Celtic Design: The Tree of Life [Paperback]

Aidan Meehan (Author)

Book Description

Series: Celtic Design | Publication Date: January 17, 1996

The designs and patterns of the Celts, expressed in their metalwork, stonework and jewelery, and continued in the manuscript illumination of Celtic Christianity, are an art form whose legacy has fascinated both Celtic and non-Celtic peoples for centuries.

This book adds to the series of practical, step-by-step guides on Celtic design for designers and craftspeople. The tree of life is one of the most popular and enduring motifs in Celtic art, found on Pictish sculpted stone slabs, Celtic and Northumbrian crosses and illuminated manuscripts. This book explores the symbolism and history of the motif and demonstrates its versatility as a design today. Illustrated throughout with examples

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Aidan Meehan has been researching and practicing Celtic knot design since discovering the triple-grid method of Celtic knot design in 1974. He is the author of the eight-volume Celtic Design series and many other books on the subject.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson (January 17, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 050027827X
• ISBN-13: 978-0500278277
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,117,403 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I am a Celtic artist who has written and illustrated 15 books on Celtic design, and now works as a full time artist exploring the art form in new ways, mainly as a painter. I also like to draw with the goose quill, and still enjoy doing calligraphy, mainly copperplate with the quill, and flourishing, which, it seems to me, is a continuation of the early Irish tradition, down through the centuries, by way of generations of scribes.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Tree of Life, July 7, 2000

By 

Samantha Robertson (Cordova, TN United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Celtic Design: The Tree of Life (Paperback)

Unless, you are already familiar with celtic artwork, really familiar, I definitely would not recommend this book. This is definitely not for beginners. Directions are not very detailed. If you can figure out how to do the examples, though, it creates some very beautiful designs.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of background, less instruction, December 11, 2008

By 

Karen Tiede (Raleigh, NC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Celtic Design: The Tree of Life (Paperback)

Actual Tree of Life designs, as opposed to every other category of Celtic knotwork, are somewhat uncommon. This book contains a lot of history and explanation, and not as much step-by-step how-to as many of the other books in Meehan's series.

I bought this volume to complete the set. The contents have not been immediately useful to my own art making. If you need Tree of Life information, this is the place to get it. If you aren't specifically looking for Tree of Life, you may not need this particular volume.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars celtic design:the tree of life, February 8, 2008

By 

D. J. Wilson (new zealand) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Celtic Design: The Tree of Life (Paperback)

this book delivers.not only from a technical viewpoint,but historically and culturally as well.as a result of reading this book i have gone on to the rest of the series and broadened my knowledge of the celts in general.