Living Into Art
Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 by Alyice
When I first heard about Lindsay’s book, Living Into Art, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy. It was my understanding that it was not your “ordinary” collage book—that it dealt less with how to collage and more with what collage can do for the soul. What I wasn’t expecting, however, was to find a book that dealt mostly with an art studio called, Sonoma Collage Studio, and the community its founders created.
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At first, I wasn’t thrilled to be reading a type of biography (as they’ve never held my interest before) but as I delve into the book, I found the stories that unfolded interesting. Each story told of an artist who was introduced to the studio at a time in her (or his) life when change was desperately needed. And through collage, they intuitively created pieces that helped them deal with their own feelings and behaviors—and in the process, discovered healing and personal growth.
The main thing I took away from this book, aside from the therapeutic powers of collage, is that artists need community. They need to belong to something more than home and family and work; they need “a third place”—a community of like-minded individuals where they can converse, nurture creativity, revitalize imagination, and grow as artists and human beings; a place where others understand their creative side.
While not a formula book, the stories that unfold share many insights into the beauty of creating collages that heal the soul. In 176 pages and twelve chapters you’ll discover that collage:
- is accidental and surprising,
- is subjective and evocative,
- is meditative and a stress reliever,
- teaches you about yourself,
- allows you to practice using your imagination,
- can help heal the past and bring dreams to fruition,
- “taps into unconscious thoughts, feelings, and patterns”,
- can put you in touch with feelings and thoughts you didn’t know existed,
- can “reveal things over time that may not be evident at first”,
- can bring new perspective to the unbalanced parts of your life,
- loosens you up and allows you to break out of your shell or self-imposed prison, and
- with interpretation helps you find your authentic self.
You’ll also learn the technique used at Sonoma that allows participants to get the full therapeutic benefits of creating collages—that engages active imagination. A process that involves intuitively selecting images and arranging them in a collage, then stepping back and observing the final creation, and finally, naming each image and finding the connection between each image to discover the story the completed collage has to tell.
Finally, you’ll receive nine studio clips and a gallery of collages sprinkled throughout the book. The studio clips are designed to help you begin your own path to redemption as you discover fun and easy ways to create collages that speak to the soul. And the artwork showcased is stunning; definitely not your ordinary cut and paste collages!
If you’re ready to believe in the healing powers of art therapy, then I encourage you to pick up a copy of Living Into Art
Disclosure: I was given a copy to review. This is “my opinion” of the product. I was not paid to give a positive review.
Posted in Art Reviews Books | 1 Comment »
Polymer Clay and Mixed Media
Thursday, October 29th, 2009 by Alyice
I still cannot believe it’s been ten months since I interviewed Christi Friesen about her magical polymer clay creations and she shared parts of her studio with us. At that time, I had agreed to review her book, Polymer Clay and Mixed Media: together at last
That is, until today.
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I Recommend Your purchase |
As I was cleaning off a shelf, I ran across the book and began flipping through it. Just like the first time I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. I was mesmerized by the complexity of her pieces and so desperately wanted to start creating some of the projects—unfortunately, I still don’t own a single polymer clay material.
That being said, I found the instructions easy to follow. Each project starts with a materials list, followed by a clay recipe, then an introductory paragraph, and finally a numbered, step-by-step tutorial—complete with step-by-step photographs and a scan of the sketch that inspired the creation. And when I mean a step-by-step tutorial, I mean step-by-step! Depending on the complexity of the piece, projects range from 12 to 31 steps, and each step has a detailed explanation of what needs to be done; not just a few short sentences.
In 160 pages you’ll discover:
- The basics of using polymer clay,
- The best way to store unused polymer clay,
- Why conditioning the clay is vital to a successful project,
- How to blend and mix colors,
- How to attach objects using liquid clay,
- How to wire beads to create various effects and/or looks,
- The fun of using surface treatments like embossing powder and foils,
- A near-full proof method of baking polymer clay,
- How to age pieces with patina, and
- When sealing your pieces with a high gloss is a good idea and when it isn’t.
You’ll also have fun with 18 detailed projects, like:
- Thistle pin
- Grapevine mirror
- Holly berry cluster gift tag
- Glass-centered flower beads
- Leaf and flower designs
- Peek-a-boo panda wrist cuff
- Flying bird focal bead
- Porcupine mini sculpture
- Gecko sculpture
- Sea turtle sculpture
- Tide pool vessel
- Ocean Sunset wall piece
- Ammonite fossil pin
- Thor’s dragon-serpent picture frame
- Petroglyph pebbles
- Aztec head focal bead
- Embellished transfer mini flower vase
- Face heart pendant
And the best part is that you can take all the techniques you learn in this book and create your own polymer clay/mixed media creations! All it takes is a little imagination, a few tools, and loads of polymer clay.
If you’re ready to give polymer clay a try, I encourage you to pick up a copy of Polymer Clay and Mixed Media: together at last
Disclosure: I was given a copy to review. This is “my opinion” of the product. I was not paid to give a positive review.
Posted in Art Reviews Books | 1 Comment »
Kick Ass Copywriting
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 by Alyice
According to Susan Gunelius, copywriter and author of Kick-Ass Copywriting In 10 Easy Steps
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As artists, it’s often difficult for us to write effective copy because it is difficult for us to distance ourselves from our art—to think of it as a commodity and not an extended part of our souls. And it’s that lack of distance, that inability to remove ourselves from our art emotionally, that makes it difficult to think like a copywriter. But with Susan’s help, I believe we can step outside our artistic brain and step into our business brain!
Having spent more than a decade in marketing for some of the largest companies in the world, she understands her stuff! But what is more amazing is that she seems to understand the small business owner—the people without the budgets to hire good copywriters or the degrees to write the copy themselves.
Susan’s book is chalk full of dynamic information. In 246 pages and 18 chapters, you’ll learn:
- To think in terms of benefits instead of features,
- To write copy that focuses on the needs and wants of the customer,
- To avoid writing sales copy with a “me” mentality,
- To write copy that sells art, and
- To properly work social media, including how to effectively write a blog.
You’ll also get more bang for your buck with:
- “Real life” examples of how to write copy,
- A case study using ABC Tax Services,
- Close-ups, a.k.a, cheat sheets or summaries,
- A “Copywriting Outline” designed to help you, and I, write more compelling copy, and
- A resource section to further expand our knowledge in the area of marketing and copywriting.
If you find writing copy about your product or your art services difficult, pick up a copy of Kick-Ass Copywriting In 10 Easy Steps, then pull out your highlighter, your pen, and a notebook… and get reading. You’ll be surprised at how much you’ll learn, and how often you’ll want to jump on your computer and begin tweaking your own website and/or marketing materials.
Order Kick-Ass Copywriting In 10 Easy Steps
Disclosure: I was given a copy to review. This is “my opinion” of the product. I was not paid to give a positive review.
Posted in Art Reviews Books | 2 Comments »
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