Book Review: The Pulse of Mixed Media by Seth Apter

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In today’s post I will be reviewing; The Pulse of Mixed Media by Seth Apter.

The Pulse of Mixed Media by Seth Apter

• Title: The Pulse of Mixed Media
• Author: Seth Apter
• Publisher: North Light Books
• ISBN: 13:978-1-4403-1070-6

My Reason for Buying

I discovered Seth Apter after taking an online class with Julie Prichard and visited his site. Seth is not only an amazing artist in his own right but also very empowering and encouraging to new artists too. I’ve taken part in several of his online collaboration projects and when he put a call out for people to take part in a survey for his new book, I jumped at the chance and submitted my answers to the questions he pose. I couldn’t wait to see what he book would become and was overjoyed to discover that something I submitted was to be included in the book. Now the book has been released in the UK and I’ve read it, here are my thoughts.

I tell you this as often a review is based on how well the book lived up to the expectations of its reader, for their purpose

Contents

• Taking the Pulse
• Spotlight Artists
• Section One: The Artistic Ingredient
• Section Two: Passion in Action
• Section Three: Secrets Revealed
• Over 100 Artists

Pros/Cons

Pros

This book is unlike any other art book I’ve seen and I love it. Often we create alone, not everyone is a member of an art club or community and this book is full of the thoughts, hopes, dreams and insecurities of REAL everyday artists. I love that there are famous names that I recognize from the mixed media online world and from Stampington fame, but also people I haven’t heard of.

There are links to websites or blogs of artists involved, so if you discover someone you would like to know more about you can visit their sites.

Each section has a series of questions and responses from the artists, either in writing or in artworks or both. I have to admit that I don’t understand assemblage art. I wouldn’t dis it, but I had no idea at the meanings and messages that people have behind that style of art. It was fascinating to learn more about different styles of art.

It was wonderful to hear the journeys that the artists have been on, that others have insecurities about their creations and to get to hear about the thoughts behind so many projects was amazing. Often books just give a photo a title and the artist’s name. You don’t get to hear the back story to what motivated them to create the piece or what they feel about it. You do in Seth’s book.

This isn’t a ‘how to’ book, but it has a wealth of inspiration, both from the art works included, and from the questions or prompts that Seth gave the artists.

Cons

I haven’t got any.

Value for Money

Excellent.

Would I buy it Again?

Totally, I have been inspired and encouraged by what I read in the book.

Summing up

This book is like Seth’s whole philosophy  enquiring, encouraging, engaging and empowering. I cannot think of a better gift to give an artist who likes this style of art or who wants to learn more about it.

Is this book for you? If you can say yes to any of the following questions then this book is for you

• If you create alone and wonder if you are an artist
• If you are curious about the world of mixed media and want to know more about it and the people who create it.
• If you enjoy Seth Apter’s blog and the artists you find there.
• In Seth’s words ‘If you want to know what makes a mixed media artist tic’

Then this book is for you.

The Pulse of Mixed Media by Seth Apter (Back Cover)

Am I biased because I’m in the book? No, I bought my copy, just like I hope you will too.  I am biased however, because I love Seth’s work and his encouraging, empowering philosophy. He is an incredible artist but he hasn’t used that in a negative ‘I’m better than you’ way, he’s used it to encourage others to follow and artistic life. It might not be the easiest path, but it is very rewarding.

Seth I wish you had been my art teacher at school, I wouldn’t have wasted 20 years trying to unlearn the negative self talk and self-doubt the teacher I did have, gave me. I have finally moved past most of that and can now embrace art, enjoy the process and experiment to discover the results with different mediums. Sure it doesn’t always work out, but now that’s ok, I’m learning about the materials as long as I have learnt something when things don’t turn out as I expected then its a journey. Thank you for showing me that art isn’t just one style (as I was taught), that it can be so many different things to different people and every one is just as valid as the next. I might not like every art style I see, nor want to experiment with a certain style, but I am open to discovering new styles and the art world is so much bigger than I imagined. I have Seth Apter, Suzi Blu and Julie Prichard to thank for that, and to them I am forever grateful.

This is an amazing book, you need it.

Links

Do check out Seth Apter’s blog, its amazing. Every time I visit I want to get materials out and get painting, it always inspires me to create.

• The Altered Page. Seth Apter’s Blog
• Read my interview with Seth when he was our Featured Artist of the month back in October 2011.

Best wishes and thanks for reading, see you soon

Billie

Featured Artist of the Month: June 2012; Gina Barrett

Welcome Back

In today’s post I would like to introduce our new Featured Artist, a few days early. Our Featured Artist of the month for June 2012 is:

Gina Barrett

Gina Barrett; Featured Artist of the month June 2012

I discovered her work thanks to her ‘Button It’ shows on Create and craft, and was fascinated by the intricate buttons she made from basic materials, sadly I’d never have the dexterity for making those, but more recently she has also show people how to create wonderful braids,  I adore anything historical, and would love to make some finger loop braids as book closures.

If you have seen Gina on TV and for those of you who haven’t yet found Gina Barrett, here is a little more about her and her amazing  work.

Who you are:

Gina: Gina Barrett, textile artist, illustrator, crafter

Where you are (which country you are based in)?

Gina: I live in the Midlands – (United Kingdom) but I am originally from   the US.

What you do:

Gina: Although I am an illustrator by trade, most of what I currently do   revolves around passementerie - making trimmings for clothing and interiors.   Part of this involves a range of DVD (which are still being made) showing   step-by-step the techniques involved in this discipline. I also do specialist   commission work for costumiers, theatre and film.  On ‘rest’ days, I like   to dabble in sewing and mixed media projects

What got you started in your creative journey?

Gina: I have always wanted to be an ‘artist’ – when I was little I made   books so that I could illustrate the stories! This was always paired with a   fascination for costume, (I had toyed with the idea of becoming a costumier)   and my journey took many paths in the beginning, including   historical illustration. In studying costume, I became fascinated by the   detail – which led to learning how these wonderful trimmings were made.   Initially my study was all about medieval trimmings, and in particular weaving   narrow wares (ribbons) and making tassels and braids. This expanded into   learning as many techniques as I can. I am still learning, and hope to always   learn.

What inspires you:

Gina: History, colour, skilled workmanship, historic portraiture.

18th Century Tassels. Before and after. Restored by Gina Barrett

Gina: The image is of a pair of 18th Century tassels that I restored for a stately home – one after the  restoration, one before

If money,time and obligations were no object, what you would most like to do?

Gina: Spend time studying museum collections of passementerie items first hand, buy examples at auction to study, and just make…

What do you enjoy most about your creative work/life?

Gina: Working for myself. It is full of stresses (and they aren’t always   great!) but the satisfaction of being able to devote time to create is a   wonderful thing, and I am very lucky that I can do this. I am also learning that I am really enjoying teaching/sharing the techniques, both through writing articles and books, and trough making the dvd’s. Showing others how to do something that I had to figure out without help is very satisfying.

Links

To find out more about Gina Barrett and her work, please visit her blog and website, details below.

Gina: My website is www.gina-b.co.uk where you’ll find links to  my blog, Facebook and twitter

Thank you Gina Barrett for being our Featured Artist of the Month for June 2012. Do visit her site soon to see more of her wonderful pieces, her DVDs are available from her website and also on Create and Craft.

Best wishes and thanks for reading, see you soon

Billie

Video Tutorial: Dark Wood paint effect

Welcome Back

In today’s post, as part of the Adventures in Acrylics workshop, I’ll be sharing a tutorial on how to create a wonderful dark wood paint effect. It looks something like rosewood, or perhaps mahogany, but whatever you want to call it, this gives a beautiful effect. Like the previous tutorial, this is super simple to create and waiting for the paint to dry between layers, is the most time-consuming part.

Here’s what a finished piece looks like

Dark Wood paint effect for Adventures in Acrylics

You Will Need

• Winsor & Newton: Galeria Acrylic paint; Buff Titanium, Burnt Sienna and Burnt Umber.
• White mount board
• Jar of water
• Scrap of rag for cleaning.

Method

I’ll include a written description of the process, for those who don’t speak English, there’s always the trusty translator, check out the TRANSLATE THIS SITE link, in the side bar.

• Put some Buff Titanium on the palette, than use the palette knife to apply a layer paint over the white surface of the mount board. Apply the paint generously, as if you were buttering bread Change direction with your knife and leave a few white areas here and there. Allow this layer to dry fully, before you move on.
• Clean your knife in the water, while you wait for the paint to dry.
• Next, put out some Burnt Sienna onto your palette, pick up some paint on the knife and apply the Burnt Sienna in patches, here and there over the Titanium Buff. Change direction when applying the paint to create textures. Leave some of the white areas and some areas of the buff titanium visible. Allow this layer to dry fully, before you move on.
• Clean your knife in the water, while you wait for the paint to dry.
• Put some Burnt Umber onto your palette, this is a semi transparent colour and will allow the other layers to be seen through it. Pick up a generous amount of Burnt Umber onto your knife. You only need a thin-film of the paint over the card, but the knife will move better over the card if it has a layer of paint across it. Apply a thin layer of the Burnt Umber over the whole piece and allow this to dry. Try not to go over this layer too many times as it tends to get sticky as its drying and if you want a smooth result you don’t want to over work it. Allow this layer to fully dry before you move on.
• Clean your knife in the water, while you wait for the paint to dry.
• If you feel your piece is looking too bright apply a second layer of the Burnt Umber over the card, either just in places or over the whole thing, depending on the look you are going for.

Dark Wood paint effect for Adventures in Acrylics

The earlier layers glow through the semi transparent Burnt Umber, and add lots of visual interest and texture to the piece. Like the weathered wood, you can make this more textured by using heavy bodied acrylic paint like Daler Rowney Cryla if you prefer or use mediums to change how your Galeria paint behaves. This original version is reasonably smooth so if you wanted to stamp or write over the surface you could do so. It would also take  image transfers if you wanted to add some.

Options/Added Extras

In the coming weeks/months I’ll be introducing you to some acrylic mediums. As well as mixing the mediums to your paints, you can also use some of them as a glazing layer. If you already have some, you could paint over the finished piece with matt or gloss medium.

• The matt medium will not change the appearance of the finished piece, but it will seal in and protect the layers of paint.
• The gloss medium will dry to a high shine, and make the piece look as if it has been polished.

Experiment with what you have and see which you prefer. You don’t have to add the glaze layer, but it will help seal the paint in.

Links

Check out the Art tab at the top of the blog for details of suppliers where you can find a local stockist and also colour charts for the paints I’m using.

Hope you have enjoyed this tutorial and will give the technique a try, it is simple to do and by varying your colours or how you apply the paint, there are plenty of opportunities for further experiment with this idea. I’d love to see your results and how you incorporate this technique into your own projects. Do leave me comment with a link to what you create.

For more in this Adventures in Acrylics series check out the dedicated class page.

Best wishes and thanks for reading see you soon

Billie

Adventures in Acrylics: Product Review: Royal Langnickel Palette Knives for painting

Welcome Back

In today’s post, as part of the Adventures in Acrylics workshop, I will be reviewing; Royal Langnickel Palette Knives for Painting set.

Royal Langnickel Knife set #LP71

Product Details

• Manufacturer/Brand; Royal Langnickel
• Item number: LP71
• RRP at time of writing: £9.18

Reason For Buying

I had already bought a Royal Langnickel K4 painting knife and loved it, this set included the K4  and also P10 and P2. So by getting these I can try these out and see what they will do for me. Looks like I got a bargain, I paid £3.75 for mine, but when I checked he manufacturers site they are listed at £9.18.

Pros/Cons

• Nice and light in the hand
• Flexible not at all scratchy
• Beautifully made wooden handles

Cons

Haven’t really got any.

Build Quality

One of the knives in my set had some surface marking on it, but at this price point, you can’t complain, I’m happy to try these out for experiment and if the marking becomes an issue I’ll re-buy this individual knife. The handles are very comfortable and although light are solid. The blades are flexible and not at all rough as some more expensive knives I’ve had, have been.

Value for Money

Excellent, these are good-looking knives and great quality for the price point. Well worth trying a set.

Would I buy it Again?

Totally

Summing up

Royal Langnickel Knife set #LP71

Palette knives are great for colour mixing without gunking up your brushes. The knives in this set are superb for applying paint to your chosen surface and great for larger areas too. Palette knives come in a huge variety of shapes and kits like these are fantastic for trying different shapes and seeing which ones you like. The knives give an amazing array of options for applying the paint and creating texture. It took me a long time to try knives, but now I have I love them, I’m using these more than I do my brushes

This is an affordable set, I highly recommend you try them. If you have been wanting to try knives for a while, this is an excellent place to start. There are different kinds for different purposes, and when you start out its tough to know which to choose, these sets are an ideal place to start.

Links

The links below will take you to the manufacturers site, from here you can find more information about the product and locate a store near you.

• Royal Langnickel
• Consumer version of Royal Langnickel site
• Royal Langnickel Palette Knives for painting set At the time of linking there wasn’t a picture, have put the link in and hope they fix it, in the future.

Best wishes and thanks for reading, see you soon

Billie

Dark Wooden book

Welcome Back

In today’s post, as part of the Adventurs in Acrylics workshop, I’d like to share a book I recently made. I decorated the cover using a painting technique that I’ll show you how to create, in a video tutorial on friday. This book features Coptic stitch binding, one of my favorites as the book lies flat when its open, handy for taking notes.  I can’t believe its been so long since I made a book. Between crocked back and whiplash, it seems to have been forever!

Coptic stitched handmade book, with dark wood effect covers

Hope you like the book, I’m pleased with how it turned out. There’s a bookbinding tab at the top of the blog, if you want to learn more about bookbinding or find out where to get bookbinding supplies from. Check out the tutorials tab, or the grab button in the sidebar for more information about the online workshop series, Adventures in Acrylics.

The closure on the book features Billie’s Book ties that I shared a video for recently. I added bead spacers in place of actual beads, as they were such a nice brass colour, they went well will the books colouring. If you would like to see how to make the ties, check out the video Billie’s Book Ties.

Its been  very tricky to get a photo of this book, in real life there are so many beautiful tones of colour in it, but the weather has been so dark, getting them to show up on camera, hasn’t been easy. Check out the video tutorial on friday, as that was recorded on a brighter day

Best wishes and thanks for reading, see you soon

Billie

Free Download; Calendar page for June 2012

Welcome Back

Today I would like to share a free download with you. A calendar page for June 2012.

Free Calander Page; June 2012

How to Use

• Click on the image to open the calendar picture to full size.
• Click on File, then choose landscape option for paper orientation.
• Click Print

To Change the size of the calendar

• Click on the image to open the calendar picture to full size.
• Right Click and choose ‘Save As’ from the list of options.
• You can print it as, is or open a Word Processing programme and insert the image. (Once it is on your machine.) This will give you more control of the final size of the calendar page.

Feel free to tell your friends about this offer and forward them a link to this site. If you missed this month’s calendar page you can find it on the Calendar Downloads page.

Let me know what you think, of these calendar pages. If comments suggest this is popular…it just might become a regular feature.

Best wishes and thanks for reading, see you soon

Billie

Book Review: The Knitting Book

Welcome Back

In today’s post I will be reviewing; The Knitting Book published by DK.

The Knitting Book

• Title:The Knitting Book; Yarns, Techniques, Stitches, Patterns
• Author: Frederica Patmore and Vikki Haffenden
• Publisher: DK
• ISBN: 978-1-4053-6803-2
• Price: RRP £25.00

My Reason for Buying

Although my late mother taught me the basics of knitting when I was little and I also have the Dummies Guide to knitting book as well. I bought this book for inspiration and information, being a novice newbie I wanted photos of how things would look knitted up. The Dummies Guide is good but has few photos.

I tell you this as often a review is based on how well the book lived up to the expectations of its reader, for their purpose

Contents

Tools and materials

• Yarns, Knitting needles, Other equipment, Embellishments, Garment Care

Stitch Pattern Gallery

• Knit and purl stitch patterns, In creasing and Decreasing, Increasing and Decreasing: Flower Patterns, Cable and Twist Stitch Patterns, Lace Stitch Patterns, Colourwork Patterns, Faux Colourwork Patterns, Edging Patterns, Medallions, Beading Stitch Patterns.

Techniques

• Key Techniques, Preparing and Repairing, Following Stitch Patterns, Following a Pattern, Increases  and Decreases, Cables and Twists, I-Cord, Lace Knitting, Colourwork, Textural and Colour Effects, Structural Effects, Short Rows, Circular Knitting, Reverse, Twist Knit, and Tunisian, Finishing Details, Embellishments, Knitted Toys, Felted Knitting, Using Unusual Yarns

Projects

Stitch Patterns

Pros/Cons

Pros

• Superbly laid out, easy to use for reference
• No prior knowledge of the subject needed
• Covers a huge amount of topics
• Projects to suit a wide range of knitters, kids toys and clothes, homewares, men’s gloves, women’s hats, socks scarves and shawls. Something for all ages.
• Step by step photos of techniques, so you can see, as well as read, what you are meant to be doing.
• The Stitch library shows photos of finished stitch samples, so you can see what each looks like, then the Pattern library gives instruction for how to knit them.
• Fabulous resource for a general overview of knitting.

Cons

• This is a big book, so not particularly portable.

As a result though, it makes a great coffee table book, best buy it in hard back as it will become a firm favorite for reference use. Short of adding a DVD in there to physically show you techniques in action, this couldn’t get any better.

Value for Money

SUPERB! As a reference book it is fantastic as so many topics are covered in one volume.

Would I buy it Again?

Totally!

Summing up

DK really ‘get it’, when they make reference books. The clear and simple layout means when you want to look up something in particular, you can get there fast. The step by step photos are clear and the instructions assume no prior knowledge of the subject and take you through all you need to become really advanced. They don’t talk to you as if you were a child, but neither do they bewilder you with terms to confuse you.

I love the stitch library, as you see just what stitch patterns will look like, the yarn section likewise has photos of different yarns knitted up, which when you are a newbie, is so helpful. Perhaps if you find a particular style that you like, you will want other books for a greater depth of that specifically, but as an all round reference book and to get you started in a new hobby, this book is a winner.

If you are a newbie and want to learn, this book is fantastic, if you have knitted a while and want to increase your pattern knowledge this book is for you too. There are some handy patterns in there, that would make up into nice gifts and plenty of inspiration. I have the sewing version of this book too, and this is just as good as that one is. A fantastic series, I’ll be on the look out to see if there are more in the range.

I highly recommend this book to everyone interested in knitting

Links

Highly worth the RRP, but we all like a bargain, and this book can also be found on Amazon

• Publisher
• The Knitting Book on Amazon

Best wishes and thanks for reading, see you soon

Billie