Frank Wootton writes about his succinctly about his art training and his first jobs in London and his subsequent career as an artist. He also offers advise to budding artists about seeing and observing, composition and subject selection, and the importance of drawing along with other advice..

The main part of the book, The Plates, contains nearly 70 full colour reproductions of Wootton's paintings including a few close-up details, mostly reproduced to a good size and many full page, making full use of the book's large format. Scattered throughout the book are numerous black and white sketches by the artist. The paintings are predominantly of his local territory around East Sussex, but also include paintings of other parts of England as well as paintings from his travels from various countries and as far afield as Australia. They also include a few paintings with horses, one his his several specialities.

Wootton was a consummate craftsman of his art to which the splendid plates reproduced here give testimony. His writing is peppered with interesting and sometimes amusing anecdotes, (of which he had many more to tell, having meet him, he could keep one amused for hours with his experiences). His advice on painting is direct and practical, he is a firm believer in practice makes perfect, and in one paragraph gives short shrift to the modern trends in art away from the basics of drawing.

Book size: 28.5 x 32.5 cm (11.25” x 12.75”), published 1989. ( )