Creativity/Inspiration

by Catherine Anderson

Review by Amy Mimu Rubin

www.galleryatfoxhill.com

Facebook-Mimu Rubin

amyrubinart@mac.com

I love working on my computer with my digital photographs, and I love taking pictures. Also, I love using my photography in my art. That is why I was delighted to find Catherine Anderson’s The Creative Photographer, published by Sterling Publishers under their Pixiq imprint.

If you are a very experienced photographer who has been using photographs in your art forever, you will find this is more for beginners as well as for those who have begun but want to go further as photographers using photography in their art.

In the nine chapters of the book, Anderson touches on the following topics; The Practice of Photography, Inspired Vision, Photography As Self-Expression, The Emotion of Color, Photographic Insight, A Whole New Perspective, In Search of The Mystery, All Things Old and Beautiful, Photography as Meditation. If these topics appeal to you, this book will inspire you.

Filled with beautiful images on every page, you will certainly find inspiration in the way Anderson talks about photography, focusing on ways to facilitate better photographs and offering suggestions for deepening your photographic skills and the ways in which you use your photographs.

Anderson uses Photoshop Elements as her editing program and discusses playing with photos in this program.

I use Photoshop and Broderbund Print Shop and found that there is a lot to be gained from Anderson’s expertise and soulful treatment of the subject. For example, in Chapter 6, exploration project 2 is Prayer Banners, and exploration project 3 hones in on the potentials of abstraction in photography and using abstract photographs as journal covers.

I will definitely put many of her ideas to use to my advantage, and I look forward to trying many of the projects. This book is like taking a workshop that you willwant to share with your friends.

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Inspired to Quilt

Author: Melanie Testa

Publisher: Interweave Press

Price: $24.95 US

Inspired to Quilt is a new book for mixed media, fiber arts and surface design fans in which the author encourages experimentation and exploration. The goal is to create imagery suitable for becoming the focal point of a piece through stamping, fabric manipulation, use of resists, dyeing, stitching including machine embroidery, and beading. Finishing techniques are also presented.

While not a book for the rank beginner, some experience with dyeing and and color theory is helpful, patterns for a small zippered purse, ATCs and postcards are included so that you can create small works before taking the plunge into larger scale offerings. Focusing on creating your own textiles, one technique in the book is soy wax printing, and it is a must try. The instructions are very well-detailed through full color photos and accompanying text.

I recommend this book.

Melanie Testa is a trained textile artist who exhibits her works in galleries and quilt shows across the US. She is an accomplished and very sought-after teacher and has written for Quilting Arts Magazine.

This Book Review was provided by Rita Blocksom

*************************************************************************************************** 500 Art Quilts: An Inspiring Collection of Contemporary Work .

A Must Have Book For Any Fiber Enthusiast

Review by Marie Z. Johansen Book Blog: Books by the Willow Tree

Front Cover

Back of the Book

* * * * * 500 Art Quilts is another delicious book published by one of my all time favorite art/craft publishing houses, Lark Books. I had so hoped to be able to submit a piece for consideration for this book - but this year health issues kept me from being as aware of deadlines as I should have been and I lost the opportunity. I am thrilled, however, to have been given the opportunity to review this book because I knew that it was going to be a really important library addition.

For those of you who may not be aware of Lark books - their publications are always beautifully produced. They use high quality paper that even feels nice in your hand. I am a book sniffer and feeler and Lark books are always a pleasure to hold and page through. Perhaps one of the most important things is that Lark's photography is second to none in my opinion. Every Lark book that I have ever owned has been a keeper. Amazingly, for all of the high quality that goes into every Lark book they pricing is remarkable reasonable. No, I am not affiliated with Lark - other than having the opportunity to review this book - just a very happy book hoarder.

This 8 inch square (20.32 cm) 432 page book is filled with art - textile/quilt art - in all of it's myriad forms and fantastical colors. 346 quilt artists are represented in this book .The quilts were juried by the quilt world's own Karey Bresenhan, founder and President of Quilts,Inc. To note just a few of the artists that are included: Pamela Allen - Alice Beasley - Jane Burch Cochran - Judith Content - Chiaki Dosho - Noriko Endo - Caryl Bryer Fallert - Jamie Fingal - Linda Gass - Jenny Hearn - Judy Coates Perez - Yvonne Porcella - Susan Shie - Jen Swearington - Sarah Smith - Diana Bracey & Stacy Hurt. The best of the best are included in this book that spans works from 1989 to 2008. The book includes a wide variety of topics; portraits, landscapes, dream works, pictorial, abstracts, traditional with a twist and an even wider variety of techniques.

This book is simply a must have book for any textile art enthusiast. It's a book that you will return to again and again for inspiration and enjoyment. There are quilts that with energize you , quilts that will calm you, quilts that will make you think and quilts that will make you say "WoW"! Get this book - you won't be disappointed!

Sarah Ann Smith

Stacy Hurt

Left: Eileen Doughty Right: Ludmila Aristova

Diana Bracey

Dottie Moore

Disclosure Note: This book was provided to me by the publisher for review purposes only - no other remuneration was received

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