Alphabetica: An A-Z Creativity Guide for Collage and Book Artists (Quarry Book) (Paperback)

by Lynne Perrella (Author)
Key Phrases: studio essentials, matte medium, gel medium, Lesley Riley, The Inspiration, Karen Michel (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Mixed media techniques have come to forefront again, with artists in every field combining materials and effects to create journals, altered art, collage pieces, memory art and more. With all the creative experiementation developing at such a fast pace, it is pertinent to know how various techniques and combinations work and whether they are right for your latest project. Alphabetica illuminates new techniques through detailed visuals and rich, explanatory text. From cover to cover, readers absorb the specialties of each contributing artist, such as Judi Riesch's use of vintage photographs, and Lesley Riley's sophisticated fabric transfers, and are able to get an "over the shoulder" glance at how these artists work.

About the Author

Lynne Perrella is on the editorial advisory board of Somerset Studio magazine, a bi-monthly paper arts magazine, and Legacy, a new quarterly publication that features articles about using family history and memorabilia to create unique works of art. Her work appears regularly in a variety of publications that feature collage, assemblage, and written features on the Arts. She is the author of Artists' Journals and Sketchbooks (Rockport, 2004) and True Colors (Stampington and Company, February 2003). She lives in Ancramdale, New York.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Quarry Books (January 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592531768
• ISBN-13: 978-1592531769
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #327,956 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful pix, not much helpful info, March 5, 2006

By	Caren Goodrich "caren" (Montana) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

There is not as much useful information in this book as I was expecting. The photos are good and I like the overall quality of the book, but the subtitle is misleading, as it is an artist showcase more than it is an "A-Z guide". When I got to the "Workshop" section at the back, I thought I finally got to the meat of the book, but it wasn't much better. For example, there are sidebar lists of Studio Essentials for the workshops, which list items such as "a retro Genie telephone" and "music, music, music." Cute, but not terribly helpful.

Quoting the book:

"Where do ideas come from? Everywhere.......It is comforting to remember that the next great idea is right around the corner."

I have no shortage of ideas. I buy books to learn some new techniques that I may not have tried before.

48 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Was hoping for more than an Idea book..., March 30, 2006

By	V. Burris "occassional reader" (CA, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I like the images and they are very inspiring, but I found this book to be a big let-down for me. I was hoping for more insight on how the processes are done, not what the finished projects looked like.

Great if you're looking for inspiration; horrible if you're looking for instruction.

50 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Visual Feast!, January 8, 2006

By	Carole Pivarnik (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Your Muse will love you for putting Alphabetica on your creative plate! It is a book to be savored slowly, and many times. Featuring a delightful array of works done as part of a collaborative journal project undertaken by fourteen artists, it features page after page of rich color, sweet ideas, and delicious details and tidbits about the project itself, the artists' inspirations for their individual journals and work in each others' journals, and plenty of eye candy to satisfy your artistic sweet tooth.

The fun part is that all the artists have such widely varying styles--I love seeing how they interpreted themes for various letters of the alphabet. Not every artist's style appealed to me but I can appreciate their processes, their techniques, and the way their individual works fit into the whole.

Not a how-to book, but full of ideas. Highly recommended for those who are inspired by the work of others to find new possibilities, direction, and adventure in their own artistic endeavors.