Lynne Perrella

Artistically rich and beautifully photographed, this collection of essays delivered a peek at studio spaces. However, from my perspective, the essays were unsatisfying: many pictures had a staged feel, as if these studios were show pieces, rather than working spaces. I wanted to be inspired with ways to manage my mixed media and textile supplies which doesn't overwhelm my limited space.

What I saw were mostly cluttered spaces with very little workspace. There may have been that space, it show more just wasn't evident in the photo-essays. A few of the photographs had a wider perspective but most of the views were close-ups of whatever engaged the author's interest. This reflected Perrella's interests rather than addressing ingenuity for efficient storage that leaves the space with mental breathing room. And that's just fine, she was curating the manuscript's content, not me. My 3/5 stars reflects my expectation rather than criticizing the quality of the book. show less

I'm fair green with envy at many of these studios, with their warm clutter, shelves of books, comfy chairs, wonderful worktables, and storage systems. I would have liked to see the artists themselves at work in them, though.

covers at http://tinyurl.com/8ehs6 (imageshack.us PhotoBlog)
by http://what.ticio.us

A Perfect Balance!, April 7, 2004
Reviewer: Karen Cote "kcqwilter" (Rochester, NY United States) -

As an avid admirer of Lynne's work, I purchased this book expecting to see more examples of her journals, and I would have been very satisfied if that was all I'd found. But the book goes way beyond displays of wonderful journal pages. It's stuffed full of ideas and examples - not just one, but sometimes 20 or 30 show more different 'takes' on a technique, with a brief description of how to approach each one.
The title says it all - Exploring (the examples are fabulous, varied and stimulating) and Creating (there's just enough information to tell you what to do without drowning you in tedious 'how-to'). If you love exploring a new technique, but need only a nudge instead of endless step-by-step instructions, this is a book that you MUST have on your shelf. If you're stuck, and looking for some inspiration, flip to any page and you'll be struck with more ideas than you can implement at one time. If you just want to explore the world of art journalling, this is a great book to snuggle up with and enjoy.

I'm thrilled to add this book to my collection, and it's one I'll refer to again and again - not just for the eye candy, but for the solid examples and techniques as well. Lynne has really outdone herself, and has achieved a perfect balance of inspiration and instruction!

Yes, you do need this book, April 20, 2004
Reviewer: M. J. Walters "dargelos" (Chicago, IL USA) -

I don't care how many books you have on altered books, artists' journals, etc., this is a book you'll come back to over and over again. It presents material in an orderly fashion, though never in a predictable one. Not only is each technique or idea explained, but there are examples of each. The only people who might not benefit from this book are the ones who need a literal cookbook of instructions: "Take item A, place three inches from top of item B, on the left." Highly recommended both as inspiration and an easy-to-use reference work.

Artists Journals and Sketchbooks: Exploring and Creating Personal Pages, August 31, 2005
Reviewer: Elizabeth M. Robinson "E Robins" (SE USA) -

Disappointed with this book. I found it very light in fundementals of bookmaking. Lots of pictures of examples of things made, however if you are a fairly creative persons this really offers nothing new. show less

One of my favorite mixed media books. I never get tired of pouring over the pages, reading the descriptions and marveling at the diversity of the artists pages. A great mix of technique info and eye candy. A must have or mixed media artists!!!