Читать книгу Great Book of Fairy Patterns - Lora S. Irish - Страница 8

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From the Author and Artist

Growing up in a family full of craftsmen and artisans, I had no doubt that I would focus my attention

on the arts. It seemed that there was always something being created in my childhood home. The dining

room table was often full of newly cut quilt pieces, ceramic bisque and glazes, or plans for the most recent

woodworking furniture endeavor. I can remember the pieces of an old muzzle-loading rifle submerged in

a butter tub of oil, waiting for restoration, while the barrel hung from the patio door curtain rod coated

with bluing and the gun stock sat ready to be woodcarved.

Arts and crafts filled my childhood home. Not hidden in some basement or workshop, all the creating

seemed to happen right in the living room or dining room. Wonderful smells are associated with these

memories: turpentine and linseed oil, cedar wood and walnut for carving, newly bought calico fabrics, and

the makings for strawberry jelly on the stove.

Family get-togethers quickly turned into “show and tell” time as each uncle or aunt brought out his

or her latest craftworks. My uncles brought photos of wood furniture, cabinetry work and welding proj-

ects. My aunts brought appliqué quilt tops, weaving projects fresh off the loom and petit point. Mom

shared a variety of arts including knitting, oil painting and pictures of her latest prize-winning flower

arrangement.

My house, just like my Mom’s, is filled with art and craft supplies. A basket of cloth and thread sits on

the floor next to my living room chair. The yarn ball basket rests across the room in the corner with

needles and hooks ready for the next afghan to be started. My studio area is stuffed with boxes and totes

full of paints, canvases and papers, glue, scissors and accessories.

When Fox Chapel offered me the opportunity to create the

Great Book of Fairy Patterns

it seemed to

be the perfect format. It has been my experience that few artisans do just one craft or one style of art.

Many of us enjoy a wide variety of creative endeavors. And many of us already have a strong understand-

ing of our favorite art; all we really need are new ideas and patterns with which to express that art.

So, go grab your baskets, totes and boxes of art and craft supplies, and let’s get started.

— Lora S. Irish

About the Author

: Twelve of Lora S. Irish’s purebred dog breed oil canvas paintings have been published as limited editions. She is the

author of a series of woodcarving and craft pattern books including

Landscapes in Relief, Wildlife Carving in Relief, North American Wildlife

Patterns for the Scroll Saw, World Wildlife Patterns for the Scroll Saw

and

The Great Book of Dragon Patterns

.

Working from their home studio, Lora and her husband and webmaster, Michael, are the owners of two internet websites: www.muttart.

com and www.carvingpatterns.com. Their online art gallery, Fine Art Dog Prints, features the works of over 60 canine artists. Classic

Carving Patterns is their internet woodcarving studio focusing on online tutorials, projects and patterns created exclusively by L. S. Irish for

the crafter and artisan.