This is a volume in the author/ publisher's "101 Celtic" designs series. These short, thick paperbacks, in aspect slightly landscape instead of portrait, are all arranged similarly. There is a brief introduction by the author, then pages of the topic. Each two-page spread is the same design - a line drawing on the left, isolated and centered on the page, with a colored version, printed on a colored background page, on the right. There is a source citation on the line drawing page.

I note that the line drawing is slightly sketchy, with extraneous lines sometimes, or lines that don't quite meet. The painting has fixed those lines. One thing that I found disconcerting about the paintings is that the author has often colored in the background - in different colors in different areas. So, for instance, the picture of a horse suckling a foal is painted, and then there is blue between the mare's tail and legs, and green between the mare's belly and the foal. It is a fine interpretation, but I find that it makes it harder to distinguish between figure and ground. Also, the colored designs, for those arranged in a circle, are often rotated from the drawn designs.

In this case, there are sections - Designs in Stone (most, but not all, Pictish), Designs in Metalwork, Designs in Illuminated Manuscripts, and Modern Designs. The source identification usually lists the piece, the century, and the location found. Beyond the material, there is no order to the designs - a 7th c. design may be followed by a 12th c. one, and then an 8th c. one.

The author had clearly drawn the designs anew, rather than tracing photos. These pictures provide a clearer interpretation of what are sometimes very worn originals, and the artist has put himsself into them.

All and all, a lovely piece of work, sure to provide inspiration for other artists. I note that permission is explicitly given in the front matter to copy these designs for personal use, presumably in one's own art projects.

I find the colored versions less easy to interpret than the drawings, and the colors chosen do not echo the original sources, but it was a fun few minutes leafing through the book. ( )