Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists by Carla Sonheim

Once in a while, if you're very, very lucky, you come across a book that within the first page or two you know, unequivocally, that it will change your life, the quality of your work, and the way you see the world around you.

One such book came through my mailbox recently. I made a mug of tea, curled up in bed for an afternoon's nap, opened the book, and read the first couple of pages. And fell instantly in love with the way the information was being presented to me. This book speaks to me in a way that no drawing, painting, writing or any other creative arts book has ever done before.

Carla Sonheim’s “Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists – 52 creative exercises to make drawing fun!” is pure joy! As a matter of fact I had been considering signing up for her latest on-line workshop  called “The Art of Silliness” but felt that I could be duplicating effort. After reading the first “Lab unit” in her book I immediately signed up because I wanted to immerse myself in whatever this author/artist has to share with me! http://carlasonheim.wordpress.com/2011/03/31/silly-4-registration-is-open/

I mean to say, how can you not learn, and have sheer fun doing so, from someone whose first instruction tells you to “Gather your materials and get into bed… you can either sit up with your paper propped on a pillow, or lie on your stomach with the paper on the mattress.”

I’ll tell you how much this book spoke to me – I closed it up, reached for my netbook and immediately started writing this post, even though I had two other books on creativity that came with the same order still to look at!!!

Don’t be put off by the seriousness of the title, head for your local bookstore, check it out online, at least go to the author’s blog http://carlasonheim.com/ – you’ll be so very, very glad that you did…