Gift Focus inc Attire Accessories - March/April 2021

23 BOOK REVIEWS Bookstand The latest releases in gift books GLOSSY – THE INSIDE STORY OF VOGUE By Nina-Sophie Miralles RRP: £20 Format: Hardback Glossy is a story of more than a magazine. It is a story of passion and power, dizzying fortune and out-of- this- world fashion, of ingenuity and opportunism, frivolity and malice. This is the definitive story of the fashion Bible Vogue. Vogue magazine started, like so many great things do, in the spare room of someone’s house. But unlike other such makeshift projects that flare up then fizzle away, Vogue burnt itself onto our cultural consciousness. www.quercusbooks.co.uk OLD DOGS By Sally Muir RRP: £9.99 Format: Hardback ISBN: 9781911663195 Following the success of A Dog A Day, Sally Muir returns with a collection of new – but old – faces. Several years ago, artist Sally Muir began a Facebook project, posting a dog portrait daily, which became the best-selling book A Dog A Day. Thanks to that she was introduced to many people and enjoyed portraying the distinct personalities of each dog cherished by its owner. More recently, Sally asked the public to send in photographs of their old dogs. Featuring grey muzzles, milky eyes and wobbly legs, as well as tender descriptions from their owners, from a lifetime of companionship, Sally Muir’s paintings of dogs of advanced years are collected for the first time in Old Dogs. Sally Muir is well known for her portrayal of dogs, with ‘Elderly Dog’ featuring in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in 2018, and ‘Hound’ in the Summer Exhibition in 2019. The popularity of ‘Elderly Dog’ fuelled Sally’s desire to paint more older dogs and celebrate their ageing process with grace and style. From loose sketches and lithographs to potato prints and oil paintings, Old Dogs embraces dogs of all shapes and sizes, big, small, pedigree and cross breed. www.pavilionbooks.com MAKE YOUR ART NO MATTER WHAT By Beth Pickens RRP: £13.99 Format: Paperback ISBN: 9781452182957 If you are an artist, you need to make your art. That’s not an overstatement - it’s a fact; if you stop doing your creative work, your quality of life is diminished. But what do you do when life gets in the way? In this down-to-earth handbook, experienced artist coach Beth Pickens offers practical advice for developing a lasting and meaningful artistic practice in the face of life’s inevitable obstacles and distractions. This thoughtful volume suggests creative ways to address the challenges all artists must overcome - from making decisions about time, money, and education, to grappling with isolation, fear, and anxiety. No matter where you are in your art-making journey, this book will motivate and inspire you. Because not only do you need your art – the world needs it, too. www.abramsandchronicle.co.uk  THE NEWLYWED YEAR By Jay Payleitner RRP: £13.99 Format: Hardback ISBN 9781452182568 A perfect wedding gift or purchase for lovebirds that are tying the knot, The Newlywed Year offers 52 chapters of advice for building a love that lasts. Drawing on wisdom from successful marriages, the book delivers both humorous and touching tips for the newly married with chapters like “The Dog Question,” “The Eight Second Kiss,” and “Romantic Gestures.” Packaged in soft pastels and with a stunning floral cover, this book is as elegant as it is useful, making a wonderful addition to any couple’s growing bookshelf. The Newlywed Year. offers simple and useful advice for that first year of marriage while reminding you that marriage only grows sweeter with time. www.abramsandchronicle.co.uk