Rating: 
Summary: Worth buying, but slightly anemic.
Review: If you can afford to pick this up and just want to have all the collage/assemblage/book altering things you can get, by all means go ahead and nab this one, because it is lovely. There's a little Bagby, some Bagley, with dashes of Michel and Perrella and Riesch, so of course the eye candy is there, but I selfishly wanted a little "more" from this one. Some of the other featured art, while certainly very pleasant to look at, just isn't striking enough, IMO, to stand up on its own against the stronger pieces, let alone to have its own step-by-step instructions provided. One thing that makes me feel a certain lacking is how abbreviated the authors' text seems. Mind you, it's not that what commentary is provided isn't engaging, but it doesn't go as deep as its potential. It's like having a dinner companion bring up something you find intensely interesting, and dropping an intriguing tidbit of their own opinions on the subject, but then realizing others were listening and biting her tongue. I was left with no doubt in my mind that the authors have so much more to offer than this, but that they were somehow short on time and had to break this project off just shy of reaching its full development. Definitely worth owning, but don't break Mr. Piggy to buy this one new.
Rating: 
Summary: In a word, gorgeous!
Review: The elegant presentation and richly detailed photographs of "Collage for the Soul" lend it the air of an artful treasure. Its squarish format is pleasingly different, the colors rich, the layout clean, and the instructions for creating similar projects are easy to follow.
For the purposes of this book, the definition of collage has been expanded to include techniques in assemblage and mixed-media, especially valuable to aspiring and practicing artists in these days when recycling has come into its own!
I adore being introduced to the work of artists with whom I am unfamiliar, like Candace Walters, whose piece "Memory of Home from an Island" is striking! She juxtaposes images of animals that look like illustrations from a children's book, with the meticulously painted face of her daughter, then repeats those same animals painted in tiny versions on her daughter's collar. The piece is filled with symbolism, some of which is explained in the written details and some of which is left to one's own interpretation. The book is chock-full of such pieces, with photographs that easily allow for detailed examination.
As an artist, I was particularly intrigued by the in-depth explorations of the creative process. Harrison and Grasdal have put together the perfect book for an artist's library - one that combines practical techniques, inspiration and beautiful graphics.
Whether you are looking for an excellent addition to your own reference bookshelf or coffeetable collection, or in need of a gift, I unabashedly recommend this gorgeous book for anyone who loves unique, colorful, thought-provoking art, as well as for those who simply appreciate collage in its myriad forms.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful resource
Review: This is a terrific book for anyone interested in collage as an art as opposed to a craft. There is a wide range of work displayed, covering a number of different styles. Interspersed with the projects in the book are several discussions of such techniques and processes as using encaustics, finding symbols, using different means of transforming papers, transferring images, using collage as a medium for your memoirs, etc. There are also useful and inspiring sidebars throughout that help the artist come up with ideas and techniques they may never have thought of before.
AN earlier reviewer objects to the fact that the directions for the projects are not extremely precise. I consider that one of the great strengths of the book--I am not interested in recreating the exact piece of art displayed, I want to learn new methods to interpret my own ideas. There are some books and magazines out there that tell you exactly what brand name products to use in exactly which colors. Those books are intended for a different audience. This book is meant for those who are not afraid to experiment and learn. It encourages the reader to try new processes and new approaches, rather than handing out exact formulas.
Here are just some of the techniques covered in various projects: assemblage, encaustic, monotype, oil pastels, tissue-paper lamination, using foraged natural materials, making a collaged art doll, paper-pulp casting, transferring photos to different surfaces, sanding back to reveal underlayers... There is a tremendous amount to be learned from this book. It is not quite as showy as True Colors, but it serves a different purpose. True Colors, as delightful as it is, is primarily eye candy, and is limited to altered books. Collage For The SOul covers a much wider spectrum of collage work, and provides much more information on techniques for the artist.
I recommend this book and Gerald Brommer's collage book as THE two to own, if you can only have two. I can hardly wait for the next collage book by the same team, which is due out soon.
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