Collage for the Soul: Expressing Hopes and Dreams Through Art

This is a terrific book for anyone interested in collage as an art as opposed to a craft. There is a wide range of work displayed, covering a number of different styles. Interspersed with the projects in the book are several discussions of such techniques and processes as using encaustics, finding symbols, using different means of transforming papers, transferring images, using collage as a medium for your memoirs, etc. There are also useful and inspiring sidebars throughout that help the artist come up with ideas and techniques they may never have thought of before. AN earlier reviewer objects to the fact that the directions for the projects are not extremely precise. I consider that one of the great strengths of the book--I am not interested in recreating the exact piece of art displayed, I want to learn new methods to interpret my own ideas. There are some books and magazines out there that tell you exactly what brand name products to use in exactly which colors. Those books are intended for a different audience. This book is meant for those who are not afraid to experiment and learn. It encourages the reader to try new processes and new approaches, rather than handing out exact formulas. Here are just some of the techniques covered in various projects: assemblage, encaustic, monotype, oil pastels, tissue-paper lamination, using foraged natural materials, making a collaged art doll, paper-pulp casting, transferring photos to different surfaces, sanding back to reveal underlayers... There is a tremendous amount to be learned from this book. It is not quite as showy as True Colors, but it serves a different purpose. True Colors, as delightful as it is, is primarily eye candy, and is limited to altered books. Collage For The SOul covers a much wider spectrum of collage work, and provides much more information on techniques for the artist. I recommend this book and Gerald Brommer's collage book as THE two to own, if you can only have two. I can hardly wait for the next collage book by the same team, which is due out soon.

If you are a collage artist, you will want to purchase this book. It is not a "how to" book but a wonderful resource of images and artists you might not find anywhere else. Many different styles of collage are represented and I find something new and inspiring everytime I look at it! There are many women creating in the collage world today and not enough resources to find them...get this book and see new images and artists! The collages are shown in beautiful, full page reproductions so that you can study the details. Highly recommend!

Collage for the Soul presents a wide array of handsome artwork and is complete with text on definition, process and technique. Holly Harrison and Paula Grasdal have assembled a stellar line-up of artists who generously share their personal expressions on canvas, in boxes, in book form, with fabric, and beyond. From simple to sophisticated, these pages will stimulate your thinking process on how to approach collage. The clear close-ups of the compositions, next to the materials listing and basic instructions, enables and encourages you to translate into your own individual creation. As a collage artist, I know that my focus and interests change and evolve so this book will be a constant resource of inspiration and information. Not to be missed!

The elegant presentation and richly detailed photographs of "Collage for the Soul" lend it the air of an artful treasure. Its squarish format is pleasingly different, the colors rich, the layout clean, and the instructions for creating similar projects are easy to follow. For the purposes of this book, the definition of collage has been expanded to include techniques in assemblage and mixed-media, especially valuable to aspiring and practicing artists in these days when recycling has come into its own!I adore being introduced to the work of artists with whom I am unfamiliar, like Candace Walters, whose piece "Memory of Home from an Island" is striking! She juxtaposes images of animals that look like illustrations from a children's book, with the meticulously painted face of her daughter, then repeats those same animals painted in tiny versions on her daughter's collar. The piece is filled with symbolism, some of which is explained in the written details and some of which is left to one's own interpretation. The book is chock-full of such pieces, with photographs that easily allow for detailed examination.As an artist, I was particularly intrigued by the in-depth explorations of the creative process. Harrison and Grasdal have put together the perfect book for an artist's library - one that combines practical techniques, inspiration and beautiful graphics.Whether you are looking for an excellent addition to your own reference bookshelf or coffeetable collection, or in need of a gift, I unabashedly recommend this gorgeous book for anyone who loves unique, colorful, thought-provoking art, as well as for those who simply appreciate collage in its myriad forms.

I'm a mixed media book artist and instructor and this book is just simply SUPERB, definetly one I would recommend to fellow artists and to my students. It is one of the best 'collections' of mixed media collage art out there. The instructions are excellent and easy to follow. I love the 'gallery' section of the book though some (a very small handful) have been seen in the magazine "Somerset Studio" and on various online websites before. It is a wonderful collection of artwork that will inspire you to sit down and just 'make something'.If you're a beginner I would recommend Nita Leland titles for beginning (and advanced) collage students. Collage for the Soul is eye candy for artists! I'm looking forward to more books like this one.