Creative Textile Art, Techniques and Projects

by Karen Woods

A&C Black Publishers, Limited

Review by Amy Mimu Rubin www.galleryatfoxhill.com

Karen Woods presents us with well-laid out, highly illustrated and captivating projects in 10 chapters. Simple, clear instructions for projects allow for easy development initially, always suggesting possibilities for taking them as much further as skill level allows.

In Chapter 2 Necklace, Woods delights in telling us “how to create your own personalized, lavishly decorated necklace.” The techniques presented are designing and drawing a necklace, cutting, appliqué, free machine embroidery, beading, and whipping. Suggested materials are water soluble fabric, heat-fixed web adhesive or Bondaweb, scrap fabrics, leather off-cuts, hand and machine threads, iron and ironing board, small beads, recycled jewellery, beading needles, hand sewing needles.

Before launching us into the thick of it, Woods urges the audience to do their own thing, and shares that he own “ideas for the piece...were gathered from decorative fabric samples, gardening books and wildlife books.” Twenty-four photographs accompany this project, giving us close up views of work and techniques.

My own favorite chapters are 7 Bird, 8 Heads, and 9 Story boxes. I am eager to do my own designs for these projects as soon as possible. They will keep me happily busy for a long while. Yes. I highly recommend this book.

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MIXED EMULSIONS

ALTERED ART TECHNIQUES FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGERY

By Angela Cartwright

Published by Quarry Books

Review: Amy Mimu Rubin

www.galleryatfoxhill.com

For those of us who thrive on incorporating photography into our mixed-media work, or want to learn to do so, Angela Cartwright has gifted us with this book, sharing over forty years of her own experience as a photographer and artist.

There are five chapters in all, each one broken into sub-topics. In Chapter One, Cartwright discusses Images, Substrates, Shoot, Disguise and Transform. Although she imagines us in our dark rooms, as a digital photographer and printer, I found this section helpful as well. Her photographic examples are well chosen and numerous.

Provided images demonstrate techniques using watercolor crayons, oil and watercolor paints and many more tools on black and white as well as on color photographs. You can convert photos to black and white in Photoshop, shoot black and white, or scan in old black and white into your computer for printing. The joy of this book is that it gets the juices flowing.

In the section FADE AND ENHANCE, Cartwright shows us techniques using gesso, acrylic paint, walnut ink, etc. Liquid Ink and Inkpads appear in the section TINT. In DEPTH AND DIMENSON, Cartwright tempts us with a black-and-white photograph hand-painted with oils, crackle paste, molding paste, acrylic paint...gorgeous!

This book is chock full of wonderful ideas and examples, including using transparencies, and adding in textures with fibers. Bleach stamping over black gessoed substrate and photographs is one of the many unusual ideas, illustrated with “black-and-white photographs on matte photo paper, vintage photographs, bleach, String Gel, acrylic paint, white pen, black glaze pen, chalk ink, white stamp pad, rubber and foam stamps, wallpaper.”

Information and photos of printing on textiles, printing on papers from handmade to napkins, adding in text, and much more all add up to a book that is a must have. And now I have to go. My Iphoto is calling me...really.

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Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists: 52 Creative Exercises to Make Drawing Fun

 Author: Carla Sonheim

Publisher: Quarry Books

Copyright Date: 2010

Price: $22.99 US

Review by Rita Blocksom

This book offers a year’s worth of assignments, projects, ideas and techniques that will introduce creativity and nonsense into your art and life. There is no right or wrong to your efforts, every one is meant to be fun and playful, spontaneous and instantaneous from abstracted Picasso Dogs to Paper Dolls to Sidewalk Crack Drawings. Each technique is meant to be put on the paper intuitively and with humor and grace. There are seven units to the book, some dubbed Inspired by Famous Artists, Inspired by Children and Childhood and Inspired by Imagination. Doodling on Steroids is one of the labs. The supplies are limited to paper and simple marking tools such as pencils or Sharpie markers) and the instructions allow for very open-ended creative responses. 

Carla Sonheim is an artist known for her spontaneous and innovative approach to creating and elaborating. She lives in Seattle, Washington.

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Textile Adventures

mixed media and stitch

By Isobel Hall

ISBN 978-0-9569029-0-0

Book review by Kath Danswan

This is the first book Isobel has self published and it is a beauty.

Full of stunning photography, Isobel takes us on a journey using all kinds of easily obtained interesting materials in unusual ways. Ideas for bags, book covers, bowls, wall hangings and much more are all covered in detail. There are clear step by step instructions for projects and the photos show beautiful examples of Isobel’s own work. This book will appeal to both the beginner and the more experienced textile artist as it has something for everyone and is a book that can be dipped into time and time again for inspiration. I can thoroughly recommend this book as a worthy addition to anyones library.

You can buy the book priced £17 by contacting Isobel at

isobelhall@gmail.com

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 Creative Paint Workshop

by Ann Baldwin

Quarry Books (November 1, 2011)

ISBN-10: 1592537472

ISBN-13: 978-1592537471

Review by Amy Mimu Rubin      

www.galleryatfoxhill.com

If you haven’t yet discovered Ann Baldwin’s book, Creative Paint Workshop for Mixed-Media Artists, published by Quarry Books, then you are in for a treat.

The subtitle, Experimental Techniques for Composition, Layering, Texture, Imagery, and Encaustic, is a brief summation of this ambitious and informative undertaking.

Baldwin clues us in to what’s in store in the final paragraph of her introduction:

“In this book I will demonstrate how to use paint, crayons, colored pencils, oil pastels, pens, acrylic mediums, found images, photographs, fabric, and wax to create vibrant and colorful works of art.”

Then she delivers.

What I particularly like about this book is how generously Baldwin has integrated significant tips throughout the text and illustrations. Also, she does not hesitate to recommend materials by brand. On p. 18 Baldwin informs us “Caran d’Ache makes stick oil crayons called Neocolor 1, which work extremely well on top of acrylics even when there is texture.” (I am a Caran d’Ache enthusiast as well.)

Chapter 7 takes the reader through encaustic materials, techniques, and artwork. Chapter 8 is a thorough explication of using your digital photography in mixed-media work.

Although each chapter has its own excellent project section, Chapter 9, Gathering of Special Projects is highly inspirational as well as instructive, offering thorough descriptions of how each piece has been created.

Many times in my first reading, I found myself thinking, “Oh, that’s something worth knowing.” This is a reference book that I will return to often for inspiration and instructive ideas. I look forward to using it in workshops and I highly recommend it.

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Heat Transfer Techniques

by Dawn Dupree

A&C Black (December 6, 2011)

ISBN-10: 1408109115

Review by Amy Mimu Rubin      

www.galleryatfoxhill.com

Heat Transfer Techniques by Dawn Dupree is a Textile Handbook published by A&C Black. As soon as you see the first images, you are eager to discover the artist’s techniques.

Dupree’s opening paragraph describes her accomplished mission well:

“Heat Transfer Techniques explores how to experiment with a variety of processes using a heat press or domestic iron. This comprehensive and practical guide explains exciting new methods with relatively low impact to the environment, often utilizing recycled materials and ways to upcycle. Designed to be accessible to artists, designers, students, teachers, and novices, this handbook will cater to all levels of ability, and a broad range of contexts.”

This is a serious and wonderful handbook that Dupree has taken great care with as she describes tools, mediums, and process. Although most of the process and artwork described requires a heat press and silk-screening equipment, Dupree also describes techniques and materials that are more accessible. for example using an iron along with disperse dyes and/or inkjet printing.

If you are looking for new challenges, this handbook will take the fiber artist interested in heat transfer techniques to higher levels of working than might have been previously attempted.

In order to get the fullest benefits from Heat Transfer Techniques, you would need to invest in a portable heat press, over $200, and a specialized printer, also over $200, and silkscreen equipment as well as specialized printer inks which are over $80 per color.

If you are looking for a new direction and can make the investment, I highly recommend Dawn Dupree’s Textile Handbook.

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Drawn In by Julia Rothman

Quarry Books 2011

ISBN-10: 1592536948

Review by Amy Mimu Rubin      

www.galleryatfoxhill.com

Drawn In by Julia Rothman, published by Quarry Books in 2011, is a wonderfully conceived book that I will return to over and over again.  The subtitle describes it as “ a peek into the inspiring sketchbooks of 44 fine artists, illustrators, designers and cartoonists.”

In reality, it is much more than that.  Rothman has conducted enlightening interviews with each of the artists that give us a good peek into their minds as well and the way that they make their art.

In response to the question, ‘How much of your sketchbook work is preparation for bigger artwork?” part of Alex Lukas’ answers, “For years I didn’t make any sketches.  I would just dive into drawings blind, but that resulted in a lot of false starts (and wasted paper.) That is an answer that I will take to heart.

Sarajo Frieden answers the question,  “For example I’ve seen paintings that you’ve embroidered on.  What are your favorite combinations of mark making?”  Her response, in part, is, “my great aunt was a fabulous tailor who sewed all of my mother’s clothes when she was growing up and many of mine as well.  I like bringing something dimensional into my work on paper...”

Julia Rothman, the author, is also included in this informative and visually delightful book.  The interviews make this a highly personal collection.  I love the connections Rothman makes with the artists for her readers.

Treat yourself to this book and make sure you read Julia Rothman’s introduction.  It is a special bonus to discover her book blog, Book By Its Cover.

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Create with Transfer Paper by Lesley Riley

C&T Publishing 2011

ISBN-10: 1607052679

Review By Amy Mimu Rubin 

www.galleryatfoxhill.com

Create With Transfer Artist Paper by Lesley Riley is a must have for those of us who want to play with transferring images. It is a very well planned and executed manual on how to get the best results using her Transfer Artist Paper. It does go beyond being a manual, which it is in the best sense of the word, as it is clear and easy to follow.

The book also includes work by wonderful artists, such as Liz Kettle, Nina Perez, and Lesley Riley herself. The photo essay aspect of it is most helpful in showing, in depth,

how to work with your images to transform them as well as how to transfer them to a variety of surfaces.

The first half of the book is devoted to transferring to absorbent and nonabsorbent surfaces, from paper to wood, clay, and more. All the selections are well-documented with excellent photos.

Likewise, the second half of the book, devoted to projects, is beautifully explained and documented. Among many tempting projects, I am especially eager to try Lesley Riley’s Quote Box on wood, and also Michelle Tompkins’ New Moon Dolls.

Create With Transfer Artist Paper will definitely be one of the books I use in my workshops this fall. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

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