19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fest for your eyes!!!!, January 28, 2011
This review is from: Flavor for Mixed Media: A Feast of Techniques for Texture, Color and Layers (Paperback)
Having never taken a class from Mary Beth, this book gives the reader a glimpse in to her amazing creative world. Not only does Mary Beth share with you her unique viewpoint of creating color and texture, but also shares her inspiration of other artists (Misty Mawn, Katie Kendrick & John Hammons to name a few) as well as culinary recipes from everyone. What an amazing combination! Congratulations on a truly stunning and well put together book, Mary Beth... it's beautiful!!!!!
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22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
This creative "meal" left me hungry, May 15, 2011
This review is from: Flavor for Mixed Media: A Feast of Techniques for Texture, Color and Layers (Paperback)
This book containes recipes, hence the reference to a meal. They're not recipes to create mixed media surfaces, but to cook real food. There are also cooking analogies scattered about (calling the place you keep your supplies a "pantry," for example), as well as a "guest list" featuring well known mixed media artists, who provide "tabletalk." So the food is a big theme here. If you are the sort of reader who enjoys finding recipes in, say, your mystery books, you won't have a problem with this. As one who would have liked to learn more from and about the talented author, I found it gratuitous.
Aside from the food recipes, the rest of the book contains a slew of step-by-exhaustive-step mixed media recipes for creating background surfaces. The materials required rival the warehouse of a gourmet spice retailer (and many of the materials are just as expensive) . What exactly one is supposed to DO with these laboriously crafted background surfaces is not addressed, which I found enormously disappointing. As a well respected artist, the author undoubtedly could have shared valuable guidance on design. What a shame that she did not.
If a level of complementary information was supposed to be provided by the invited guests, they didn't come through. The guests' commentaries are mostly vague and rather rambling, and I never could figure out why they were included. What they had to say is far more suitable to the feature articles in the magazines where they seem to be endlessly (and more thoughtfully) published. Their appearances in this book brings nothing new to the table, so to speak.
This book had real possibility, I felt, but it didn't even begin to reach its potential. While a feast for the eyes is always a good thing, I do wish this book had delivered nutrition as well.
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19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Recipe for Success!, February 2, 2011
This review is from: Flavor for Mixed Media: A Feast of Techniques for Texture, Color and Layers (Paperback)
I just got my copy of MaryBeth's new book and started reading the moment it arrived-right before dinner! Let's just say dinner was a tad late that night because mom was busy looking through the gorgeous artwork and layout of this book. Luckily there are some recipes sprinkled throughout so I could say I was 'working on dinner'. The approach to texture and layering is something every mixed media artist can benefit from. The author uses some fun techniques that can easily be incorporated with things you already may do to further enhance and develop your own art. This is a truly beautiful and helpful book to add to your collection.
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