Monday, July 2, 2012

Book Review (and giveaway!): The Sketchbook Challenge


I'd like to introduce you to a wonderful new book
The Sketchbook Challenge
Techniques, Prompts, and Inspiration for Achieving Your Creative Goals
If you've been following along here for a while you know I've had the joy of participating in the Sketchbook Challenge blog.  Our fearless leader, the talented, organized, and ever full of initiative Sue Bleiweiss has authored a book that pulls together the various artists (plus some) involved in the project. 

Each of us chose to work a sketchbook with one of the themes and create a work of art inspired by our work in that sketchbook. Sue then pulled a technique or two from each artist to highlight. 

This means that whether you like books for pure visual inspiration or to learn techniques there is something in it for you. Might I also say that there is something very pleasing to me in the books slightly smaller than standard size and rounded corners. No idea why but I simply love to hold it in my hands. I immediately chose the theme of "Circles." I love that shape - no idea why. It shows up in my work over and over.

It was wonderful fun to work with a theme over and over through the pages of a sketchbook. For this one I seemed to be attracted to pen and ink with only a little color thrown in here and there. Even when the lines ore doodled instead of tightly controlled it looks clean and crisp. I keep trying to look loose and free and wonderfully textured like so many of the artists I greatly admire but I always end up back here. It's not a bad thing.

The technique that Sue chose to pull from my finished artwork was screen printing. It's one of the most direct ways that work from my sketchbook shows up in my textile work. Ink doodles are made directly into thermofax screens and discharged or printed onto my hand dyed cloth and made into artwork. 


In this case circle scribbles and dot doodles were made into screens and both discharged, painted, and foiled onto the cloth. An amazingly lovely collection of shibori scraps (wish I could remember the artist's name) became even more circles in this piece. I have to say it was a lovely few days of playing with this design. 

I know you will love this book!
You can buy it at any of the following suppliers

And I have  question for you.
Do you use a sketchbook to work out designs for your artwork?
How?
In celebration of the book's release the following prizes will go to two lucky commenters!
 From Mistyfuse (www.mistyfuse.com)  A 10yd combination package of Mistyfuse that includes 6 yards of White and 2 yards each of Black and Ultraviolet and a Goddess Sheet.
Total retail value: $48!
and
 A $25 gift certificate to ProChemical and Dye
From ProChemical and Dye http://prochemicalanddye.com/home.php

comments close three days from now at the end of the day on July 5th

And if you missed it - go see the other reviews that have been posted and leave comments there and keep an eye out for the upcoming reviews as well. There are prizes at every stop!
June 26:
Jill Berry  http://jillberrydesign.com/blog/
Sue Bleiweiss http://www.suebleiweiss.com/blog
June 27:
Violette   http://www.violette.ca/
Kathyanne White http://kathyanneart.blogspot.com/
July 5:
Carla Sonheim  www.carlasonheim.wordpress.com/
Carol Sloan  www.carolbsloan.blogspot.com/
July 6:
Susan Brubaker Knapp  http://wwwbluemoonriver.blogspot.com/
Diana Trout dianatrout.typepad.com
July 9:
Tracie Lyn Huskamp  www.thereddoor-studio.blogspot.com/
Judi Hurwitt  www.approachable-art.blogspot.com
July 10:
Jane LaFazio http://janeville.blogspot.com/
Kelli Nina Perkins: http://ephemeralalchemy.blogspot.com/
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