See larger image Indigo Textiles: Technique and History (Hardcover) By (author) Gosta Sandberg Seriously, I had no idea when I wrote the recent post about Mood-Indigo that this color was going to be such a big thing!  In West Elm, Crate and Barrel, and even Home Accents Today, all have some mention of this mysteriously beautiful and infinitely variable color and dye. Dare I predict…(even without a crystal ball) that we’ll be seeing a lot more of this very old dye color in mainstream decor, and not just in denim. Right here, enough to get started, with numerous great pictures.   So, to hearken back to my long-time fascination with traditional surface design techniques and materials, I found this on my bookshelf. Dyeing to Try? For those of you who might take your interest in Indigo to the next level, I encourage you to check out this little volume. You have the instructions Right Here, to do your own Indigo dye work. List Price: $22.95 USD New From: $24.49 In Stock Used from: $16.23 In Stock

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See larger image Carlo Scarpa (Big Series Art) (Hardcover) By (author) Sergio Los List Price: $29.99 USD Used from: $114.85 In Stock

Check out the ColorViews Blog post for more about this subject.

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No, it's not a dragon—it's a building. From: Complete works: Gaudi / by Aurora Cuito, Cristina Montes. This image from the book is by Pere Planells

Exquisite photography and detailed descriptions of sites provide a compelling entree into the Gaudi world. As an architectural color consultant I particularly enjoy Gaudi’s bold, personal style of color in architecture. I’m happy to have the English edition so I can actually read the text!

Next stop…Barcelona!

See larger image Antonio Gaudi: Complete Works (Paperback) By (author) Aurora Cuito List Price: $38.95 USD Used from: $34.90 In Stock

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Ikat Textiles of India (Paperback) By (author) Chelna Desai List Price: $19.95 USD New From: $45.00 In Stock Used from: $7.50 In Stock

No image on Amazon.com, so I offer this image of my own copy of Ikat Textiles of India, by Chelna Desai

A contemporary view of Ikat textiles in India.  Shown are designs in a wide range of colors, from simple everyday styles to complex, rare examples. Includes the history and technique of Ikat with a very useful glossary.

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See larger image Ndebele: The Art of an African Tribe (Paperback) By (author) Margaret Courtney-Clark List Price: $34.95 USD New From: $22.83 In Stock Used from: $15.72 In Stock

Decorative, functional and symbolic, the art of the tribal Ndebele women of South Africa continues to amaze us with its beauty, simplicity, and drama.

This book was first published in 1986. Many of the buildings shown are no longer standing, giving us even more reason to appreciate these amazing painted dwellings and the people who created them.

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Are you ready for this?

Beadwork and Painting of the Ndebele women.      Click on the image to go to our Design Library, where you can order this book.

Decorative, functional and symbolic, the art of the tribal Ndebele women of South Africa continues to amaze us with its beauty, simplicity, and drama.

This book was first published in 1986. Many of the buildings shown are no longer standing, giving us even more reason to appreciate these amazing painted dwellings and the people who created them.

I could not say it better, so will quote from the statement of Nadine Gordimer on the book’s flyleaf.

“Margaret Courtney-Clarke’s book is a revelation…of a glorious continued existence, under the most destructive forms of physical and psychological hardship imaginable, of an artistic culture at the very center of life itself.  The art of the Ndebele women is uniquely rooted in that guardianship; its canvas is the shrine of the home, where children are conceived and reared and family life is housed in the spirit.  The beauty of this book is unsurpassed in its combination of content and meaning. Its art is also the art of life.

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See larger image The Bread Builders: Hearth Loaves and Masonry Ovens (Paperback) By (author) Daniel Wing, Alan Scott List Price: $35.00 USD New From: $19.95 In Stock Used from: $18.87 In Stock

See the Colorviews blog post that relates to this tasty subject! It’s a stretch, admittedly , but I couldn’t resist.

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See larger image Blue: The History of a Color. (Hardcover) By (author) Michel Pastoureau List Price: $39.95 USD New From: $537.27 In Stock Used from: $110.53 In Stock

Looking into the history of any color is fascinating, and in BLUE, Michel Pastoureau has created a beautiful book that is rewarding for it’s own aesthetic qualities, both visual and functional (yes, the binding is really stitched and the book lays open at any page!).

As for content, the color illustrations taken from a variety of historic documents serve to make the educational text entertaining as well as informative.

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See larger image Concerning the Spiritual in Art (Paperback) By (author) Wassily Kandinsky List Price: $9.45 USD New From: $6.97 In Stock Used from: $5.49 In Stock

From 1914, the ever-relevant Wassily Kandinsky–prolific painter and writer.

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See larger image If It's Purple, Someone's Gonna Die: The Power of Color in Visual Storytelling (Paperback) By (author) Patti Bellantoni List Price: $39.95 USD New From: $20.79 In Stock Used from: $13.76 In Stock

The subject is color use in cinema, something we can appreciate whether we notice it or not!

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