Today's blog comes from Candace Weir, Central Library staff:

We just received a new copy of an old favourite, The Artist’s Way: a spiritual path to higher creativity, by Julia Cameron. There are so many ways in which this book works for anyone seeking to explore their creativity. It has remained a perennial favourite with CPL cardholders since it was first published in 1992.

When I first found this book and started out with the exercises, there wasn’t a web presence or iPhone/iPad apps. Today, Cameron has a website and an international community of artists who look to her for guidance.

Starting things is a habit with me, finishing is quite another story; so the second coming of the book is a chance to revisit what could turn out to be a very good habit. It came as a surprise to find that the book is part of a trilogy with the other two titles being Walking in this World: the practical art of creativity and Finding Water: the art of perseverance.

Curiosity getting the better of me, I browsed Finding Water. I discovered that it builds upon the first book’s exercises and clarifies the process. I was surprised to find this helpful and worthwhile and not simply a rehash of the first book.

Let me share a quotation from “Finding Water” that struck a responsive chord. It is by novelist William Styron: “I’ve always had a very comfortable relationship with No. 2 pencils.” Now, there is one of the great truths; he has identified my favourite tool for expressing whatever is on my mind.

Keep your pencil handy. It goes travelling in my next blog.

- Candace

If you are seeking a generous dose of relaxation and serenity, have a look at Coastal Modern by Tim Clarke. Clarke is a celebrity decorator with clientele lucky enough to own beautiful seaside properties and rich enough to get Tim to do them up.

“The beach house is more than just a place to live – it is a symbol of a life well lived,” says Clarke. It’s hard to argue with the philosophy.

Happily, you don’t need an ocean outside your sliding-glass doors to have a beach-inspired house.

He organizes the interiors in his book into five styles of design and the book flows according to the changing light of a day, from morning to evening. His different styles are associated with different qualities of light.

All of the styles share the same foundations: a balance between man-made and natural, old and new. Colour schemes are taken from coastal elements: sand, sky, water and soil. It’s a very summery look.

He favours simple, pared-down interiors with furniture and objects from local sources. Opulent vistas and houses are juxtaposed with some intimate interiors that could be achieved with a modest budget.

Can you judge a book by its cover? Not this one. The best decor is found between the covers, not on it.

Today's blog comes from Candace Weir, Central Library staff:

My friend Bob, who is a wonderful musician, hangs some of his instruments on the living room wall – and very nice they look there. I think that personal collections have tremendous decorative power because they reveal the passion and interests of the homeowner. Recently, he added a ukulele to his collection of guitars, banjo and violin.

The ukulele is an instrument that I have not always respected. I suppose watching Tiny Tim on television as a younger person prejudiced me somewhat. When Bob plays the ukulele for his mother-in-law in the nursing home, he finds an appreciative audience.

This week we got a brand new book, Make your Own Ukulele by Bill Plant, and it made me think about Bob and the happy music he makes for himself and others.

The Ukulele gallery beginning on page 12 shows shapes of a very cheerful persuasion – hearts and cupcakes – as well as other quirky and unusual models. Who knew that there were four different types of the instrument? Also, who knew that they could be made from recycled materials?

Instructions begin with the basic “boxer” instrument. The last section shows how to construct a professional-grade ukulele. One way or the other, there is the promise of great fun in this little book.

- Candace

When art and craft are a big part of your life, you need space for the materials and equipment that go with it. Creative people apply their gifts not only to the work they produce, but to the spaces where they produce it.

Inside the creative studio shows the work places of painters, jewelry makers, textile and mixed-media artists and more. The studios are as individual as the work.

Some have integrated studios into their living rooms or attics; others have appropriated barns and sheds. All have applied ingenuity to organizing the materials they work with so that the materials are at hand and also a source of inspiration.

The tools of organization come from many sources like restaurant suppliers, flea markets and home improvement centres. Every manner of container is used to sort supplies, including plastic bins, baskets and buckets. They make use of dowels, garden trellis, and pegboard, as well as repurposed furniture.

Each example includes a floor plan for the space and an essay by the artist describing what works for them best.

Untamed clutter can defeat the creative process. These creative types have found ingenious ways to conquer the monster and make a space that inspires their work.

Today's blog comes from Candace Weir, Central Library staff:

Words fade away,

Like hills in fog.

(from a Netsilik Inuit song)

To me, small and precious link together naturally. They also describe the objects from a new book, Upside down: arctic realities, by Edmund Carpenter.

Imagine the carver hunched over a small piece of ivory with a piece of bone or sharp stone teasing the image of a seal or a bear from the material. The tool follows the curves of the form and incises lines: stories in bone or ivory or wood.

Some of the wonderful little objects were made and discarded by peoples long since vanished. They were not made to be kept; they were made to be magical.

What we can put into a curio cabinet, they drew from their imaginations to serve some long forgotten purpose, dreamed of in a land where the sky was the same colour as the land or the sea. The carver “…must reveal form in order to protest against a universe that is formless, and the form he reveals should be beautiful.”

Small in size but monumental in content, most of these objects would fit into a hand. There are delicate little animals, an Ekven ivory carving that looks like a spaceship, masks, heads and little females with steatopygic hips. They served a purpose and fell away, like the cultures that produced them.

Canadian poet Al Purdy wrote the beautiful and evocative Lament for the Dorsets which celebrates the richness of lost cultures.

If you are intrigued with these stories, I also recommend A Dream in Polar Fog by Yuri Rytkheu. The novel gives clear and moving insight into traditional Siberian Yupik life as seen through the eyes of a marooned Canadian sailor in the late 1800s. Rytkheu wrote in both Chukchi and Russian and is considered the father of Chukchi literature.

- Candace

Today is Earth Day, a time to celebrate all things green. I just wish the lawns in my neighbourhood would get into the spirit of it.

Our homes and way of living are depleting the planet. We all know this and most of us try to do better in little day-to-day ways: adopting reusable shopping bags, recycling, choosing CF light bulbs and low VOC paint.

If you are planning major changes to your home, there are many books in the collection to help you choose eco-friendly materials and building processes. Here’s one that I like.

The Green Home: a Sunset Design Guide talks about ways to improve the home you live in, as well as how to build green. They compare and materials for walls, flooring and counters. They talk about fabrics for bedding and furniture and appliances that save water and energy.

It’s all put together with eye-candy interiors that reflect the latest in design and style. I like that. Shallow creature that I am, if the design is banal and boring, I am less likely to absorb the information.

There is also a section that covers the basics of xeriscaping. Perhaps the lawn that won’t green up shouldn’t be there in the first place.

If you are pursuing a career in fashion design or just curious about the industry, check out the new edition of Research and Design. The book promises to lead you through the essential stages of fashion research and how to translate the research into fashion design ideas.

What we are talking about here is the creative investigation that precedes the development of a collection. It includes visual inspiration for the concept, gathering information about materials for the collection as well as consumer or market research.

You learn that sources of inspiration may be found in many places: museum and art galleries, architecture, flea markets, film and theatre and street culture. The author provides sketch-book examples to demonstrate.

New technologies produce new synthetic fabrics. For example, E-textiles embed computing and digital components into everyday garments. In addition, materials investigation includes the exploration of ethical issues and sustainability.

The author explores methods to compile the information gathered and offers exercises to translate the research into design.

Throughout the book, interviews with established designers provide examples of how the process works for them in creating a new collection.

Today's blog comes from Janet Millett, Central Library Staff:

Very few positive things have ever been said about cat hair covering the furniture. Those who have feline companions must resign themselves to deal with the inevitable byproduct. If, however, you are a creative soul, Calgary Public Library has a new book that will cause you to look at cat hair in a brand new light.

Crafting with Cat Hair by Kaori Tsutaya shows many cute possibilities of what you can do with that abundant and free supply of cat hair. Like wool, it can be felted; however, it differs from wool in that it doesn’t have the strength or durability due to its texture.

The author provides step-by-step instructions for making little felted shapes that can be used to adorn scarves, hats and even book covers. You can make a furry little replica of your cat and frame it.

As well, there is practical advice with a yearly calendar indicating when you can harvest your greatest yield of fur and she answers questions such as what to do about cats that go outside.

Instead of groaning about the never ending clouds of hair, you can now imagine all the possibilities. Who knows – maybe if you have some not-so-creative friends with a kitty, they would gratefully share their supply as well. The possibilities and color combinations could be endless!

-Jan Millet

Jane’s Two Cents:

This curious little book is a wonderful example of what I love about the Library. When our PR guy says, “Everything You’re Into”, he’s not kidding.

Personally, I like the finger puppets and knickknack boxes. And the part that says no cats were harmed in the making of this book.

-Jane

You’ve probably heard the expression, “If you can’t go big, go home.” Well Jay Shafer took it to heart. For Shafer, the big picture is a tiny little living space that provides for just the essentials and not much more. Tumblewee DIY Book of Backyard Sheds & Tiny Houses is his latest offering.

According to the cover, he “is internationally recognized as an expert in small living”. He has been building and living in tiny little homes for 15 years and when he says little, he means it.

In the land of McMansions, Shafer is an ardent supporter of a tiny revolution to create living spaces that are less taxing on ecosystems and economies. The bonus for him has been a mortgage-free existence and more time to pursue other interests, like designing little places for the rest of us.

Shafer is also a realist. While many people may not embrace the extreme, small-space lifestyle, there are lots of other purposes for these wee structures, whether guest house, studio, workshop or retreat.

The book includes plans for tiny houses and box bungalows. You see elevations and floor plans. Amateur builders can order a complete set of drawings from his website.

The portfolio section provides pictures of finished interiors that are carefully crafted to maximize every inch. In fact, one of the most attractive fittings is the Dickinson Marine stainless steel heater which is manufactured for boats.

Part Four shows the building process and covers clearing the building site (including how to fell a tree), establishing a foundation and construction of the exterior shell.

If you want further inspiration for small-scale living, check out Tiny Houses by Mimi Zeiger. It explores “the microgreen side of sustainable architecture” with projects like the House in a Suitcase on page 121. Located on a roof in Barcelona, trunk-like compartments unpack for use.

The April issue of Dwell features a funky and wonderful house built from three 10-by-12-foot modules. You can also see it online. It’s a DIY project that was supervised by architects and is set on 20 lush acres on Kauai.

Now, I want to live small like that.

-Jane

Today's blog comes from Candace Weir, Central Library staff:

Sometimes it is fun to revisit the shelves in the hopes of snagging a couple of interesting browses. Since I like to make things, the books that get my attention are often about methods of making. Spanish jeweler, Carles Codina, has three books in our collection that fit this criterion:

Complete Book on Jewelry Making,

Goldsmithing & Silver Work and

The New Jewelry.

His books cover a wide range of techniques; articles range from how to make a North African bracelet to an article on the specific properties of gems. As a novice jewelry maker and fiddle-around type, I found them packed with information, full of things to try or to dream about trying.

Codina’s books are refreshing in that the esthetic offered is quite different from much of the jewelry I have seen in Calgary – although the market appears to be changing. Witness Nikola, a shop in Inglewood where the proprietor sells jewelry that is bold and unusual, made by local and Western-Canadian artists.

Building on the bold-and-unusual-jewelry theme, another book from our collection, 500 Silver Jewelry Designs, contains a plethora of great images, most of which are terrific fun to look at.

Who knows what an inspired, jewelry-making dabbler might come up with after combining ideas from these lovely books?

-Candace