Book Review (and a giveaway): Personal Geographies

I introduced you to Jill K. Berry here - she's an amazing mixed media artist and I am greatly attracted to her work. Lettering, maps, beautiful colors, collage? I love it. I wonder if those things tie into my college days as an architecture student?

I'm rambling. To the point. Jill has the most amazing book out titled

Personal Geographies: Explorations in Mixed-Media Mapmaking

It's part project/technique, part inspiration, and ALL eye-candy and 

I get to give away a copy to one of you who

comment on this post!

You have until Dec 10th to tell me about your favorite map and what it means to you.

Campomigliaio Head Map by Giavanni Cera

My favorites? All of them.

There is something that intrigues me about maps of every kind. I can stare at them for hours. I have large laminated world and US maps on my wall that I'll drag the kids up to any time a "where" question comes up. I save every single National Geographic map insert and would paper my walls with them if I could get away with it. (Wait a minute - why wouldn't I? Hmmmmm - dangerous thoughts arising here!) 

Heart Map by Jill Berry

I love maps even more when they are of imagined worlds. I a huge fantasy and ski-fi literature freak and the maps of those worlds are some of my favorites. 

Maps as ART? Oh be still my beating heart. I've had a series of "map" quilts in my head for ages, waiting and waiting for me to get around to working on them. This book might just push them right to the front of the line.

Flipping Trip by Jill Berry

This book is full of those wonderful interior and imaginary maps, beautiful galleries of work from many different artists in different media.

I think perhaps one of the reasons I'm so drawn to mixed media work is that the techniques are very applicable to textiles. I can do almost anything on fabric these days that artists can do with paper or collage or paint. I can print stuff on fabric (isn't that the coolest thing!?!?) or even collage paper to it. (QA magazine has a number of articles that detail how to make "paper cloth.")

While I don't pick up project books intending to follow along a copy someone else's projects - these ideas are all so inspirational that they are sparking all kinds of images in my minds eye. This fold-up map box could just as easily be made with cloth on a stabilizer like craft fuse or timtex.

Cartographic Reliquary by Jill Berry

If you want even more yummy map type stuff - check out the blog that Jill started to further inspire you with more mapmaking beauty and wonderfulness.

  http://personal-geographies.com/

There you will find links to book reviews, podcasts, other cool map links.

Carved copper hand map by Jill Berry

Don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win!

Each of these blogs still has a giveaway of Jill's book open. Visit each and leave a comment for more chances to win your own copy of Personal Geographies. All the winners will be drawn on December 10th.

fine print: the publisher is only willing to ship to domestic US addresses. :-(

Friday, Nov 25 Aimee Myers Dolich http://artsyville.blogspot.com/

Mon Nov 28 Carla Sonheim http://carlasonheim.wordpress.com/

Tues Nov 29 Diana Trout http://www.dianatrout.typepad.com/

Weds Nov 30 Gloria Hansen http://www.gloriahansen.com/weblog/

Thurs Dec 1 Gwen Diehn http://real-life-journals.blogspot.com/

Friday Dec 2 Jane LaFazio http://www.JaneVille.blogspot.com 

Mon Dec 5 Judy Wise http://www.judywise.blogspot.com/

Tues Dec 6 Lisa Engelbrecht http://lisaletters.blogspot.com/

Weds Dec 7 Lyric Kinard http://lyrickinard.blogspot.com/

Thurs Dec 8 Orly Avineri http://oneartistjournal.wordpress.com 

Friday Dec 9 Tracie Lyn Huskamp http://thereddoor-studio.blogspot.com/

Jill Berry's map of her wedding day

And if I hadn't already bought my copy the minute it came out, I'd certainly buy it now.

During the Blog hop, there is a also a great deal here from the publisher.
Get FREE Shipping and 35% off retail price for PERSONAL GEOGRAPHIES! 

Visit ShopMixedMedia.com and use promo code SMM106 to claim your savings.

[Fine Print: Offer expires 12/09/11 at 11:59 pm EST. Offer applies to standing shipping in the US only. Please note that additional discounts and shipping offers are not available on products that ship directly from the manufacturer: see product pages for details. Thank you for shopping at ShopMixedMedia.com!]

Artist Spotlight: Jill Berry

I'd like to introduce you to the artist Jill Berry. 

Jill Berry

Jill is a graphic designer, book artist, and painter. I love book artists. I love her work with lettering and maps especially.

Recently I got so excited by her GeoPapers Tutorial during the ARTSPARK winter tutorials blog hop that I had to rush off that night and start a new work based on her idea. You'll see more of that later, I'm sure.

I love the color in her work, the boldness, the lines that lead the eye on such a pleasant journey.

Jill Berry

I love that she takes one work and transforms it into something even richer and more interesting.

It's an idea that has me intrigued - and looking at my own work in a different way.

Art Book by Jill Berry

If it it seems like I'm neglecting the quilt artists, don't worry. I want to expose you the the people whose work inspires me. Quilters NEED to look outside of the textile arts for inspiration. There is such a wide world out there to learn from.

I'll be reviewing Jill's new book, Personal Geographies, on December 7th.

At each of these stops on the blog hop you'll have the opportunity to win your own copy so make sure to stop by each one!

Friday, Nov 25 Aimee Myers Dolich http://artsyville.blogspot.com/

Mon Nov 28 Carla Sonheim http://carlasonheim.wordpress.com/

Tues Nov 29 Diana Trout http://www.dianatrout.typepad.com/

Weds Nov 30 Gloria Hansen http://www.gloriahansen.com/weblog/

Thurs Dec 1 Gwen Diehn http://real-life-journals.blogspot.com/

Friday Dec 2 Jane LaFazio http://JaneVille.blogspot.com 

Mon Dec 5 Judy Wise http://www.judywise.blogspot.com/

Tues Dec 6 Lisa Engelbrecht http://lisaletters.blogspot.com/

Weds Dec 7 Lyric Kinard http://lyrickinard.blogspot.com/

Thurs Dec 8 Orly Avineri http://oneartistjournal.wordpress.com 

Friday Dec 9 Tracie Lyn Huskamp http://thereddoor-studio.blogspot.com/

ARTSPARK Giveaway Day 6!

Jill Berry Is one of the most amazing artists I know! I can't wait to introduce you to her some time soon here on this blog.

In the meantime head over to her blog and leave a comment for a chance to win some beautiful stuff.

The Sketchbook Challenge: January's Theme

!!!GAME ON!!!
PEOPLE

Hop on over to the Sketchbook Challenge blog TODAY to read about January's theme.

You can read about Jill Berry, this month's featured artist here.

A quick review.

Everyone is invited and encouraged to join us.

Post your work to the Flickr group 

(follow the directions here for tagging)

and be eligible to enter each months giveaways.

Take a look at January's offerings from Golden, Interweave, and Violette.

January's prize from Interweave Press

All the details and guidelines for your participation can be found here.

http://sketchbookchallenge.blogspot.com/

I highly encourage you to read more of Jill's philosophy on sketching here.