Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book, free of charge,from Interweave Press, Publishing, or review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it
Looking for more ideas to keep the kids busy this Summer?
This isn't your Summer camp string art!
Synopsis:
String art is making a comeback with seemingly endless new designs, and author Jesse Dresbach's modern, more flexible approach lets you methodically string away to your heart's content. This book is full of patterns--simple to more intricate designs--that help you quickly get to the fun part of the craft--the stringing! Jesse walks you through his tool room, and even includes tips on cutting and preparing the right size boards. He shares how to structure the nails using paper patterns and details several stringing techniques.
DIY String Art includes simple geometrics, nature-inspired motifs worked on tree slices, zodiac signs, and even patterns for negative space string art where you fill in the entire board everywhere but inside the chosen motif. These are cool, urban designs, some with random string work, some with faceted sections and still others with specific string paths to achieve more uniform results, and they look amazing no matter where you hang them. Jesse's double-wrap technique lets you add pronounced details and even create a string frame--he's thought of, basically, everything you need to know to string a gallery of modern art!
Review:
This is a super fun book! The projects range from simple, to more complex, to ones you just HAVE to put up as a centerpiece for your new front room refurbish project! They are folk art at its finest- modern, a little funky, unique and truly inspired!
For Miss Grace, I selected one of the simpler projects, a blue bird, and she painted a wooden heart (found at local craft store), and then I helped her nail the pattern in place. This is really a good way for kids to work on dexterity, as sometimes getting the nail in small spaces can be am exercise in patience and skill!
Once the pattern was all the way nailed down, then I removed the paper, and gave her the SECOND copy I had ran off for her. Why 2? After years of experience in working complicated designs, I know it's easier to look at the nails and get confused. having the pattern to refer to, allows you to keep the end goal in your mind, especially if it's your first string art project. Now Miss Grace wanted her bird to be a gift, so she wanted it to match another item she had already made for Meme, so she opted for yarn instead of traditional string.Not my first choice, but the instructions in the book were clear enough for her, so I said go ahead and try it.
It actually came out VERY sweet! She picked a verigated blue yarn, which really gave some added dimension to the bird. We both liked the final look, but it just wasn't 'finished' to her, so I showed her the instructions for double wrapping, and she went to down, outlining the bird. As you can see it was just what she needed. Had it been done in string, I think the double wrapping would have been a bit flatter and closer to the project, but we both still liked the look, and so did Meme, who loved her "Bluebird of the Morning'.
Miss Grace had fun doing the project and cant wait for her next one. We're going to try a fleur de lis, as we got inspired by the projects in the book. And you will too! You might just decide to make your own string art along with the kids! I forgot how soothing it can be to calm a hectic mind! So if you're looking for something new this Summer, bring back the past with this modern look at DIY String Art!
About the Author:
Jesse has always been interested in different art ad DIY projects, trying his hand at whatever piqued his curiosity. He began playing around with new string art ideas in mid 2010, and began selling his designs on Etsy. They were a hit, and he was quickly overwhelmed with orders. Through the years he has done many projects, including large-scale pieces for big-name companies such as Google, Fanatics.com and more. Of late he is focusing on patterns, tutorials and projects as his customers have shown an interested in learning to create string art themselves. He is the designer behind the blog NineRed.com that is full of DIY projects, tutorials, home ideas and more. NineRed projects can be found across Pinterest, which has become his top traffic source.
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