Mary Engelbreit: The Art And The Artist Hardback [Hardcover]

Patrick Regan (Author), Mary Engelbreit (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1996

It's been five years and several prints runs since Mary Engelbreit: The Art and The Artist was first published. Great changes and achievements mark the last five years of Mary's remarkable growth, but what's even more remarkable is what hasn't changed. Mary Engelbreit herself continues to create, by her hand alone, illstrations that have an uncanny knack for reaching an intimate place in the hearts of an ever-growing audience. Cherries, checks, and cottage roses. Straw hats, eyeglasses, vibrant colors, quotes, and decorative borders. All are familiar elements to Mary Engelbreit's millions of fans. Her style is probably more recognized than that of any contemporary illustrator. Fans and collectors around the world know her through her magazine, cards, books, calendars, and other social expression products. This authoritative book follows this amazing artist's career from the moment she first set up shop (a "studio" in her mother's linen closet), through her early years as a developing talents, and on to her current status as the world's premier illustrator. People magazine has called her "a contemporary Norman Rockwell." The Wall Street Journal recently referred to her "vast empire of cuteness." This book will give her fans the most extensive, definitive collection of Mary's works to date.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Self-taught artist Engelbreit, who lives in a St. Louis suburb, runs her own enormously successful greeting-card company; her illustrated books, journals and diaries (published by Andrews & McMeel) have a loyal following; and she also makes calendars, mugs and other products that sell in her own retail stores and elsewhere. This engaging scrapbook combines a biographical sketch with a perceptive discussion of her art. Her vibrantly colorful, richly detailed pictures contain familiar elements: spunky girls, straw hats, cottage roses, old-fashioned toys, well-dressed snakes, cats with angel-wings and decorative borders. Her fantasy graphics meld gypsies, dragons, spaceships, unicorns and UFOs. She also offers witty takes on childhood and hopeful images of multiethnic, multiracial cooperation. Whimsical, nostalgic and often veering to the cute or sentimental, her art nevertheless maintains a heartfelt connection to the real world in its celebration of love, faith, hope, decency and the vicissitudes of everyday life. 75,000 first printing; author tour.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Mary Engelbreit, best known for her greeting cards, has become a favorite of millions who know her work by its distinctive decorative design elements (lots of cherries, flowers, polka dots, and checks) and her familiar characters, such as the determined girl with her hands on her hips telling us all to "snap out of it." Engelbreit has moved from cards to mugs to wallpaper and soon will have her own magazine, Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion (watch out, Martha). This book, as full of charm and cherries as her fans would expect, chronicles Engelbreit's life, both personal and artistic, explains where she got the ideas for some of her most famous images, and contains beautiful reproductions of her many cards. And for those who think all the flowers and hearts and checks and stars are just too, too sweet? Quote them the motto of the Mary Engelbreit Company: "Say it loud! We're cute and we're proud!" Ilene Cooper

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing; First edition. edition (August 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0836222326
• ISBN-13: 978-0836222326
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 9.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #364,457 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Writer Patrick Regan lives in Kansas City, Missouri, and is the author of numerous gift, trade, humor, and children's books.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is unbeliveable in every way......., January 27, 2001

By 

"blue_sage" (Tulsa,OK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mary Engelbreit: The Art And The Artist Hardback (Hardcover)

Hi i just got this book last night as one of my graduation gifts from one of my many Aunts, she thought i would like it caues im planning on attending art school and she thought that this book would encourg me, and it has, even though i just got this book last night. I flip through the pages and i was so amazed at the drawings Mis.Engelbreit has created, she can take her own imagintion and child like expirence and make it come to life on paper.In this book It tells about her life and how she got started, It says that she started out drawing when she was 11 or younger and i belive it caues there is just to much passion in her work for it not to come from starting out in childhood. And her drawing are just mamerizing, I think every drawing she has ever made is in this one book. i mean you can look at this book for hours on end, i stayed up for hours last night just looking at the drawings alone. I think one of the reasons her art sells is becaues out of all the drawing that she has created someone can pick one and relate to it in one way or the other. This is the first book i own from her but it wont be the last. If you are looking for a sentamentle gift or just want a this wonderful book for yourself or LOVE Mary Engelbret's work and want to know about her and know how she got started then buy this book! It's worth every penny!!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring!, January 4, 2007

By 

missyO (Minneapolis) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mary Engelbreit: The Art And The Artist Paperback (Paperback)

I bought this book because i was looking for inspiration for some illustrations for a children's book I am working on, and it worked! I've never bought or seen any of ME's other books, but this one is fabulous! I love reading about her home studio and her experiences trying to make a living off her illustrations. The characters she has created are fantastic! I recommend this to anyone who needs inspiration or who wants to have a lovely book to leave on the coffee table for people to flip through, it's colourful and sweet!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For Every Engelbreit fan!, March 16, 2007

By 

Tom "Tom" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mary Engelbreit: The Art And The Artist Hardback (Hardcover)

Want to know how Mary got her start? Want to see what she was drawing when she was just a kid? A fan of Mary's? This biography is THE book to get about Mary Engelbreit! Pictures, interesting content, and inspiring writing, this book is worth every penny and will not disappoint!