Jorg Schmeisser: Bilder Der Reise: A man, who likes to draw

This splendidly illustrated, multi-colored publication serves as a fitting memorial to a much-admired Canberra-based artist, teacher and traveller who died in 2012 while still involved with the production of the book. A painter of the art of colour etching, his keenly observed studies of the world around him - whether in his birthplace, Germany, or in fair-flung and ancient places in the Middle East, Far East and Australia - are rich in detail and often annotated in his own handwriting. He lets the etched line work on the spectator's imagination - with poetic rewards for all who ponder. Schemisser came to Australia in 1978 as head of the Printmaking Department of the Canberra School of Art. As such, he encouraged the development of a generation of young artists. His own works are keenly collected - particularly in Australia, Germany and Jpan. Co-published by SFA Press, Canberra, and Macmillan Art Publishing, this is a heartwarming account of an artistic life well-lived from a variety of scholarly and critical perspectives. The design and colour reproduction are both spectacular.