My new book is almost here....

LATE BREAKING NEWS! THE BOOKS ARE HERE.... 
scroll down to the end for a chance at a free copy.....

I just learned that several copies of my new book, Working in a Series, are on their way to me  and should be here any day.  One book published in a year is pretty exciting - two is truly amazing!
When C and T asked me to send them a proposal I wasn't sure which idea to present, so I offered them two different ideas and was very surprised when they accepted both of them.

My earlier book, Inspired to Design, came out in the Spring and is a step by step guide on how to make an art quilt: from being inspired by a photograph or a painting or an idea, through sketching and designing, critiquing the design, blocking out the quilt and constructing and finishing it.

The second book goes much further and covers three main areas: developing a series, coming up with designs in many different ways and gaining a fuller and more useful understanding of the principles of good design.

  My aim was to help the reader focus in on one idea, one stream of thought that could lead to a whole series of quilts, a body of work.  So many people have said to me that they're tired of learning a technique, making one quilt in that technique, then going to another workshop, learning a different technique and making one quilt like that.   They feel they have no voice - or perhaps too many voices!!   Furthermore all the pundits talk about developing one's own particular style, one having a "body of work" but they don't really tell you just how to do that.

I think that when you've taken many different workshops and learned a lot of different techniques, you are more than ready to develop your own style.  Some people are lucky and seem to fall into a particular style right from the start - I think it's often because they did discover that working a series of quilts was they way to do it.  In this book, I explain just how and when to decide what kind of series is right for you. There are also lots of examples of quilt series both from myself and from a number of well known, well respected artists.

In the second part of the book, I look at the many ways you can come up with designs - all the different tools you can use and methods for seeing, grasping and working from inspiration.

The third part of the book addresses something that seems to be lacking in many quilt books and magazines and that is a thoughtful look at design considerations.  Many books just rattle off a short list of Es and Ps and consider the task done.  Rote learning of a few labels just won't cut it though!!  You really need to know why, what, when and how!!     Some of the topics I address are:  achieving the illusion of depth, evaluating your designs, choosing strong color schemes and the use of simultaneous contrast,  using rhythms and repetition to make a piece more interesting, the use of value patterns (chiaroscuro, or Notan), and landscape composition rules.  I also discuss the problems in working directly from photographs, how to bring energy into your work, the use of positive and negative space and visual pathways.  I have tried, however, not to be didactic and boring - but rather to take a look at some of these ideas in a way that is helpful to the quiltmaker in particular.

As before if you're interested in purchasing a copy of the book - you can order one directly from me - please email me   for details.  I'd be happy to put one in Priority Mail for you - and sign it!!

Or you can support your local quilt shop by asking them to order it.  Amazon will have it in January.

So, if you have been, thanks for reading!  And thank you to everyone who signed up for my 2014 master class (or to be on the 2015 waiting list) (see last blog)!!  I'm looking forward to getting started with this new idea!    Elizabeth

PS if the embedded link above doesn't work (it looks a bit funky on my screen) - then there's a link just below my picture on the top right, and also one from my website: www.elizabethbarton.com

ALSO C&T are Giving Away an e copy of the book on their blog:

http://www.ctpubblog.com/2013/12/23/a-visit-with-elizabeth-barton-author-of-visual-guide-to-working-in-a-series-and-a-giveaway/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ctpubblog%2Ffeed+%28C%26T+Blog%29

check it out!!