The Book Guild meets tomorrow

The Book Guild meets tomorrow at The Altered Page. Click on Seth's lovely art above and be taken there. Be sure to bookmark his blog. His art is incredible. But that's not what this announcement is about. I'll let Seth tell you about it in his own words:

Welcome to The Book Guild, the second project from The Pulse -- The State of the Art -- a survey in words and pictures of the online artist community. All artists participating in The Pulse were asked to name their favorite art books. In the end, there was a list large enough to create one amazing art library, especially since more than 40 of the artists responded with more than one favorite!

The Book Guild will meet every Sunday, rain or shine. So stop by to be introduced to a whole new library of art-related books. The Guild will be more than just a list however. There will be links, book reviews, giveaways, and interviews with many of your favorite authors. And I promise you that there will be some major events that are guaranteed to knock your handmade socks off!!

Like any good book club, there needs to be members. And that is where YOU come in. I am hoping you will participate by leaving comments related to the books in each post - for example thoughts, book reviews, personal experiences, or a link back to your own blog posts that include artwork based on a project in the listed books.

So join the club and come to The Book Guild. And mark your calendars. The first meeting will be held on Sunday March 28th. See you there!

So now you have Seth's personal invitation. Don't be shy. Step right up and leave a piece of your mind or a link to your art. See you there tomorrow.

While you're waiting for Sunday, here's a book that I finished last night.

Modern Paint Effects by Annie Sloan (Firefly Books, 2000) is a treat for those of us who love making backgrounds. Granted, it was written for the person wanting to paint their walls, but many of our mixed media backgrounds can be made using these same techniques.

The book begins by explaining the differences among the various paint finishes from matte to high gloss and from transparent to opaque. Many of our gels, glazes, and other mediums can be added to our acrylic paint to achieve these same effects. I believe this book could be of value if you are looking for a way to spice up your art.

There is definitely no shortage of photographs in this well designed book. Every detail is covered, along with a finished wall or project.

Lines and shapes are only two of the items covered. Can't you just see that wall on the right as a background for your art journals? Wouldn't it be a great way to document each day of a month of journaling?

Each section begins with an explanation of what you'll learn in the chapter. Different techniques are shown on this page, and there is also a section devoted to each of these, along with many others in the chapter on "Stripes."

All of the projects were designed and written by the author, except for Phillip Bailey, who helped with Polished Plaster, found on pages 48-53. The other acknowledgments were for artists contributing items, such as wall art used in the photos, not actual painting techniques.

One of my favorite chapters was on metallics and one of my favorite techniques turned a salad bowl destined for the trash into a designer bowl (see middle photo, left page).

Although I didn't recycle any wooden pieces, I combined metallic paint and stripes to create a nice background (on paper) that I hope to use soon. I got so many ideas from this book, I can't begin to describe them all. There's even a section on collage and one on frottage, laying a newspaper over wet paint, rubbing it into the paint, then removing the newspaper. Sounds altered to me! And it sounds like a technique many of us have used on our paper backgrounds. So, even though this book was not written for the mixed media or altered artist, it pays to look beyond the obvious when finding books at your library. I would highly recommend this book if you are unsure about different types of paint, or just want a bit of inspiration for making unique backgrounds.

Have you ever wanted to know what it's like to have a book published? Since I've been on a book kick these past two days, I think you'll enjoy today's blog. Follow Pam Carriker from conception to present as she documents her journey in writing an art related book. I sat yesterday reading every post she has written after I followed the link from Seth's blog to hers. Check out Art at the Speed of Life, where Pam documents the process of making art and writing a book at the same time. Always inspiring and positive (although I'm sure she was under lots of pressure at times), Pam's blog is a great read with great art and photographs included along the way. While you're there, be sure to check out the contributing artists listed on her sidebar.