossed musical and cultural boundaries for over thirty years, influencing a wide variety of musical genres around the globe. Ebook Edition Note: Seven of the 25 illustrations have been redacted.
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