5 comments about My Secret: A PostSecret Book (Postsecret).

1. I love these books. They are funny, sad, and amazing. A great read!!!



2. Interesting book, but I'd take it out of the library. Once you've read it, you're pretty much done with it.



3. Each of the Post Secret books gives you a window into the human soul. Sending in a post card is a cathartic experience. Laugh, cry and connect with insightful journeymen in the human experience. Read the books. Share them with friends. Subscribe to the blog.



4. Truly inspiring and a great pick-me-up, or a way to get your mind out of a rut...helps you realize you aren't alone!



5. Very happy with this book as well as the other I bought. It was a little bit smaller than the 1st but just as good. great buy

5 comments about Fabric Art Workshop: Exploring Techniques & Materials for Fabric Artists and Quilters.

1. Beautifully photographed, easy to understand and not intimidating. Helped me to make friends with my scanner.



2. Oh, I want to try all the workshops at the same time, so inspiring! But where do I find the time? But I will try them all!!! Promise!



3. This book has lots of great pictures and a huge varity of ways to manipulate, change, enhance and combine fabrics. I'll use it a lot.



4. If you're expecting to learn the techniques in this book you'll be disappointed. The author uses 2-4 pages on each mini "workshop" with limited photos that are not helpful. The "instructions" are sparse and confusing. If you want exposure to various materials and possible sources and/or referrals to other books for greater detail on 2-3 of the materials then this might be a helpful resource.



5. I really didn't know how comprehensive this book was until I got it! It covers a wide variety of techniques and would be a great addition to someone's library who likes to play and experiment with various techniques in fabric embellishment and altering. My only critcizm is that there aren't enough detailed instructions. But then again, if there were, the book would have to be much thicker and probably a lot costlier. The author does make suggestions in places for other books on the particular techniques (like the angelina fibers). It's a great book for someone like myself who has a minimum knowledge of the various products and techniques mentioned, but just needs a bit of guidence in how to use them.

5 comments about The Artist's Way Workbook.

1. You do not need any other book as a companion to this workbook. It stands alone as a great resource. I have read a bunch of self help books on finding your true life's path. After about the third or fourth book they all seem to say the same thing. Get in touch with your good and bad emotions and use those emotions to help steer a course. What I liked about this workbook is it minimizes the theory and talk and gets right to the point of you doing practical exercises to discover what you really want in life. I only completed about 2/3rd of the workbook. I have spoken to other people who have used this workbook with great results. I have purchased a 2nd copy to walk through the exercises again. If you feel lost and at a dead end in your life's pursuit I think this workbook would be a great place to start.



2. I bought this as a supplement to the book because I was leading a class on it. It turns out the workbook is only a big version of places for people to do their exercises each week that are already part of the book. Unless you really want to have a generic journal where you write out the exercises, I recommend sticking with the book and then finding your own journal or place to do the exercises, as usually not all of them appeal to every one each week. But if you're wanting everything to match, then go ahead and buy it. Not necessary or helpful for my group, but I guess it could be for you or yours.



3. Don't pass this one up. Take the challenge and rehash those thought process downers, work them out with this book, and take a fresh path to seeing things differently. Enjoy!



4. For those whose life is so busy that is seems impossible to make it through the full text of the Artist's Way, this workbook is fantastic.



5. The Artist's Way Workbook is sort of a condensed version of the Artist's Way book. You can use the workbook without reading the book. I have read the book, love it, and would recommend reading it also. The Artist Way in all its forms is a solace for the creative side of everyone and is a fine tool for unblocking creativity.

5 comments about Creating Characters with Personality: For Film, TV, Animation, Video Games, and Graphic Novels.

1. I am a student studying animation, and I purchased this book for my character design class. I really love this book, it is quite usefull, and my two roommates reference it as well! One is an illustrator, and one is a video game designer. Useful to anyone and everyone...



2. This a great book for the beginning character artist. I often have a hard time drawing cartoon characters but this book always helps me out. Covers everything from personality to color, from exaggerated to semi-realistic. Highly recommend!



3. Nice book , a lot of ideas , examples. Very good choice for beginners. My students loved it.



4. This is a great book to take your drawings to the next step. I've been frustrated that my characters lacked that certain special 'something' to make them pop from regular ol' dry drawings to likable, engaging characters. This book illustrates simple examples of a line here, a curve there, to push it up a notch. I really enjoyed the suggestions, and this book has been very helpful. myspace/kris10cartoons



5. A great useful book! The best way to learn and draw your own appealing characters!

5 comments about Art Making, Collections, and Obsessions: An Intimate Exploration of the Mixed-Media Work and Collections of 35 Artists.

1. Art Making, Collections and Obsessions is a stunning book. The photography beautifully captures not only the work of some of America's best mixed media artists working today, but also the collected objects these same artists turn to again and again in their studios for inspiration.
   
   While I savored each page for its incredible eye candy, there were some images in the book that were so beautiful I had to make a color photocopy to hang on my inspiration board. Just seeing these images every day, catching sight of them out of the corner of my eye while I'm working, touches a creative place inside of me.
   
   The image that haunted me is a tattered 18th century wedding dress surrounded by a flowing tea-stained curtain, a basket of straw and twigs (pg 55). The display was created by artist Ellen Kochansky, and is reminiscent of an installation one would see while visiting the Museum of Modern Art.
   
   I also enjoy Carla Sonheim's sweet little illustrations and handmade fabric accordion books (pg 32), Cathy Rose's incredible figurative work made from found objects (pgs 45 & 102) and Nina Bagley's gorgeous altered book (pg 99) that's embellished with freeform wire wrapping, twigs and fork feet.
   
   The other thing I really enjoy about Lynne's latest book is that she featured fine art from the first page to the last page. Many of the works in this book are pieces the artists would sell in contemporary galleries to sophisticated art collectors or museum curators. Nothing is "pretty" and perfectly packaged for a retail (consumer) market.
   
   I truly believe Art Making, Collections & Obsessions sets a new bar for authors and publishers of "craft" books. Thanks to Lynne for having the artistic vision to see this through.



2. I'm a huge fan of Lynn Perella's books and I would have bought it anyway, as I always did. This time, it is a new Lynn Perella's style, who goes, I think, further in the Art, and a little less in the Craft, as it is more about collecting than making. There are beautiful and striking photos and so far, I just had the pleasure to watch the marvelous pictures which make dream any sensible artist. The colors are also more white-neutral and calm in the hues than usually, giving us the wish to touch the material as much as admiring the textures.
   Forgive-me if my English is not so good, but I think you understood that I love this book, and I widely recommend it if you want to see something new and amazing.
   Yael
   Author of "Une Nouvelle Vie Pour Vos Objets" by Yael Bolender and JP Delpech, Didier Carpentier Publisher, written in French and sold at Amazon Canada and France.



3. Although I knew before purchasing this book that it was focused on the collections of different artists, because the lead person is Lynne Perrella I guess I expected it to be more artful. Although it was lovely to look at and the various collections were interesting, this book really isn't more than eye candy -- expensive eye candy. I would recommend that you go into a bookstore or library and look it over before you make this purchase.



4. This is a fabulous collection of some of the most noted Mixed Media Artist around. I loved every page. I know you will all love it also



5. This is the most inspiring art book I've seen in a long, long time. I saw it on the shelf at Borders, and vaguely remembered I'd read something somewhere about a forthcoming Perella book. I took it off the shelf and browsed through it, and got a big rush: Have To Buy!Have To Buy!Have To Buy! followed by, "Oh-h-h-h, I should wait. I've already blown my book budget for this quarter and I don't even have a discount coupon. Oh, how selfish I am even thinking about buying yet another book. Easter expenses coming up and two birthdays and dental work to pay for...etc., etc., etc.." So, I put Perella's book back on the shelf and walked away. But, then I turned around and walked back and picked it up again and looked through it some more---almost hyperventilating all the while---and...put it back on the shelf, but, in the end, I bought the book and I'm completely enamored with it. Upstairs and downstairs, and back up and back down again, I've carried it with me, keeping it close by, browsing through it over and over, each time a pleasure.
   
   As one with a long history as an artist/maker of the odd object and collector of disjecta membra and tattered discards, the book practically sings to me. It's not a how-to book, but instead, could, I think, be aptly described as an afternoon's outing through an intimate art gallery. The photography is glorious; Perella's books always are. The text is superb, both beautifully sensitive and generously nuanced in its reportage of the artists' purposes and devotion to collecting and art making. Truly, of all the excellent art books and magazines I've bought in recent months and years, this is the most personally stimulating and inspiring of all! So inspiring, in fact, that I'm seriously contemplating unearthing my own packed-away collected treasures and either putting them on display---or better yet, making 3-dimensional mixed-media art again!

5 comments about Mixed-Media Mosaics: Techniques and Projects Using Polymer Clay Tiles, Beads & Other Embellishments.

1. This book is amazing for the ideas she has. Her techniques are easy to do, easy to follow and make me want to play in the clay for hours.
   
   I've gotten terrific ideas from her and I'm hitting the studio tonight to try some new things.



2. I will be taking a class from Laurie in October and when I googled her name, I found she had a book out. I ran here to place an order, received it quite promptly and was AMAZED from the moment I took the book out of the box. Out of all of the art books I own, this is one of the BEST in every way. The color photos are large and close-up, the attention to detail is incredible. The background color and font size make this book VERY easy on the eye. The materials list, step-by-step instructions and extra Tips are VERY easy to follow. I made a trip to the store yesterday and am ready to start creating TODAY! Kudos to Laurie and everyone involved in creating this wonderful book!



3. I didn't just learn about techniques from this book. I learned about style elements that could used according to personal interpretation, about products (some of which I already have), and about angel companies. The pictures were excellent and numerous tips were included that can save a person a lot (!) of grief.
   
   Angel companies are those rubber stamp companies that let you (no mechanical reproduction) use their rubber stamps to create art you may sell. Their restrictions and requirements vary but I had fun researching them once I had the phrase with which to look them up!
   
   Now I think about adding some mosaic elements to jewelry, boxes, and more...nearly all my waking hours. Like a good song, I can't get it out of my head so I might as well do it.
   
   The really important thing is that this book was so well written from so many aspects that I feel **comfortable** really getting into this and can imagine many crossover potentials that would make my renditions my own.



4. I loved this book and am a huge fan of Laurie. I am an artist myself using the same mediums and selling work at fine art shows. I have even been compared to her because we do have uncanny similiarites in the stamps we use and style. I was doing my own tile boxes and wall art before I ever saw hers. The only downside I saw to the book is that there are many easier ways to do some of the techniques she talks about. I personally do use a pasta maker to roll my clay, the thin tiles work just fine,I use a water based acrylic varnish and before stamping images into the clay, I "paint" on a little baking soda to eliminate sticking. Otherwise the book was gorgeous and inspiring, I learned several new tricks, and is a great addition to my wonderful art book collection.



5. Mixed Media Mosaics: Techniques & Projects Using Polymer Clay Tiles, Beads & Other Embellishments
   Now this book has really fired my imagination when it comes to polymer clay. I love making jewellery but this book opens up so many other possibilities for self expression. Mosaics allow me to tell a story so I really love this book and would recommend it to all polymer clay artists and beginners who want to experience this wonderful medium. The author Laurie Mika warmly invites you into her life by telling her stories through mosaics. This is truly a book about Art Narrative and when words fail me the pictures take up the story. Just brilliant!

2 comments about Semiprecious Salvage: Creating Found Art Jewelry.

1. As I flipped through the pages of this book I was inspired by its beauty from start to finish. Stephanie's projects that may look initially intimitdating are easily understood through photos and clear instructions. The layout of the book is very easy on the eyes and the photos are lovely as well. I would not say this is a beginner jewelry book as it requires soldering, etching and epoxy which take some investment in time and money but doesn't all good art? I would encourage brave mixed media artists to try something new by choosing one of the projects in Stephanie's book and see how you might use the processes in your art. Happy reading!



2. This is a well written book, good instructions and great photos. It was not, however, what I expected from the reviews. I thought there would be more information about finding scrap and more variety on items that could be made.

5 comments about 500 Tiles: An Inspiring Collection of International Work (500 Series).

1. This book is a bounty of styles and artistic ideas for what tiles could and may become, with an open mind and some creative techniques. As a beginning ceramicist, this is exactly the sort of thing I was looking for; as I wanted to break out of the traditional 4x4 square and make something wholly unconventional. I wasn't sure if my ideas would work, but after seeing what others have done I am inspired to make my dreams a reality. Thanks to books like these, I can let my imagination run wild and my only limit will be time and creativity.



2. Among the very best of the Lark Books "500" series. Brilliant color and design, not limited to traditional tiles and encouraging to the artist craftsman.



3. I must agree with the previous reviewers, the work in this volume certainly merits "Inspiring" being in the title.
   
   As the juror states in the book's introduction, so much of the fun of this book is seeing the widely varied approaches the artists have taken with this format: figurative, abstract, painterly, sculptural, small-scale, architectural.
   
   Full disclosure: my work is also included (p 409), and I am honored to have been selected and published next to so many visionary artists.
   
   What a pleasure it has been to explore the works contained here, some by artists I know personally, or by reputation, and still others I am encountering for the first time. Highly recommended!



4. At the risk of being self serving (my work is featured on page 411) I have to say as a clay artist in general and more particularly as a tilemaker this collection is inspiring. The depth of styles and techniques used here is incredible; as someone who has to date been primarily using glazes and underglazes, the examples in this book have immediately sent me back to my local clay supplier in search of new ways to express myself in clay. A must have for anyone who aspires to create art through the medium of tile.



5. When I thought of the book, the first word that came to mind was inspiring, then I noticed that was part of the title. Well, I want to confirm that it is true. After looking at this book I sat down and made a few tiles of my own. It is a very cool collection.

5 comments about Ways of Seeing: Based on the BBC Television Series.

1. Even though "Ways of Seeing" is a flawed book in many ways, it is so seminal in the development of post-modern image making that it must be considered essential reading in critical theory.
   
   The book is based on a television series. The book itself is only 176 pages. The print is all in a bold, sans-serif font. The authors are quick to claim that the book was made, not written. The pictures used to demonstrate the points are small and in black and white.
   
   The book is based on the theory that the interpretation of western art evolved out of the power and finance structure of western civilization. Inevitably books that describe the world primarily in economic terms, as an arena of conflict and a battle by the rich for dominance of the poor, are referred to by some as Marxist and I have no doubt this book has been so described.
   
   The book has seven chapters, four of which are written and three of which are reproductions of art works without words. The theme developed is that the way people view art is strongly affected by the power structure of the society.
   
   I must confess that the three chapters that were solely illustrated were difficult for me to engage, both because of the size of the images as well as the difficulty of following the thread which I felt ran through the pictures even though I was not able to decode the message.
   
   The first chapter is based on and explicates the work of the critic Walter Benjamin in his essay, "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction". Unlike Benjamin, who sometimes seems torn between the loss of the aura of the original and the benefit of mass accessibility, Berger seems to believe that real benefits will derive from the reproduced work of art, if the viewer can sweep away the lenses of the past through which he might view the work.
   
   The third chapter deals with the role of art in the commodification of women and the fifth chapter examines the role of oil painting in the reduction of people's world view to a matter of money. (Burger only excepts the work of a few artists, like Rembrandt, from this view.) The final chapter is based upon the use of images for marketing.
   
   This work is important because, if it did not shape the outlook of post-modern art, it was at least in the vanguard of recognizing the roles of the art that preceded post-modernism, and led to the rejectionist point of view.
   
   Berger is clear in emphasizing that the way we view art is filtered through the prism of culture in the sociological sense, although that certainly was not ground breaking in critical theory, even at the time of first publication. On the other hand, here was art criticism first presented on what was then a new media, television. Even the book format, such as using a bold-faced font throughout the book, appealed to the avant-garde.
   
   Burger would substitute art, not as a tool to help preserve an economic and power system, but rather as a way for the consumer of art to enrich his own life.
   
   I suspect that artists other then post-modernists may not benefit very much in their work from reading "Ways of Seeing". On the other hand, if you have a serious interest in critical theory, even though you may reject Berger's thesis, you must read this book.



2. "Ways of Seeing " has become so universally available, so overused (especially in academia), and so often quoted, that it's refreshing to read the reviews of so many intelligent naysayers here. "Ways of Seeing" is perhaps mistitled in that it really proposes only one way of seeing works of art, which is as artifacts in the history of capitalism. It is propaganda, and like most propaganda, it heavily skews the evidence in favor of it's main argument, which is basically that European art from Raphael to Picasso is just a tool for enslaving women, non-Europeans and the working classes. (Warning: Berger is a real kill-joy. If you read this book and imbibe it's themes, be prepared to never innocently enjoy your favorite old masters again!) However, I would advise anyone with a serious interest in art criticism and theory to get a copy, fill the margins with notes, consult the original sources, and decide for herself/himself how well it stands up. To give just one instance of how sloppy Berger can be, I would invite the reader to consider whether he bothered to learn anything about the art of perspective drawing before indicting it as ideologically tainted, and then trashing it, all in two short paragraphs.



3. Ways of Seeing is about looking at art, if you get right down to it. However, it is about looking at it from a political point of view, or a cultural point of view, or a gender point of view. He takes a few different actual art pieces and writes about each of them, taking this sort of thing into account.



4. This is a hot little book well worth contemplating if you're aspiring to become a serious artist. For the student, novice artist, seasoned practioner or curious artlover, your money will be well spent to have this on your shelf.



5. Dreck, dreck, dreck, dreck,dreck, dreck, dreck, dreck, dreck, dreck,more dreck, more dreck, more dreck, more dreck, more dreck, more dreck, more dreck, and more dreck, and more dreck, and more dreck . . . you get the idea?

5 comments about 500 Animals in Clay: Contemporary Expressions of the Animal Form (A Lark Ceramics Book).

1. I love this series from Lark. There are so many inspiring photos and it is a great way to learn new artists. I have almost the whole series!



2. 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 array of styles. 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 variety makes it well worth purchasing.



3. Without being able to review the book beforehand, I was disappointed that the figures were so very complex. I had hoped that judging from the cover bunny that they may match my elementary start at sculping simple clay figures.



4. I work in ceramic materials, and this book has to be right beside 500 figures as my 2 very favorite books from lark. I am not bothered by the lack of technical information, usually if one has been working in ceramics for a while, it is pretty easy to see what the artist used,and the book does provide descriptions in glazing methods and clay bodies!
   Mostly, I found this book a hoot in seeing how other artist view critters, the artistic interpretation is amazing, and often very humorous! Again, I took my copy to the shared studio I work in, and everyone was spellbound at the variety of works...My copy is getting a bit dusy now...I might order a second one, and give my old one to the studio library...



5. As a potter, I love books like this just as much as those with more technical information. I turn to them over and over when the muse is taking a little siesta. Tons of great ideas here for everyone, no matter what your style.