Oriental Images

Oriental Images by Marein, Shirley. Hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780670528615.

The ideas expressed in the art and architecture of the Middle East and Far East have always had a profound effect upon Western art, enriching its content with dramatic ideas and motifs. Today these traditional forms and themes are more popular than ever. In this new book, Shirley Marein presents a superb collection of original designs inspired by Oriental art, with patterns graphed for needlepoint or ready to copy for embroidery, rug-hooking, applique, and patchwork. Examples of finished needlework are shown in color, and color charts accompany the designs wherever they are appropriate. Photographs show the works of art that inspired the designs, plus many other examples of Eastern art which will serve as a stimulus for new endeavors. All the basic stitches required to complete the projects are diagrammed and explained. Methods of copying and enlarging designs and transferring them to cloth or canvas are also demonstrated. By way of introduction to the designs, the author reviews the traditional art themes and styles of the countries from which they are drawn, including China, Japan, Iran, Turkey, Syria, India, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Egypt, and Spain. Here are projects suited to every level of skill and adaptable to all kinds of useful and decorative purposes, in a do-it-yourself treasury that eliminates the need for expensive needlework kits.