An inspiring collection of the extraordinary private spaces of 250 of the world's most creative people, past and present

The first in-depth biography of Sam Francis, the legendary American abstract painter who broke all the rules in his personal and artistic life. Light on Fire is the first comprehensive biography of Sam Francis, one of the most important American abstract artists of the twentieth century. Based on Gabrielle Selz’s unprecedented access to Francis’s files, as well as private correspondence and hundreds of interviews, this book traces the extraordinary and ultimately tragic journey of a complex and charismatic artist who first learned to paint as a former air-corps pilot encased for three years in a full-body cast. While still a young man, Francis saw his color-saturated paintings fetch the highest prices of any living artist. His restless desire resulted in five marriages and homes on three continents; his entrepreneurial spirit led to founding a museum, a publishing company, a reforestation program and several nonprofits. Light on Fire captures the art, life, personality, and talent of a man whom the art historian and museum director William C. Agee described as a rare artist participating in the “visionary reconstruction of art history,” defying creative boundaries among the likes of Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Willem de Kooning. With settings from World War II San Francisco to postwar Paris, New York, Tokyo, and Los Angeles, Selz crafts an intimate portrait of a man who sought to resolve in art the contradictions he couldn’t resolve in life.

This debut book from acclaimed Los Angeles lifestyle brand Poketo proves creativity can be sparked anywhere. From a colorful desk in a tiny closet to expansive homes, Creative Spaces explores the lives, homes, and studios of 23 artistic entrepreneurs, authors, and designers through a collection of inspired interiors from across the country that brings art into the everyday. With stunning photography, intimate profiles, and unexpected takeaways, the book showcases an eclectic mix of creatives, including artist Adam J. Kurtz, ceramicist Helen Levi, and DJ Chris Manak, among others. Fusing lifestyle with interior design, this peek into the spaces and lives of creative professionals will motivate dreamers and thinkers to become doers and makers.

We are bombarded by perfect interiors, images that aren't attainable because they have been styled to the point where they bear no resemblance to reality. These interiors may be stunning, but they aren't an honest reflection of how we really live. Life Unstyled is about taking inspiration from real homes that are beautiful, creative and inspiring but at the same time a little rough around the edges, with signs of everyday life evident throughout. The first section, 'Homes Unstyled', sets out Emily's manifesto for creating a stylish home that is beautiful but lived in. A Home is Never Done advocates allowing your space to evolve gradually so it is an ever-changing expression of your tastes and interests. Work with What You've Got suggests ways to make the most of the home you have rather than yearning for unattainable perfection. Signs of Life offers ideas for wrangling papers, clutter and other stuff. Creative Clutter tackles collections and displays, while Break the Rules rejects style diktats and shows how individuality can bring a home to life. The second section, 'People Live Here', visits real-life homes that are definitely not perfect yet display incredible style and creativity and reflect their owners' needs, tastes and style. And throughout the book, quick fixes, DIY makes and ' Every Home Should Have...' boxes offer creative solutions with unique results.

Artists in Residence explores the homes of 17 legendary and contemporary artists. Readers can peek inside Georgia O'Keeffe's adobe courtyards, stroll through Henri Matisse's vibrant aviary, and peruse Jean-Michel Basquiat's collection of over 1,000 videotapes. A house or an apartment is not simply a place to eat and sleep for these artists; they transform quotidian spaces into dynamic reflections of their individual artistic preoccupations. • Offers a fascinating and inspiring blend of art history, interior design, and travel • Invites readers to peer behind the closed doors of top artists from around the world • Richly illustrated throughout Through vivid text and image, Artists in Residence explores how each artist's living space relates to their individual and distinct artist practice. Readers gain a deeper appreciation of their favorite artists' work, and perhaps discover a new favorite visual along the way. • This petite jacketed hardcover book makes a wonderful gift for artists and art fans everywhere.

Fascinating collectors open their homes to reveal the weird and wonderful world of natural objects. From the nineteenth century’s cabinets of curiosity to today’s interest in sustainable de´cor, obsessive collectors of natural objects have long filled their homes with their finds—everything from fossils and feathers to seeds and dried flowers. This book offers a glimpse inside twenty homes of the most interesting and creative contemporary collectors, revealing the stories behind their collections and how they celebrate their love of nature in their everyday spaces. People have always collected mementos from the natural world: amateur and professional naturalists of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, foragers, beachcombers, and taxidermists today. A new generation of naturalists are using their collections to craft creative careers and decorate their homes with their finds. From a German manor filled with antique taxidermy to the Paris apartment of a sculptor working with feathers and an Italian beachside retreat that showcases foraged shells and pebbles, this book provides a wealth of inspiration for celebrating the beauty of the world around us. Full of practical tips on everything from curating a shelf of objects to intricately decorating walls and surfaces with ecological finds, this volume offers plenty of ideas readers can apply in their own homes. With our ever-increasing interest in finding new ways to reconnect with nature and sustainability, this is inspirational reading for all those who want to bring the outdoors in.

A celebration of the innovative, artisanal, and sustainable living exemplified by contemporary Dutch interiors. With a carefully curated collection of interiors, including historic canal houses, restored farms, and green homes, belonging to interior designers, product designers, architects, and artists, this book showcases creative and resourceful living. These properties have been created or renovated and brought into the twenty-first century with typical Dutch style and sensibility—environmentally friendly, imaginative uses of space filled with color and charm and never to be taken too seriously. Each home in the book reflects the personality and spirit of the people who inhabit it. From furniture designer Valentin Loellman’s handcrafted interiors in a traditional worker’s cottage on the Maas river to fiber artist Claudy Jongstra’s farmhouse in Friesland where indigo dye plants grow in the biodynamic garden, Coming Home illustrates fun ideas and easy ways to incorporate individual style into your surroundings. Whether it’s the traditional “lowlands” aesthetic of combining old and new, faded and inviting, into a casual chic or a quirky reinvention of a space that reveals a touch of eccentricity, this book illustrates why the Netherlands is truly loved by so many and can be an inspiration to us all.