Visual Chronicles: The No-Fear Guide to Creating Art Journals, Creative Manifestos and Altered Books (Paperback)

~ (Author), (Author)
Key Phrases: prompt tag, personal palette, prompt journal, Personal Palette, Rule of Thirds, Barbara's Cake (more...)

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: North Light Books (March 11, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581807708
• ISBN-13: 978-1581807707
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (68 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #129,904 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #30 in	Books > Home & Garden > Crafts & Hobbies > Book Making & Binding
  #61 in	Books > Home & Garden > Crafts & Hobbies > Scrapbooking

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Art Book for People Without Any Art Skills, April 19, 2006

By	Lee Goldberg (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I only say that because I am the definition of that headline -- but VISUAL CHRONICLES made me want to sit down with glue, scissors, and some old magazines...and make something fun. I'm not an artist, but Linda and Karen made me feel like one. This book is inspiring, funny, creative, and wonderful -- and that's if all you do is look at the pictures. The writing is a class above most instructional art books, full of wit, character, wisdom, and enthusiasm. VISUAL CHRONICLES is for artists, aspiring artists and people-who-didn't-know-they-were-artists of ALL ages (and it's a treasure trove of projects for you to do with your kids!).

159 of 183 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A real let down, April 12, 2006

By	textile fiend (Auckland, New Zealand) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

I ordered this book as kind of an 'add-on' because I was getting a couple of others, saw it had been bought by people who had bought my other choices, and had great reviews. Because there are so many positive reviews for this book, I was really looking forward to it. I was very disappointed with it as a casual buyer, but can understand that it would appeal to many people. This review is really just for people like me, who might buy it not fully realising what they're getting, and be disappointed.

To understand where I am coming from, the books I *do* like include 'Drawing from art: the journal as art', 'The journey is the destination: the journals of Dan Eldon', and 'Artists journals and sketchbooks: exploring and creating personal pages.'As you can see, my interest is in art journals rather than altered books, but I really feel that this book is aimed squarely at scrapbookers who want to start making some more personal work. The book is directed towards multi-taking parents (meaning Moms); there are many references to taking supplies to the kids' ballgames, or worrying about the kids knocking the paint over, and it takes a cute, encouraging, enthusiastic tone that alas, soon felt like fingernails down a blackboard to me.

So, aimed at a COMPLETE journalling beginner, who has done some scrapbooking, but feels that's just not enough any more, then this is a great book. It will talk you through some basic things, and give you the confidence to find your voice. If that is you, then stop reading now, because now I'm going to criticise it. Go read some of those other nice reviews instead.

Ok...

I hated, simply detested, loathed, this book. If there was a no-star option I would have picked it.

A) Why are the authors talking to me as if I have recurring brain damage? Is it because I am a Mom? Are Moms dumb?

B) Do the authors have shares in scrapbooking supply companies? Why do they recommend taking, as an portable travelling ESSENTIALS kit, to take *everywhere* with us; a glue stick, fine-tip premanent pen, scissors, paintbox inkpad assortment, Peerless Watercolour paper cards, coloured permanent ink pens, mini stapler, cosmetic sponges, water brushes, alphabet stamps, mini pump-top water bottle, pre-painted background paper, tape, 3"x5"index cards, and two mini idea-journals you have made. You're kidding me, right? But THEN, they suggest an expansion pack; gel medium, acrylic paint, ruler, flat brush, shipping tags, paper punches, favourite rubber stamps, decorator paper. And she suggests that apart from travelling out with this, you "take it from room to room in the house". Yeah - me and the team of sherpas! I'm not arguing that that isn't a great bunch of supplies to have at home, but you know, you can journal with just a pencil and the journal. That's pretty much all you need to take with you to the kids baseball game. It fits in your jacket pocket!!

C) Journalling is all about examing yourself, your life, and your surroundings, and being honest. The authors do not feature journalling at all. These are scrapbook pages, in a book. They put an ink or paint background down, cut up pictures and glue them, then add stick-on lettering and some rubber stampings. Where is the honest examination! Show me something real! The things that really annoy Linda, or 'push her buttons', are bad eyebrow waxes and holes in the fingertips of dish washing gloves. How Desperate Housewives can you get?

OK, i better stop before I get mad. I'm glad so many people like this book, and i HOPE that it will encourage them to continue journalling. Just remember, to live an authentic life you don't need a tote full of art supplies; just your voice and a pen!

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I LOVE this book!, April 25, 2006

By	Gloria Page "Author of ART STAMPING WORKSHOP" (Columbia, Missouri) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have never "art-journaled" before. Have I wanted to? Yes. Have I talked myself in and always out of it? Yes. What I am totally connecting with in Visual Chronicles is the tone of the approach. How can Linda and Karen possibly know all of my reasons/excuses for not giving it a go? They seem to be looking inside my head or something!

The way they approach everything in the book, whether in words or art, is with a loving light touch. There is heart & humor in this book and I deeply feel that, with all that goes on in our lives and in the world, both are so needed.

Linda and Karen, I am reading every word. There is so much to reflect upon, laugh over, learn from and use in real life. You share an attitude and then explain techniques and applications through exercises that are fun and insightful, not intimidating. THANK YOU! I know that so much goes into creating a book. This one is touching people's lives, I can tell! Great editing, fab layout, terrific content. Now I need to DO something with all this inspiration!