Publications:
"Artists' Homes and Studios", by E. Ashley Rooney, published by Schiffer publishing available though Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble
Overview: Go behind-the-scenes of the art world as you tour the homes and studios of 86 international artists. Some studios are large, with lovely high ceilings and oversized skylights. Some are modest, even cramped. Some are amazingly pristine and carefully ordered with drawing spaces, painting galleries, and meditation zones. Some are a study of chaos, but in all of them the artists are inspired to create. Whether working in oils or pastels, sculpture or glass, ceramics or wood, today’s artists are as varied as their work, with studios that range from chicken coops and horse barns to entire islands and extra bedrooms. Through 321 color images, enjoy this glimpse into contemporary artists' lives.
"100 Southern Artist", by E. Ashley Rooney, published by Schiffer publishing available though Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble
Overview: Take a fresh look at the magical and insightful compositions of artists living in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. Here, 100 living artists delineate their creative expression through their personal stories and inspirations, along with several examples of their works. In oil, pastels, sculpture, and wood, with a diversity of styles and influences, including pop surrealism, realism, and expressionism, these artists capture the rich traditions of the south and our world. Essential reading for all who appreciate or practice art today. Foreword by Paula Allen, a Southern painter, sculptor, and illustrator.
"Green Art: Trees, Leaves and Roots", by E. Ashley Rooney & Margery Goldberg, Schiffer publishing, available through Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble
Overview: Trees come in many forms and are shaped by a huge variety of climatic and human forces. This makes them iconic vehicles for expressing human conditions and allows for commentary on deep ecology. Artists have always been arboreal fans; some artists look at trees and see them as canvases for their particular vision. Others may decide to replicate them in their favorite medium, whether it is ceramics, fabrics, paint or glass. They combine, redesign, and transform their materials into art that changes the way we perceive the world. Their creations grab our attention and give us a promise of renewal and beauty; their work with trees, roots, and leaves creates magic and mystery for us to delight in. In this striking collection, 106 international, twenty-first century artists portray their world in sculpture, glass, paint, clay, wood and other contemporary mediums, displayed in over 500 images. As Dr. Seuss suggests in The Lorax, they "Speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues."
"Alice Ballard & Roger Dalrymple, Ceramic Artists", by the S Tucker Cooke, UNC Asheville Exhibition Catalogue, Essay by Ann Hicks Gallery is available in softcover, hardback, and ebook from blurb.com (links: books & ebook)
Overview: Alice Ballard and Roger Dalrymple, Ceramic Artists is an exhibition catalogue, which documents an exhibition held in the S. Tucker Cooke Gallery, Owen Hall, at UNC Asheville in February 2012. The artists are husband and wife and reside in Greenville, South Carolina where they work in different styles that complement each other.
"The Penland Book of Ceramics: Master Classes in Ceramic Techniques", by Lark Books, available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Overview: With classes in more than ten media, instruction by only the finest practitioners, and an atmosphere of friendly exchange between artists, Penland is the place for crafters to improve and broaden their skills. Here, ceramists will discover technical and inspirational resources from the masters that will carry their art to new levels. Each Penland professional represented specializes in a particular technique or method; photographs show them working, as well as feature their art. Expressly for this volume, they have written accompanying essays and chosen pieces by other artists to complement their own. Clara “Kitty” Couch fashions deeply glowing coil built vessels; Angela Pozo’s lively tiled mosaics shimmer with color; Michael Sherrill builds beautiful sculptural objects that hold layer upon layer of color as texture. There are others who do mold-making and slip casting; majolica; wheel-thrown forms; slab reliefs; and much more. This is one book that will never leave the studio!