Nuts & Bolts by Quang Ho

Presented on two discs, the six-hour Nuts & Bolts draws on Vietnam-born, internationally-known Denver artist and teacher Quang Ho's decades of experience. Prefacing his workshop with comments regarding his personal philosophy on “seeing” (which he likens to Helen Keller's famous example of making the connection to “water”), Ho has designed Nuts & Bolts as a tool for aspiring or advanced artists to save time and help avoid setbacks (even offering his e-mail address for viewers with specific questions). Taking viewers through a series of demonstrations covering a variety of approaches—from basic drawing to abstract expressionism—Ho offers viewers tips on tools and materials, tones and color values, and the use of light and shadows, while looking at examples from masters such as Rembrandt and Van Gogh. Also featuring a summary and slideshow illustrating the concepts presented, as well as a pair of bonus segments, this is recommended. [Note: Also newly available is Ho's Painting the Still-Life Using Light and Shadow, a four-hour series priced at $75.] Aud: C, P. (J. Williams-Wood)