Check
out some detail shots of an artistic submission featured in
the March/April 2004 issue. More
Details!
Artwork by calligrapher Mark Van Stone graces the cover of this issue.
You can read more about his story in this issue’s Artist Portfolio,
page 98.
In
This Issue...
Springtime
Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 by Gail Russakov
This is what happens when a book artist celebrates the spring.
Celtic
Artifacts Necklace . . . . . . . . . . . .14 by Mary Tafoya
Faux-bronze cauldron shards are easy to make with shrink plastic
and embossing powders. Use your imagination the next time you
create a Celtic necklace!
Floral
Collages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 by Gail Russakov
Enjoy springtime all year long with these beautiful collages.
For
the Love of Fairies . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 by Tracy Disney
A mother and daughter make paper dolls together–and share
them with us.
Imperfect
On Purpose:
Finding Beauty in the Unexpected . . .40 by Lynne Perrella
A self-proclaimed "seeker of imperfection," the author
finds that forgotten, peeling walls and rotting wooden kiosks
offer worlds of inspiration for collage art.
In My
Mother's Garden: . . . . . . . . . . . .46
An Essay & Altered Book by Sara Naumann
The author shares her altered book/shrine she made to celebrate
a place very dear to her heart: her mother’s garden.
Leaving
a Trace of Myself: . . . . . . . . . . .49
The Celtic Journal by Joanne Gerwig
While the artist spent several weeks last summer touring Ireland,
Scotland and Wales, she also kept a beautiful journal to record
her journey.
The
Lively Art of Lettering . . . . . . . . . . .23 by our readers
Featuring glorious lettering art, advanced calligraphy projects, and
some quick-and-easy techniques.
With
One Palette: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Viridian, Cadmium Red Light, Cream, Silver by Lesley Riley
Z
is for Zine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Jill Badonsky
and . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Her Nine Modern Muses
JOSS PAPER-Make
it Yourself . . . . . . . .74
Hand-Over-Hand
Book . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
Wild and Weird
Vintage Photos . . . . . . .80
Todd Muffatti’s
FOLK ART . . . . . . . . . .82
Below are pages from Somerset Studio, March/April 2004.
Floral
Collages by Gail Russakov
"One of the joys of living in Florida is that we have flowers blooming
all year," says the artist, "and that helped inspire these
floral collages." To create your own floral paintings, you’ll
need a collection of flower and plant images from magazines plus one
unusual hardware-store product: Nevr-Dull.
The
Lively Art of Lettering:
"I Remember" by Randall M. Hasson
The artist's poetic painting of an old house and the generations of
families who once called it home is a study in careful composition and
color choices. Perhaps it will inspire you to combine your lettering
skills with classical painting technique.
For
the Love of Fairies by Tracy Disney
A mother and daughter make paper fairies together! "A love of fairies
is something my 9 year old daughter Katie and I share enthusiastically,"
says Tracy Disney. "The Paper Dolls Template from The Shoppe at
Somerset has allowed my imagination to run wild—and has allowed
Katie to start a collection of paper doll fairies."
Imperfect
on Purpose by Lynne Perrella
"I am a seeker of imperfection," says the author. "From
the fog-drenched labyrinths of London's Piccadilly Circus to the decaying
wooden kiosks outside the Paris Metro … some may consider these
scaling and deteriorating surfaces to be ephemeral and in need of replacement,
but I have found them to be full of valuable lessons about the strange
beauty of accumulated and layered images."
With
One Palette by Lesley Riley
She chose viridian, cadmium red light, cream, and silver for her palette
challenge. "The Celtic theme of this issue persuaded this Irish
girl to take on the challenge of working with one palette," says
Lesley Riley. "I was eager to use the colors we associate with
the Emerald Isle, Scotland and Wales."
Mélange edited by Linda Blinn
In this issue, you'll find "Z is for Zine," an interview with
artist/creativity coach Jill Badonsky, tips on making your own faux
Joss paper, the Hand-Over-Hand Book, some wild and weird vintage photos
decorated by Janice Lowry, and Todd Muffatti's folk-art assemblages.
Artist
Portfolio: Mark Van Stone by Ricë Freeman-Zachery
By the time calligraphy artist and teacher Mark Van Stone was 10 years
old, he'd discovered the interest that would shape his life. It took
a while–through an undergraduate degree in physics and a job in
a physics lab–but eventually his fascination with lettering took
him on journeys beyond even his boyhood imaginings.
