Book Review: Collage with Crochet Art by Macarena Smartt

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Collage with Crochet Art ~ A Beginner’s Guide to Mixed Media

By Macarena Smartt

Collage with Crochet Art

The art of crochet is amazingly vast and varie;. I’ve often said I will never learn it all in my lifetime. The joy of wanting to learn so many techniques in crochet is what keeps us at it for decades. My book, The Fine Art of Crochet  is definitely in a small niche category, and I have recently come upon another exciting book that occupies its own niche as well.

Macarena Smartt’s book, Collage with Crochet Art thrills me! It is collectible and a must for every crocheter/artist’s personal library. She says it is intended for the ‘budding artist.” Many, many crocheters hesitate to say the words, “I am an artist,” out loud. I believe it is because those words bring connotations of educated skills along with the pressure to perform.

This book reminds me of some kids’ craft books I’ve seen in which clear, precise step-by-step instructions, and shapes systematically help turn a child's efforts into art. Macarena uses the same approach for adults and says, “This creative and original approach to mixed media is a great place to start your adventure into making works of art. With a unique and interesting style, Macarena will guide you from a blank canvas to a beautiful work of art.” The thrill for me is that crochet is pivotal in the resulting special niche crochet book I mentioned earlier.  Not only does the reader learn to create with paint, but is also guided to adding crochet embellishments to the canvas. 

On a large and professional scale, you can find examples mixed media expressed with vintage crochet embellishments in the work of Kathleen Holmes featured in her owh chapter of my book.

Kathleen Holmes: "Network"

Collage with Crochet Art may not be for everyone; personally, I am not one who likes to do any arts or crafts in which I get my fingers sticky! However, I highly, highly recommend this book as an important addition to anyone’s crochet library. Looking at this book literally excites me in a physical way because it is so unique, beautiful and is made with the love and passion that Macarena brings to her skill as an artist.  If I still haven’t convinced you to buy the book, consider it as a gift for an artist friend. You will open is/herh eyes to the possibilities of crochet and soon you'll be asked  to teach them how!

Published by Blurb (2012) Collage with Crochet Art is available in soft cover for $24.05 and as an eBook for $5.99. You can learn more about Macarena, as artgirlcrochet on Ravelry.