Painting landscapes of Kaaterskill Clove, a gorge in the Hudson River Valley of upstate New York, helps an artist discover the beauty of nature. Grade 4-8-Locker describes his 1997 "vision quest" in his beloved Kaaterskill Clove, located in New York's Hudson Valley. Here, redefining his perceptions and his Hudson River School art style, he presents the resulting emotionally charged paintings and a detailed account of his artistic growth and development. Each verso contains a paragraph of text accompanied by a thumbnail sketch of the artist in a different spot; opposite is the resulting painting rendered in oils on canvas. Several questions and answers about the artistic process and about the geography of the area are appended for those who delight in extra detail. This is a lyrical piece for artists unsure of their vision, a trip planner for those wishing to visit the area (maps provided on the endpapers), and a sensitive look at a painter's maturation. This special book is visually rich, quietly moving, and intensely personal-a multilayered experience. Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. Gr. 6^-adult, younger for reading aloud and for showing. A painter whose striking Hudson River School^-style landscapes have been celebrating nature's beauty and grandeur since Where the River Begins (1984) returns to New York's Kaaterskill Clove, the site of his original inspiration, for a new portfolio featuring smoothly sculpted rocks, shadowy glens, and rolling, velvety hills. In this picture book for older readers, he links the paintings to a series of artistic epiphanies, describing a painter's efforts to capture the light, color, or essence of each scene, then closes with a double-page spread of scientific or aesthetic answers to such questions as "Why do artists paint distant mountains blue?" Mixing technical discoveries ("light coming through the leaves changes the color of everything.") with universal insights, this loving, solemn tribute to nature and its power to spark the creative impulse adds another point of view to such glimpses into the artist's heart and soul as Cynthia Rylant's 1988 All I See , illustrated by Peter Catalanotto, and Abigail Thomas' 1994 Pearl Paints , illustrated by Margaret Hewitt. John Peters Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Thomas Locker has illustrated and authored numerous best-selling books for young people, including Grandfather’s Christmas Tree, Waterdance, Sky Tree, and Home: A Journey through America. He lives and works in the Hudson Valley in upstate New York. Used Book in Good Condition