Creativity Through Nature, Hardcover/Ann Blockley

From allotment inspiration to nature prints, from harnessing patchwork concepts to recycling pieces of art, to the alchemy of found materials, this is a journey to find new creativity through our connection with the natural world. In her most passionate and personal book for artists, acclaimed watercolor artist Ann Blockley takes the reader through a series of ideas of working with nature--in its widest sense--to nurture our creativity, inspire us, make us more sustainable artists, and breathe back energy and flow when our artistic streams run dry. In "Go Outside and Play," the author exhorts artists to recapture a fun, no-pressure way of being outside and use that feeling when creating. In "Connecting Materials to Place," she creates her own paint from the local pond. In "The Slow Movement," the artist reveals her year of working on a specific local hedgerow and painting a series of different interpretations in its every-changing detail. She created regular creative rituals, using her weekly playing card as a starting point for a new painting to reflect the season each week. She reuses old paintings, and tissue and paper--wabi-sabi style--to create new textures and even new paintings. Including work from other artists as well as her own, she shows the ideas and work from textile and mixed-media artists. About author(s): Ann Blockley is a well-known watercolorist with an international reputation. She is a member of the RI (Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour) and the author of seven bestselling practical art books, including Experimental Flowers in Watercolour and Experimental Landscapes in Watercolour , both published by Batsford. Ann runs her own very popular watercolour courses, teaches at international workshops, has made three DVDs of her painting techniques, and regularly writes for The Artist magazine. She lives in Gloucestershire, UK.