Paint, Play, Explore by Rae Missigman

Paint, Play, Explore by Rae Missigman ISBN-13: 9781440350283 Paperback: 160 pages Publisher: North Light Books Released: Sept. 4, 2018

Source: Review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Mixed-media artist Rae Missigman identifies herself as a "mark-maker." With an adventurous, anything-goes attitude to expressing herself, she is just as likely to use a celery stem, a sewing machine or a cardboard tube as she is a brush, a palette knife or her own hands. Missigman helps you discover those marks that define you as an artist, and weave them into your art in new and interesting ways. Through page after page of creative exploration, you'll become a collector of tools--traditional and unconventional mark-makers that will become an extension of your unique voice.

You'll become a tinkerer as you recycle and repurpose, striving to turn something ordinary into something extraordinary. You'll become an explorer as you draw with your non-dominant hand, create "blindly" using resists, stamp with your own handcrafted organic ink, and follow other creative prompts to widen and shape your artistic world.


My Review:
Paint, Play, Explore is an art book where the author encourages the reader to try a large variety of tools, mediums, and materials to make unique marks. She suggests a variety of tools to try (from brushes and pencils to leaves and cardboard tubes) and marks to make (finger marks, circles, dots, lines, and more). But she basically tells people to experiment on your own and record your observations in a journal. There wasn't a lot of guidance--or, as another reviewer described it, she provides exercises in chaos. It's more suggestions to stimulate you to think of new things to try in your own painting play and exploration.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.