I'm not a quilter, but I admire fiber artists. It's fascinating to me how they are able to tell stories by combining small pieces of fabric. Plus, quilters are usually masters of color, knowing exact which colors to combine. I love to look at quilts for color ideas for my jewelry. When I look at the work of Beatrice Lanter, for example, I can totally imagine a necklace inspired by one of her quilts. It's not just the colors she chooses, but also the proportion she uses them in.
Masters Art Quilts Vol 2 is a thick, heavy book filled with photos of quilts by 40 international quilt artists. Each entry includes a single page about the artist, a headshot, and several full-page photos of roughly a dozen of the artist's quilts.
One nice design feature of this book from a reader's perspective is that the last name of the artist is written in large, light type along the right edge of the book. This makes it easy to find a particular artist if you are flipping through the pages.
As you'd expect, there's a huge range of textile techniques including some lovely shibori by Jan Myers-Newbury, as well as machine quilting, hand embroidery, airbrushing, screen printing, applique, and other techniques. Some of the materials and techniques are quite unusual. For example, Baby Quilt by Jane Dunnewold lists "birthday candles", "photo transfer", and "burned" in the caption for the quilt's photo.
This quilt is one of favorite pieces in the book.
It's titled Mountain Lion in the City and it's by Linda MacDonald.
I live in the foothills and every summer it seems like there's a bear or a lion or some kind of wildlife that somehow ends up in town. And every year, people freak out. I can appreciate this quilt by a California quilter who understands that humor can be a great way to convey a serious message.
Masters Art Quilts Vol. 2 is a feast for the eyes and the creative soul. You'll not only discover new quilters, but new materials and techniques that will inspire stories of your own no matter what your medium.
Standard Disclaimer: I received this book free of charge from Lark Books. My review is my honest opinion. I have received no compensation for my review.