Customer Reviews

The Creative Edge: Exercises to Celebrate Your Creative Self

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Mary Todd Beam's follow-up to her first book expands both creative repertoire and creative experience. I have seen books on creativity that, while fun to explore, have little application for serious works of art. "The Creative Edge" does both. Many of the techniques are new, not just a rehash of all the old ones. Each technique can be used as the focus of a single art work, but the same technique can be combined with others in the book, or with techniques learned elsewhere. For example, it is possible to use her "sparkling ice" technique to create a fascinating abstract, or use it as part of a larger, more representational work.

The section titled "Have a Look: Observe" opens our eyes to looking at familiar objects in a different way, for example the interior of a derelict car, to create interpretive abstracts. I particularly like the section "Finding Figures in a Foil Print" as it not only shows a unique way of using black gesso and foil (the result looks almost like a lithograph) it could also be developed in so many ways - as an abstract, like the examples, or to add texture to a landscape or even a still life. Examples of other artists' use of the techniques provide inspiration as well as additional ideas.

Most of the artwork is done on illustration board. If this is difficult to obtain, or if you do not like the shiny surface, it is possible to use matt board, although this is a little lighter. It does need to be gessoed on both sides and the edges sealed with wax. For a more matte working surface, I find a thin coat of fibre paste on top of the gesso works nicely. (Golden produces an excellent one)

As usual, Mary Todd Beam uses her famed palette of only three colours with amazing success: Quinacridone Crimson, Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold and Turquoise (Pthalo) These create wonderful secondaries, as well as interesting tints and shades when mixed with black or white. It is worthwhile setting aside the old pallette you are comfortable with, and trying something entirely different. The results can be quite exciting.

I have many shelves full of art books, mostly "how to" sorts of books on various painting techniques. Never have I read one cover to cover as I did with this book. Not only did I read it once, but I bought many of the recommended supplies and I read parts again as I experimented with the many techniques described. It's been great fun to have Mary as my guide through several experiments so far (more to come). Some I'd call successful; others beg to be covered up and tried again. I'd recommend this book for anyone stuck in a not-so-creative rut.

The Creative Edge: Exercises to Celebrate Your Creative Self
In this book Mary Todd Beam picks up where she left off in her first book "Celebrate Your Creative Self."
At one time or another every artist runs into a block or comes to a standstill in their creativity. Using this new book you can become "unstuck" and at the same time explore new approaches to once again becoming the artist you are and have been and want to be.
The new exercises presented in this book give you more opportunities to explore your artist within and have fun doing it.
Beginning and experienced artists will find a lot of exercises that will be springboards to new creativity. I'd recommend the book to all artists who want to become the artist they'd like to be. Mary Todd Beam shows the way with the exercises in this book

This book was somewhat disappointing my first time through it. Better the second time around. I own Mary's first book: Celebrate your Creative Self which I heartily recommend. It is great for instructors and students alike. This one has the same binder format (which is valuable)as the first but doesn't contain as many useable ideas or demos. It has lots of "fillers" i.e. poetry, quotations, other artists work. It would be helpful if there were explanations of the materials/techniques these other artists used and/or a step by step approach to how their art was accomplished.

If you don't already own Celebrating Your Creative Self, buy it instead. Then consider this one.

This book is outstanding. I am a fiber artist, not a painter of wall art but I found that all of the exercises and techniques in this book are easily adaptable to my type of work. I haven't put this book down since I got it and it's really pushed me to do more experimenting with different types of mediums and tools for applying color to cloth. It's a spiral bound book so it lays flat when opened and it's filled with page after page of beautiful photos of the processes and the finished works. If you're looking for a way to jump start your creative muse buy this book, you won't be disappointed.

Great work from many artists is described and made into a :"how to" kind of book which for artists, makes a great learning tool. Spiral-bound, well organized, with lots of color photographs. Describes mediums and how to use them and suggests many unusual tools I found around the house! Great resource.

The Creative Edge: Exercises to Celebrate Your Creative Self BY MARY TODD BEAM IS ANOTHER TRIUMPHANT...THE SECOND BOOK IS EVEN MORE INSTRUCTIONAL AND CAREFULLY CONSTRUCTED TO LEAVE THE READER ANXIOUS TO GET IN THE STUDIO AND TRY OUT EVERY NEW TECHNIQUE...AND ALL IN A BEAUTIFUL SPIRAL...LOVELY..THANKS SO MUCH..THIS IS A GIFT. SINCERELY, KERI IPPOLITO

Having waited a long time for this second book from Mary Todd Beam I am delighted to say that it was well worth the wait. It has that special quality that makes one want to drop everything and give her suggestions a try.

This book is exactly what the title says... Exercises to Celebrate Your Creative Self! EXCELLENT!! It's important to take the time to actually do all the exercises. The experiences lead you naturally to more creative thinking.

I took a workshop with Mary Todd Beam many years ago that really helped me loosen up and be more creative. This is the first of her books that I've read, and once again I am inspired to try some of the ideas in her book. Her projects are presented in such a way that you can be a beginner or advanced artist and still find a lot of new projects to try. Really good book!