5 comments about Altered Curiosities: Assemblage Techniques and Projects.

1. Altered Curiosities: Assemblage Techniques and Projects
   
   I have this book on my coffee table so that I am reminded to look at it many times a week. I am now collecting the odd pieces I come across in a day and am enjoying seeking out that "special object" at garage sales for my new art project(s). The book provides great ideas and direction to give you that creative push into found art work.



2. A good book if you are interested in making jewellery, not so much for the artist really, but some beautiful images. The techniques are quite complicated and you'll need a lot of things to buy to achieve what the book shows you, but hey, if you're into that type of thing, go for it.... I guess the title isn't really that clear, perhaps should really have referred to jewellery making...........



3. "Creepy cover" was mentioned by one reviewer and yet I found the cover the major reason for my interest in the book. I have had this book for some time and consider it a favorite in many ways. I love the charm of how each project is layed out on the page (e.g. the SECRET INGREDIENTS design marker for each project), GREAT step-by-step images following the descriptions on how to proceed for each project, the use of many objects already laying around the house that are given a "new" life through various applications and transformations of the various projects or techniques described, and the best reason are the numerous artist's descriptions for each project and sections elaborating reasoning behind her design process. I particularly enjoy the "Adorn Yourself: Jewelry with a Story" commentary. These sections are true motivators for me and often crack my periods of artist blahs when I don't feel an ounce of creativity flowing through me. When I read a few of these sections in Wynn's book, my mind begins to whir! The techniques are great in gaining confidence for creating your own designs; however, I do have to say that I absolutely love the octopus necklace design. I made my own, quite a bit different than the author's but with enough flair to see where I got my idea from. I think others will enjoy this book for a variety of reasons - the quaintness of many projects, the bizarreness of others, the sound techniques (with a few minor quirks that may be remedied by an revised edition down the road, I've heard), and most importantly, the motivation provided by the author in a multitude of ways throughout the book. Use this book for many reasons - reference, guide, motivation, resource, etc. It is definitely in my top five of multi-media artwork books available. Enjoy!



4. I am a working artist and am currently exploring collage and assemblage as an alternate form of expression. I bought this book based on the cover. I found the doll's head intriguing and hoped to find other projects in that same vein. While the book includes detailed instructions for a variety of assemblage projects, I found it bordered on being a "craft" book. Many of the projects include instructions for metal work, which I am not interested in. The author also has several projects that are shrine-like in character. And sadly, there were no other "doll" projects, except if you count using doll arms to make jewelry. I ended up giving this book to a friend of mine who teaches assemblage at art school.



5. I bought this book along with another book on collage assemblage. I read the other book first and found this one not as interesting a read but it does have some good assemblage details that the other book did not have.

5 comments about The Art of Personal Imagery: Expressing Your Life Through Collage.

1. First, let me say I have no idea who this author is: I don't read her blog, I don't follow her crafty career, I don't read anything she might be published in. Also, I've never met the woman and harbor no ill will toward her, personally or artistically. Indeed, she seems utterly sincere in her work and she has my respect for that.
   
   Also, let it be known I am not a "scrapper", full-on "collage artist", or maker of any stripe. I'm a writer and I bought this book, among others, to try to tune in to my right brain after decades of hearing from only the left.
   
   All that said, I didn't think this book was as utterly bad as some of the 1 or 2 star reviewers said it was. However, I share the opinion those reviewers who had issues with the autobiographical window the author provides into her life and art. Personally, I found the focus way too personal -- indeed, reading this book was akin to meeting a stranger for the first time, shaking hands, and having them say "Smell my finger." Items of particular distaste include the picture of the author's nude backside on page 30 and the constant reminders throughout the book that she's been twice pregnant, has a darling husband and lovely children. Take-away: Corey is a happy and fulfilled woman. I get it, thanks. Against my will, perhaps, but I do get it.
   
   And if art as such (even collage art) can be construed as a window into the artist's soul, I daresay psychiatrists would have a field day interpreting the art created by the author for this book. I won't presume to analyze it all here, but I question the sensibilities, artistic or not, of anyone with such obvious narcissism and a rampant pre-occupation with birdcages and disjointed body parts. And like some other reviewers, I got really tired really quickly of seeing all the crowns and caps. If that was ever a trend, it needs to die NOW.
   
   I know, I know, the title of the book is "The Art of PERSONAL Imagery," so the focus should naturally be a personal one. In this case, however, it is possible to have too much of a good thing such that all the techniques and tips are lost among the TMI-ness that Moortgat passes off as "art."
   
   And Moortgat is pretty good about sharing tips and techniques. I mean, that's the reason I got this book in the first place. Of course, to get at those nuggets I had to wade through paragraphs of her art-making philosophy, which I found mildly irritating. Still, they are there and as I progress in further opening up the non-techie part of my brain, I shall make liberal use of them. Indeed, I'm finding the creative prompts and exercises helpful as I start my first art journal.
   
   All in all, I can't rate this book very highly because the "Personal Imagery" part of the title overwhelmed the "Art." What art could be gleaned from this book was, in my uneducated opinion, trite and random. As an art-lover I can't relate to Moortgat as an artist -- her art shares no story with me, someone who is wholly unfamiliar with her and who now, after reading this book, wishes never to hear of her again. Luckily, this doesn't stop me from appreciating the kernels of knowledge she embeds at intervals in this book.
   
   Still, if you're looking for collage primers, there are better books out there: Urgent 2nd Class: Creating Curious Collage, Dubious Documents, and Other Art from Ephemera, True Vision: Authentic Art Journaling, and Collage Discovery Workshop. As well, Gwen Diehn's The Decorated Page: Journals, Scrapbooks & Albums Made Simply Beautiful and The Decorated Journal: Creating Beautifully Expressive Journal Pages. I enjoyed all of these books far more, found them all far more useful, and still got the "personal imagery" point across without being so forcibly intimate.



2. As an avid scrapbooker and beginner mixed-media artist, this book has really made me redefine my style. I've reached a point in my art that doing pretty pages was just not enough, and I found myself including more and more symbolic items in my artwork. Being OCD-like, this book has really prompted me to loosen up, experiment and have fun with my artwork. Coreys artwork is so rich in meaning and symbolism. I couldn't put this book down, and even sent my kids early to bed so I could read it. The artwork is breathtaking, the examples are thorough, the supplies are listed, and...she even explains her inspiration and mental process of creating that piece of work. If you are interested in taking your artwork to the next level- out of the cookie-cutter mold- you will find this book a gold-mine of eye-candy and information.



3. I've been looking for some ways into returning to art, telling stories, and healing. This book has given me all sorts of ideas of ways I can dive into that work. I found the author's disclosure and use authentic personal images to be refreshing in a glossy-coated, distanced world.



4. This book has some very nice "how-to" sections for the beginner, but what really made it work for me was the discussion of the creative process. The author allows some very personal glimpses into her mind and life and how she translates those into her art, and I felt privileged to be witness to the process. Her art therapy background really gives her something unique to add to what's out there. The fact that my own art might be in a very different style didn't bother me at all. The book isn't about any particular style, although her examples may be, but about bringing one's own inner life to art.



5. Maybe I'm just not into this type of art enough. I prefer simpler stuff, probably a poor choice on my part.

5 comments about The Complete Guide to High-Fire Glazes: Glazing & Firing at Cone 10 (A Lark Ceramics Book).

1. I bought this book at the request of my sister-in-law who is a potter. It was recommended to her by another potter. She loves it.



2. I found that this book it is very useful and cohomprensive in parts of firing and recipes. There are beutiful pictures; but i find it is not so fluing in the exposition it could be more astonoshing with all the new about the recipes.
   If are a novice I think you could also buy another books to introduce you better in the world of making your own glazes more satifing( it is the The Ceramic Spectrum: A Simplified Approach to Glaze and Color DevelopmentHopper book on glazes spectrumThe Ceramic Spectrum: A Simplified Approach to Glaze and Color Development).



3. Very happy with this purchase. The recipes are all laid out and organized very well. Easy to find what you're looking for and lots of good pictures.



4. The Complete Guide to High-Fire Glazes: Glazing & Firing at Cone 10 (A Lark Ceramics Book) (Purchased on 01/02/2008)
   
   The book has tons of information very useful for a beginner potter and or a professional. Simple to use and has a variety of exercises to follow. Explains very well and has lots of images that makes it easy to comprehend, a must have as a text book.



5. This is a brilliant book with great technical information and fabulous pictures. Most importantly for me though is getting good glaze recipes that have materials that are easily found or can be adapted to what I have. I have trialled many recipes in this book and have found good success. John Britt writes well and gives good firing information. Also most helpful is where he shows the same glaze used on different types of clay, this is a critical factor in the success of any glaze so a most important point that needs to be shown.
   If you are wanting to learn about glazing, then this book is a must for you. If you follow through each section and test as many of the glazes as possible, and follow the different firing methods, you will at the end have a comprehensive understanding of glazes and firing.

5 comments about Art Forms in Nature: The Prints of Ernst Haeckel (Monographs).

1. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3G0SX0PAICYS7 Video shows the size of the book, flipping through a lot of the plates and rambling.



2. a brilliant draftsman and scientist, heackel shows us that the natural world is not only incredibly beautiful, but weirder than anything you can invent.
   there are larger and more expensive editions of this book to be had, as well as smaller and digital versions. the 12" x 9" dover edition folio is a nice reference size, well printed, colorful, and a great price.



3. The following is Amazon's description of this book:
   Paperback: 139 pages
   Publisher: Prestel Publishing (August 1998)
   Language: English
   ISBN-10: 3791319906
   ISBN-13: 978-3791319902
   Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 9.4 x 0.5 inches
   Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
   
   More than one customer review states that they received a book that is only 3 inches wide. I hesitate to buy this book since the info posted may be misleading.



4. This book is full of illustration of organisms you can find on nature.I repeat, it is not fantasy, these beautiful illustration are drawings of things that are right there, sometimes too small to see with the naked eye, in nature, and one can only awe at such beauty and design skills. Haeckel did a great job combining biology with art, and it shows on this book.
   
   A note of advise: these edition has color, the other one is black&white.



5. Amazing images of pollen spores, bats' faces, moths, diatoms, and more - drawn by the master. Ernst Haeckel's prints were a huge influence in the Art Nouveau movement, and the introduction to the book discusses that. Just absolutely brilliant - a surreal and gorgeous look at nature at every scale.

5 comments about 500 Cups: Ceramic Explorations of Utility & Grace (500 Series).

1. As one whose creativity needs a nudge, I love this book.
   
   They are many admirable and (important for me) inspiring pieces pictures. I tabbed many pages with "I want to try that" and rekindled a love of pottery, particulary of course of cups and mugs.
   
   The variety of cups shown is very wide: Simplic, lavishly decorated, purely artistic, functional, etc. The artist statement that accompanies many is also nice, as it explains many themed cup sets.



2. This book, like all the "500" books I have seen, is utterly beautiful. I find it inspiring both visually and conceptually. The chosen subjects are thought provoking and artistically sumptuous examples of ceramic art.
   Wheather you put it on your coffee table or in the studio, it is another "must have" from the Lark 500 series.



3. Beautifully presented, with 500 timeless ideas and references. If you are a potter and looking for inspiration - this book is a gold mine.



4. I bought this for a pottery student of mine after she bought the teapot book. Both are great fodder for the potter's imagination, and for me, a wonderful set of examples that get me away from the idea that my own pottery has to be as "perfect" as a wedgwood teacup. The pitcher book will be the next to grace the shelves of my studio library.



5. We just opened the pottery area of our store this year. The learning curve is steep: setting up the studio, hiring teachers, choosing clay bodies and glazes, and wheels, repairing kilns and firing other peoples work! So, I have purchased a lot of pottery books recently! This one is very cool. It doesn't teach you how to make anything, but it is a great way to see a huge variety of possibilites. I just love looking through it. There are several cups in there that I want to try to build (when I get better skills). The Lark Ceramics books are excellent resource books-stock your library up with them. You won't be sorry.

5 comments about Secrets of Rusty Things: Transforming Found Objects into Art.

1. I loved looking through the art in this book, and reading the artist's take on it. I found it inspirational.



2. I thought this was an instruction book - it's a "how I created great art" book - I was very disappointed



3. For those of you creating found art for the first time and those who have been creating for years ... this is the book for you. Makes you want to visit junk yards and comb thru the muck just to find that special, odd piece that brings your art to life. Love his stories and humor. Will flip through the pages of this book for years to come.



4. I LOVE this book, it is filled with so many beautiful images that it has inspired me in many, many ways. The stories behind the pieces remind us to look deeper into the art around us and listen to their stories. I was surprised so many people were disappointed it was not a step by step book, art should inspire you to create, not copy. If you don't get inspired by this book, consider seeing a doctor :)



5. I bought this book along with another book on assemblage art. I found this book not just inormative about the subject but it was a good read as well because of the artists creative process. I was so interested in the artist's work that I went to his website and signed up for an art retreat he will be teaching at.

5 comments about Collage Lost and Found: Creating Unique Projects With Vintage Ephemera.

1. I love this book! It is full of pictures and how-to instructions! I can't wait to get started with my collage projects.



2. If you are new to collage then this book is a great place to start. This is one of my favorite books! I love vintage and I love collage! This book is as good as Collage Discovery Workshop.



3. I would give 10 stars if I could! I have enjoyed this book more than I ever thought I would. I made the beeswax collage for my first project and was thrilled with the results. This book has wonderful pictures for inspiration and very clear instructions for an experienced artist or a beginner. I am hooked!



4. Usually I buy these types of books and page through them - loving the pictures, but never thinking it is something I could actually do. With this book I immediately went and purchased some materials and sat down and tried some of the simpler ideas. I love how the author took the time to make clear step-by-step instructions and included a LOT of pictures for the steps. There are projects that are very simple (magnets) to things much more complicated. I think there's something for everyone.



5. I had high hopes for learning more about collaging with ephemera, but this is not the book. I'm still looking for one better than Claudine Hellmuth's Collage Discovery Workshop: Make Your Own Collage Creations Using Vintage Photos, Found Objects and Ephemera -- the first edition is my altered arts bible.

5 comments about The Figure in Clay: Contemporary Sculpting Techniques by Master Artists (A Lark Ceramics Book).

1. Fantastic book! What a joy! I agree with some of the other reviews that this is perhaps, not a book for novice sculptors. However, if you are working in clay; already been creating sculptures; and are looking for a way to increase the size of your work, this is the book for you. It will be a timeless treasure for me. Just seeing how other sculptors are currently working gets my juices flowing.
   
   Pay particular attention to the "gallery" at the end of each section. After being blown away by the featured artists work, you get into their heads a little more by seeing examples they have chosen of other sculptors work. Good stuff!
   
   If you are a beginner, don't be put off by the lack of basic information. Go take a class in clay--whether it's on the wheel or hand-building--get inspired and keep this book to remind you of what could be in your future.



2. Better than expected. Some novel and interesting techniques as well as anatomical knowledge put to use in unique visions makes for a very useful book for beginner and advanced sculptors. There is just enough personal and aesthetic information to make me want more. And, the focus on individual artists who then select other admired artists offers a sense of network and insight.



3. I am fairly new to building in clay, and I found this book a treasure trove of ideas and techniques by masters of the art. The book is beautifully illustrated, and each of the artists describes their personal vision with regards to their work and then gives a detailed description of the process and techniques used in creating a piece along with formulas for their clay bodies, glazes and firing techniques. I found this book very helpful and inspiring.



4. I've been wanting to get into ceramics for a while and this book was just the thing to get my creative juices flowing. It has many (500 actually) beautiful pieces to admire, with such a wide selection of styles. I love that it has a both beautiful and grotesque figures revealing so many artistic view points. It's definitely not a "how to" book, with just enough info to get a basic idea of how each piece was created but the beautiful photographs and wide variety of sculptures makes it well worth purchasing.



5. A rich and exciting collection of wonderful artists and a never ending wealth of inspiration. My favorite book of contemporary ceramic art

5 comments about Digital Art Studio: Techniques for Combining Inkjet Printing with Traditional Art Materials.

1. This is an AMAZING resource for any artist interested in transferring methods.
   ESPECIALLY when you purchase the DVD that goes along with it. I recommend you do.



2. I bought this book about a year ago, and have found it very useful. Useful in re-thinking what printmaking is and can be, useful in fairly good details on some quite interesting techniques. This isn't for the beginner I don't think but as I have my own etching press and a good printer with a straight thru path it opened up a world of new possibilities to me.
   
   Pros: A huge variety of processes. Lots of illustrations of working with the materials.
   
   Con: Some processes do require access to expensive equipment, but with some imagination this isn't as limiting as first appears. Some references and specific equipment is dated, most OK.
   
   I've seen criticism of their art - but that's not even relevant, art is about PROCESS, and the biggest positive about this book is that it is all about process. One page alone started me down a road of exploration that has lasted 10 months now - and I don't see the end. Four years of graduate art school didn't excite me this much. [...]



3. This is an amazing book. I love all the techniques she shares & the gorgeous pictures throughout. I am very pleased. I have also purchased the DVD & can't wait for that to arrive.



4. / *
   This is the book that will free your creativity from the complacency that may have set in by accepting the limited substrate offerings from printer manufactures. Through the well documented guidance of the authors, we can embrace past printing techniques while introducing modern techniques that a computer and software like Illustrator, Photoshop, Painter and Maya have to offer. I highly recommend it if you are serious about exploring a new level of creativity to your artwork.
   * /
   
   Woohoo!
   Drew



5. This is the best book if your looking for that edge when diplaying your images. I have all these wonderful images but really coudl'nt get them into a gallery, I have already been offered a place in a gallery because of this book.
   
   There are so many ways to diplay here. Getting through your printer is easy, I found finding the polyproylene in Australia was a little hard but the net is good for that. The directions are so simple and if you need help I have found the girls are only to pleased to assits if you ask.
   
   Thank you so much girls for this wonderful book.
   
   Once I have dealt with the Dry Emulsion Transfers I will move onto some of the other chapters.
   
   Kind Regards From Helen

4 comments about Structura: The Art of Sparth.

1. If you are interested in concept art, this compact book is like a master's class in how to represent ideas with freshness, clarity, and good design. I keep it next to my computer at work for inspiration, and if you are a concept artist you should too.



2. Sparth is one of the greatest concept artists, and this is a great book of his work.



3. I've been a huge fan of Sparth's work for years and have awaited the arrival of this book for almost as long. Sparth's work is warm and highly creative and his influence over a generation of digital fantasy artists is only beginning to be seen as his style is frequently imitated. It's certainly a great book and a must-own, especially for a concept art book at this price.
   
   My only disappointment is is the format size (which is why I still give this 5 stars, as I don't think this is the fault of the artist). These works deserve a much larger format than the medium/smallish 9 x 9 inches. Also, and this probably has more to do with who owns the image licenses than anything, there is a bit of "sameness", a slight lack of variety, about some of the work that's not apparent when viewing his website.
   
   Still, a great book by any standard and an essential addition to any fantasy/sci-fi/art lover's book collection.



4. Sparth brings a humanity to concept art and design. At this price, everyone interested in Movie and Games production should have this densely creative book in their library. The french designers are poignantly different from american designers, a gap which I appreciate and honor.
   
   The work shown in this volume is mostly painted environments and vehicles. A couple pages of charcoal sketches and some plein-air digital work. It also has a good amount of robots and characters.