This is a book about observation, about finding subjects that are either concealed or so mundane as to be hiding in plain sight. Claudia Nice is well known for her detailed drawings and paintings of small subjects and, after some excursions into wider vistas, she returns to that theme here. You'll find simple guides to painting skies, clouds, sunsets and water as well as leaves, berries and yes, weathered wood. There's much more here, though, with ideas such as creating designs using koi carp, or city lights at night. Sudden treats pop up too, such as a spread on Populating the Scene - simple notes on how to include people where and when they're needed. The book is a collection of ideas, exercises and hints, loosely collected into themes such as Nostalgic Buildings, Wild Wanderings and Out In The Weather, but in reality best dipped into serendipitously. That way you'll get the constant delight of new discoveries and, confronted by things you never thought of as subjects, be overtaken with an eagerness to paint them immediately. Not all the ideas will be for everyone but, with Claudia, you can be sure that there's not a dud among them. Book: North Light. 128 Pages. Paperback. Colour Throughout.