A Book at Easter

The Easter weekend is perfect moment to finally sit down with that book you keep meaning to read. Here are the books we are looking forward spending some time with.  All in stock now.

Clare Mackie - An Exhibition of Art Work from Country Life

Potterton Books London are currently hosting an exhibition of Clare Mackie's illustrations for Country Life.

Clare's 12 year collaboration with Country Life has produced over 600 illustrations for the 'My Week' feature, along with the notorious Town Mouse and Country Mouse.

Having decided at the age of 12 that she was going to be an artist, Clare was encouraged by her mother, who had been taught by Alberto Morocco at Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen.  Clare gained a First Class Honours degree in Illustration and Printmaking at Edinburgh College of Art and launched her highly successful career in London.  In 1993 she was taken on by John Locke Studios in New York.  She has worked on campaigns with IBM, Badoit, Chanel and Harvey Nichols along with commissions for Tatler, Harpers & Queen, The Independent, Elle, Glamour, The New York Times and Good Housekeeping.  She has previously displayed her Country Life illustrations at Lyon & Turnbull, Edinburgh.

Do come along to the shop between 5th March and 10th April to see the exhibition.

Books for January

January is the perfect month for curling up by the fire with a good book.  Here are some new books we recommend delving into, all in stock now.

A Book for Christmas

Unwrapping a book at Christmas has a timeless appeal, the beautiful cover, turning the pages for the first time, perusing and finally sitting down to read and enjoy. 

There is something incredibly special about a book carefully chosen for you, by somebody else.  Here are our favourite books for this Christmas:

Merry Christmas from Potterton Books! 

Nicky Haslam: A Designer's Life

In this unique and very personal book, Nicky Haslam recounts the diverse inspirations that have shaped his life and work.  The designer, who is renowned for his chic, opulent and often flamboyant style, his artistic and literary pursuits, and the decor his has designed for some of the most illustrious parties, reveals the influences, associations and achievements of his career.

The third son of the diplomat William Haslam and Diana Ponsonby, a goddaughter of Queen Victoria, Nicky Haslam grew up in Great Hundridge Manor in Buckinghamshire and was educated at Eton.  After a period working for Diana Vreeland at American Vogue, he became the editor of Show magazine and then moved to Arizona to breed horses.  He returned to England in the early 1970s and began his career as an interior designer in earnest, setting up his company NH designs in the late 1980s.

Written in a fresh and lively style, in Haslam's delightful prose, this book is a fascinating insight into the designer's glamorous and creative world.  Included are beautiful photographs by leading interiors photographers, evocative paintings and drawings by the designer and other artists, personal photographs, newspaper and magazine cuttings, invitations and notes - all of which paint a fascinating and inspiring picture his life and work.

Photographers

Both Cecil Beaton and Annie Leibovitz have photographed many of the same people and both these books offer a fascinating insight into their work  - 'Cecil Beaton, Portraits and Profiles' a wonderful combination of Beaton's photographic portraits and incisive observations from his journals and diaries; 'Annie Leibovitz, At Work' on how she made her pictures - written in her own words, she talks about the people she has photographed.

Books In Focus: India

'India, Living in an Ornate World' is James Welling's vibrant collection of photos of the country, following on from his exhibition 'Colours of India'.  Beautifully put together, James documents every day life in India with a particular focus on the brilliant colours that are an inherent part of the culture.

'India's Disappearing Railways, A Photographic Journey'  by photojournalist Angus McDonald, is a vivid documentation of India's narrow-gauge railways.  His photo essay documents the country from a unique standpoint and records a way of life in India that is slowly fading as modernisation takes over and the railways are converted to broad-gauge.

Rick Stein's 'India, In Search of the Perfect Curry' is a collection of over 120 recipes, uncovered during his journey through India whilst on the hunt for that elusive dish - the perfect curry.  On his travels he looks at Indian food in all it's complexities, discovering long-held cooking traditions as well as modern techniques and creating fragrant kormas, delicate spiced fish, slow-cooked biryanis and more.

'Mughal Architecture & Gardens' by Geroge Michell & Amit Pasricha is a fascinating study of the splendid monuments and gardens of the Mughal Emperors during the 16th and 17th century.  An indepth look at the stylistic developments under different emperors, and the origins of Mughal design and decoration, the book  also contains specially commissioned architectural plans and stunning colour photographs of the buildings still in existence.

All featured books are currently in stock.