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This was a birthday gift to her from me. My daughter, an art major at Marymount University, has found this book to be extremely useful and loves it.
It seems very scatter-brained and unorganized. If you are looking more for inspiration (and you love very bold colors) then this book may be for you. It's like looking through a garage sale. This book is not a step-by-step guide nor a workshop book. It's mainly examples of things that the artist has made and her ideas.
I now own her dvd and have taken a class in person with her. As for the finalized projects, I felt that dropping the "big sack" in favor of more thorough instructions on the latch hooked book cover would have been preferable. This versatile technique and its possibilities are so well explained and so inexpensive that I was a bit disappointed to discover the variety of materials and cost of tools needed for the rosin paper/ gesso technique and crayon technique. Many other reviewers have said that "younger" people would be attracted to the book but I think it is just a beginner's guide for those who have dabbled in scrapbooking, card making or general crafting. Some brand names would have helped there. This book got me into art journaling and collage.
The paper towel dye technique is well explained with many options for staining papers with the dyed towels and collaging the towels onto paper backgrounds. Overall though, I loved the book and am a Traci devotee. The techniques at the beginning of the book were easy to experiment with and cheap to invest in. I also did not see enough of the doodling and writing techniques as I would have liked. It was for me. I love the play of color and the idea of leveraging my work with scanning, photocopies and manipulating my digital copies in computer programs.
I did not know what rosin paper was or what a "creamy" crayon was or how to find the two irons needed for the crayon cupcakes.
She encourages everyone to experiment, explore and engage in the art process. This is a great book, filled with all kinds of fun, creative, and sometimes challenging techniques. Her book is the same. This book is a great addition to anyone's library who enjoys doing or teaching art.
Many of the more challenging techniques can be easily accomplished by simply taking them one step at a time. I encourage people to try all of her ideas, they will be delighted with the process and the results. novice to seasoned artist. While some of the techniques may be complicated and require some practice, there is something for everyone here.
I have used many of her techniques with children, and the results have been amazing. I am buying it for the 2nd time, because I can't find my 1st copy and I really want to use some of her tools for a journal-making class that I'm teaching to kids. I have taken several classes from Traci and her style of teaching is both relaxed, yet highly stimulating. This book is a gem.
More importantly, the process of creating with these techniques is so much FUN, and unleashes ones own innovative spark. She offers techniques to stimulate your own creative juices, and projects that are not only fun, but are almost foolproof. Indeed, some of her techniques have been derived from teaching children's art classes.
Ms Bautista work is very busy - however, I do not find it appealing overall.
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