A New Blog

My local watercolor guild here in Sandy Utah is interested in having an on-line presence and sharing their work in one central place that is easy enough that all can participate.  I have been working on getting the blog set up and will be adding more fun things soon.  Please take a moment to go explore the home page, along with an experiment for textures page and get signed up to follow us by e-mail.  The guild's new blog address is:  Sandy WC Guild  (Click the name and it will take you to the blog). 
This blog isn't just about watercolor, it will feature many other things.

All water/wet media will be included, along with monthly challenges for our show & tell (which I hope we will start doing at our local monthly meetings beginning 2014),  (you can play along with these challenges too and post your results on your blog!  Simply leave us a link in the comments.) There are additional pages that share experimental results at the moment, but I will be posting techniques for: stenciling, carving textures, acrylics, inks, book reviews, etc. etc.  The possibilities are endless.  Please join us and don't forget to leave comments! 
Feedback is always monitored due to spammers, so your comments will not appear until they have been approved.  You may also share a link to your own website or blog in your comment.  We would love to venture over and take a peek at what you are creating. 
If you are interested in sharing a technique you have created, or a link to a good video you think would help inspire us, please leave the link in the comments and I will check it out.  If you host free tutorials, we would love to know about them, if you have written a book, a pdf zine or an e-book, again we would love to know about it. 
I recently set up a Facebook Group as well, but to keep life simple for me, I will be posting only to this blog and to the Sandy WC Guild blog.  No sense in duplicating my efforts. 
Not sure I shared this work in progress (above) with you all yet, but this is an enlarged area of berries in a bush taken from a photo I took up in Idaho at a fish hatchery.  I got kind of carried away with making the little streets on the leaves to make them look like maps viewed from space.  So, OK, I'm not always "photo realistic".  :-D

Available Now

"Art & Place" an in-depth look at art in unconventional settings throughout the Northern & Southern Hemispheres of the Americas.  If you are an "Arm Chair Traveler" this book will take you on a road trip that expands time.  The journey begins in Canada and travels in a zigzag style to finally reach the great countries of Brazil & Peru while showcasing major historical & current contemporary art in between.  From the carved totem poles, to Diego Rivera in Detroit & Mexico City, to a spiral jetty here in my home town of Salt Lake City (as seen on the cover) and reaching across the country via Chicago, Boston and DC to New York where you can visit an amazing array of places & art pieces, via high quality photos. In Los Angeles you can visit Simon Rodia's "Watts Towers" that took him 34 years to construct and is now a National Historic Landmark or visit the Lightening Field in New Mexico for a show from Mother Nature.  (A storm would be required if you were there in person, but visit through the photos in this book and you won't have to wait months to see the show.) Throughout this vast space of land, there is art in the form of rich carvings, faded paintings and works that took years of pain-staking labor.  This one book brings it all together for us and provides us with detailed descriptions and a wonderful glossary of the various art styles & movements throughout our history.   A must have book for the "arm-chair traveler" and art lovers everywhere.

Another Creative Art Book Review



If you love surface design, making altered books or even art journaling, along with incorporating snippets of fibers and adding various textures, this is the book for you.  It is chock-full of ideas to give you plenty of inspiration for utilizing texture, color, fibers, design elements, resists, "Brusho" (a product from the UK which is fabric dye in powder form-use caution), oil paint-sticks, wax, papers and options for recycling products we all have available.  This book covers multiple projects and materials such as: mark-making, block printing, mono-printing, hot & cold wax, tie dying, collage and guess what-this is only half of what the book covers! 
The other half of this book will give you plenty of ideas for hand & machine stitching, embellishing, fabric manipulation, applique and ideas for creating your own unique textiles.  Plenty of eye candy to get your thought processes working, so grab your copy today!

Alternative Movie Posters

I have always had a fascination with graphic illustration in that the processes can be so enjoyable.  From the early years, when small town movie theaters would post the newest upcoming movie posters on their walls, behind glass, I have found the designs to be quite intriguing.  This new book (recently released by the Schiffer Publishing Company), explores the designs of 100+ artists from around the world.  These artists revitalized these collectible vintage movie posters to create new modern day collectibles.  Some of "this fans" or My favorites include: Monty Python and the Holy Grail, (remember that hilarious movie?), Psycho (which is a fabulous classic), and Night of the Living Dead (which gave me nightmares for weeks).  There are another 97 remakes showcased in this awesome book, along with information on each artist, their medium of choice and their websites, if you would like to become a fan/follower.  This is not a "how to book" but a celebration of the global artists talent and creativity.  Stunning posters for todays collectible genre'.  Get your copy today by clicking on the link in my sidebar. 
Please note-I am an affiliate of Amazon and I do receive a few pennies for every book you purchase via the link.  It adds up and allows me to purchase a book or two each year.  So thanks for clicking on....

New Book Review

Erebos started out with an interesting plot and took a wide turn towards the end, bringing everything into clear focus.  Computer games are the craze today and using a game as a plot for a book today, is genius.  Written for teens, but adults would enjoy it too!   It's a book that is totally for entertainment value! 

New Photography Book Review

"Going Pro" by: Scott Bourne & Skip Cohen is a must have book if you plan to go pro with your photography or just want to sell your photos to a general market.  This book covers every topic and question you could possibly ask.  A great reference book to help you get started in the business of "growing a photography business".   Learn from the experts through their wonderful tips and insider habits that will help you stick to your ideals and work ethics.  Learn the difference between candid photos and creative photography, plus find your niche' in this competitive field, along with some professional advice about how to improve your photos by getting a little creative.  Those candid shots are OK for family and friends, but if you want to go pro, keep expanding your knowledge with this wonderfully informative book.
Click the bookcover in the right sidebar to be taken directly to the book where you can get a sneak peek for yourself.  In my opinion, this is a must have book for anyone serious about their photography as a career.

New Release

Inside this book you will find artwork contributed by about 15 mixed media artists, such as: Misty Mawn, Susan Tuttle, Tonia Davenport and several more who's names may not be as well known as the others, but their artwork is superb.  The book is full of beautiful eye candy of each project, complete with photos of step by step instructions for fabulous art projects!  The only downside I can see about this book is, it didn't arrive soon enough!  It was on my wish List long before it was released-but it's here now and I plan to enjoy it!  An excellent variety of mixed media projects, great photos, wonderful color and simple instructions.