Comments on Kathleen Sheard's Book - Great White Egret

[Linda Gilpin]

Hello - Has anyone purchased this book? It's a little on the pricey side and wondered if anyone had any comments on it? Thoughts or advice?

[twin vision glass]

Well if anything, Kathleen Sheard is amazing. Hmm! look forward to hearing your thoughts. She is a special lady. Les

[Marty]

"It's a little on the pricey side"

US$5 per page?

[Don Burt]

Thats pricey. Ahem.

[Cheryl]

I guess it depends why you want the book. If you want to learn Kathleen's technique the book is cheaper than a class...but the class is probably a lot better. It sounds to me like she did a photo documentation of each step in the creation of a piece.

[Morganica]

24 pages, $112, and it appears to be a series of stills showing how she created one piece, with captions.
http://kathleensheard.com/books.html

I think the idea is lovely, and more than likely the price is dictated by costs at low volume. If she's doing on-demand with good-quality paper, cover, dust jacket and shipping her costs aren't all that much cheaper.

One of my favorite sculptors did the same thing but posted the images on her web, for free:
http://followtheblackrabbit.com/Beast_In_Process.htm

It would appear to be a more effective marketing method, anyway.

[Brad Walker]

I have a copy of a book by Jon Kuhn which, similar to this book, details the steps involved in making one of his pieces. Kuhn's book was given to people who bought his works as a kind of "thank you."

He must have ordered a lot of copies, because the one I have I bought for $10 in a remainder bin.

[Marty]

24 pages, $112, and it appears to be a series of stills showing how she created one piece, with captions.
http://kathleensheard.com/books.html

I think the idea is lovely, and more than likely the price is dictated by costs at low volume. If she's doing on-demand with good-quality paper, cover, dust jacket and shipping her costs aren't all that much cheaper.

One of my favorite sculptors did the same thing but posted the images on her web, for free:
http://followtheblackrabbit.com/Beast_In_Process.htm

It would appear to be a more effective marketing method, anyway.

Stichter has always been a favorite of mine too. Her take on those poor bunnies is wicked.

[Kevin Midgley]

So, how much is a fair price for the learning of a technique via 'printed' iBook format with included videos? Just curious what people would pay to learn proprietary methods.
I for one, think the book being spoken of is cheap from the description provided as it is obviously a course in a book but unfortunately lacking the video component possible with an iBook.
Given the cost of transportation and time involved to the location of courses, a book or iBook would be a bargain at $1,000 considering what money you could make afterwards in your own studio using the new techniques.

Production potters will regularly fork out $20,000 to learn and have jigging systems set up for them. What's the difference here?
A $100 book is a bargain if it teaches you a technique you can use to make a living.

[Don Burt]

Must be a supply and demand thing, rather than compensation awarded for value realized from the reading experience. A software salesman once told me the high price for his little OS utility was because of the immense savings/benefits we would realize from using the product. Glad that model doesn't play out in prescription prices. Although some would contend that it may.

[twin vision glass]

Well if this is any help on cost !!! it might cost you $120.00 just on business cards or I will spend $60.00 just to go pick up my glass from Calgary, and all the down time not included. Kathleen has put together detailed information on how she creates and I feel it is a good price for a HOME course that you can refer back to many days over. So for beginners who need insight into how to create in a unique way, But cannot afford to travel to a course it is worth a great deal. I feel it is up to the individual to figure out how to learn and feel it is totally worth it , and for me, I just like Kathleen and how hard she has worked over the years . Perhaps I already know the techniques so for me I would just enjoy looking at it and seeing how it is layed out BUT love to support the artists , and this might be her way of teaching. Well done Kathleen.
Leslie

[Brad Walker]

Has anyone actually seen this book? People seem to be leaping to the conclusion that it's a step by step instructional on how Kathleen Sheard makes a piece. That may or may not be the case: the sample page on her website is just some photos of the piece in process -- not really an instructional. The description on the website says the book is a "photo essay with brief text", suggesting it's a nice picture book, not a complete tutorial. (On the other hand, Kathleen does teach classes on her techniques.)

Also, for folks interested in this sort of work, the current issue of "Glass Patterns Quarterly" (vol 28, no 4) has a step by step tutorial of how glass artist Donna Sarafis makes her realistic scenes in powder and frit. I'm sure that Donna's technique is not the same as Kathleen's, but it's still worth checking out.

[twin vision glass]

Slightly different work but very lovely Brad. Thanks so much. Les
http://www.dancinglightfusedglass.com/ Her approach is more of a tack fuse textural work.

[john p]

It is a beautiful book, just as she has advertized it. Wonderful coffee table book if you have taken a class or own a piece.
If I had the money ,I would have one just to help support her.
LOVE Kathleen and her work. I have had two classes with her and TA-ed with her at C3 Studios.