Fresh Paint

by Flora Bowley and Lynzee Lynx

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Fresh Paint is a cheerfully exuberant art workshop in book form with tutorials by Flora Bowley & Lynzee Lynx. Due out 17th Aug 2021 from Quarto on their Quarry imprint, it's 128 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats (ebook already available).

Throughout much of history, people have been taught that they learn by copying. This approach has applied to everything from representational art, sculpture, writing, even scientific methods. We're not encouraged to develop a unique style before mastering the basics (and often not even after).

The authors here have a fresh approach to facilitating readers/students in doing some guided creative exercises in order to find their own unique style. The authors place a lot of emphasis on honesty, exploration, creative joy, and discovery. There's a short intro with basic advice on gathering tools and supplies and setting up a creative space. The basic items they recommend should be readily available and relatively inexpensive. That's one thing I liked a lot about the authors' approach - they don't rely on expensive and exotic materials - they emphasize that the important inspiration and creativity will come through the students themselves (and use some neat guided techniques for finding inspiration internally and from the world around us).

The following chapters include well written specific tutorials with prompts for creative exploration. The tutorial exercises include clear color photographs with captions. Many of the tutorials also have galleries of student work. Most also include some writing prompts to help students focus on expanding their comfort zones with untried (or tried and discarded) methods and materials.

Through the process of creating 100 small works, the student will build up a stash of inspiration which can be referred to and expanded on later.

The book feels like (and apparently is) a workshop in book form, based on the authors' online courses.

Five stars. This is a well written, honest, *fun* course on creativity and building up an inspiration gallery of small mixed media works.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.