Nature Inspired: Mixed-Media Techniques for Gathering, Sketching, Painting, Journaling, and Assemblage [Paperback]

Tracie Lyn Huskamp (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2009

A lovely nature-inspired art and journaling book featuring the distinctive artwork, projects, journal pages, and unique techniques of artist Tracie Lyn Huskamp. Along with hints and tips for photographing nature, collecting, and preserving natural elements, the book discusses ways to capture moments and create memories through simple sketches from photographs, painting on fabric, creating journals and journal art, as well as with shadowbox assemblages to display and highlight particular found objects. The artist will share handwritten notes, drawings, poetry, and detailed techniques.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Huskamp, Tracie Lyn. Nature  Inspired: Mixed-Media Techniques for Gathering, Sketching, Painting,  Journaling, and Assemblage. c.112p. ISBN 978-1-59253-536-1. pap.  $22.99. Quarry: Quayside. 2009.  illus. CRAFTS

This book is for the creative journal writer on making one’s own journals using scrapbooking materials and techniques.  Artist and teacher Huskamp features birds and plants as themes for paper collage on altered book covers and pages. Projects are similar to those in scrapbooking guides, but the emphasis on journaling may attract a new audience to the craft. -- Library Journal, February 15, 2010

About the Author

Tracie Lyn Huskamp works as a freelance Product Designer/Illustrator creating mass-market products. A number of her designs have sold in retail stores such as Wal-Mart, Hobby Lobby, Michaels Crafts, Lowe's Hardware, and Walgreen Drugs. One of her products was featured on the television show, Extreme Home Makeover. Tracie's mixed media work has received both regional and national recognition. Her art has appeared on the cover of Somerset Studios, along with feature articles in Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine, Stampington's premier issues of Artful Blogger, Life Images, and the Quilting Arts Gifts special publication, and she is a contributor to several Quarry books. She has also participated as a workshop instructor at some of the most popular art and fiber retreats and conferences around the country, including Artfest, ArtFiberfest, Art Unraveled, Art and Soul, and the International Quilt Festival. Visit her blog at http://thereddoor-studio.blogspot.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Quarry Books (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592535364
• ISBN-13: 978-1592535361
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #210,132 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tracie Lyn Huskamp holds a degree in graphic design and fine art. Her passion for painting, mixed-media, and collage fuels the fires of her creative spirit, and continues to lead her on a wondrous journey of artistic self-discovery.

It wasn't until Tracie participated in a plein-air painting class during art school that she discovered Nature as an unending source of inspiration. Even after ten years of creating Nature works, she feels no desire to stop using natural subjects to convey her visual messages. Her dream of sharing this love continues through teaching workshops, nationally and internationally, along with the release of a new book, Nature Inspired.

Tracie's art has received world-wide recognition and is part of many public and private collections. Her artworks have been published on the cover of the July/August 2007 issue of Somerset Studio, accompanied by a feature article She has also appeared in the premier issues of Somerset Memories, Artful Blogger, Quilting Arts Gifts, Life Images, and Fiber & Stitch, as well as in Somerset Wedding, Somerset Galley, Somerset Home, Altered Couture, and Cloth, Paper, Scissors.

Tracie has contributed to a number of artist's books, such a "1000 Artist Journal Pages" by Dawn Sokol, "True Vision" by L.K. Ludwig, "The Creative Entrepreneur" by Lisa Sonora Beam, "1000 Artisan Textiles" by Sandra Salamony, and "Creative Wildfire" by L.K. Ludwig. She also participates in various galleries and exhibits.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Collection of Techniques for Nature Inspired Artwork, October 28, 2009

By 

A. Borloz (Metropolitan Area - NJ/NY/CT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nature Inspired: Mixed-Media Techniques for Gathering, Sketching, Painting, Journaling, and Assemblage (Paperback)

I have a lot of mixed media books in my collection, but this book stands out because of its strong focus and concentration on nature and botanicals. The artist present various gathering and printing methods for collecting images and elements from the outdoors. She also provided cleaning and preserving methods especially for the bird nests and seashells. Excellent tips for taking nature photographs were also given.

Using the photographs as reference guides, the author presented step-by-step instructions for sketching, rendering and illustrating wildlife. She also presented in the book are various techniques for creating natural backgrounds on paper, canvas, muslin or any kind of non-transparent substrate.

With the prepared natural elements, painted images, some embellishments and several pieces of fabric or trimmings, she showed how they could be put together in a specific project such as a beautiful keepsake, a visual journal, a pendant or an assemblage.

At the end of the book is a gallery of her artwork that I find to be nicely done with the techniques shown in the previous chapters. Even though her style is different from mine, there are several ideas and techniques that I can adapt to suit my own style/design preferences. But the bottom line is that this book is well written, and the directions are clear enough for any nature lover who wants to create natural artwork.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love Art? Love Nature? this book is for you, June 18, 2010

By 

Jane LaFazio (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nature Inspired: Mixed-Media Techniques for Gathering, Sketching, Painting, Journaling, and Assemblage (Paperback)

Tracie's book is not only lovely to look at, full of beautiful photographs and gorgeous art projects, it really is inspiring. She shows many techniques and ideas, but the overall theme, to me anyway, is to appreciate the simple found objects in nature, and incorporate them into your artwork. She shows painting techiques, discusses photography, give you gathering ideas, bookmaking, even a pin cushion, all with the very strong theme of nature. Birds, butterflies, leaves and nests, how can you go wrong with those as subjects for your artwork. Read the book, then take a walk and come home to your studio and create! That's what I did.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and Inspiring, June 7, 2010

By 

Alisa Burke - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nature Inspired: Mixed-Media Techniques for Gathering, Sketching, Painting, Journaling, and Assemblage (Paperback)

Tracie has created a beautiful and inspiring book perfect for the artist who is ready to embrace nature as a muse! It is full of easy to follow directions for finding inspiration, a variety of techniques and methods that range from collecting and gathering objects to photography to drawing from nature. A must have for mixed media artists!!