Jan

20

The Crafty Songwriter - Tip #1

January 20, 2008 | 2 Comments

[tutorial, songwriting]

Show don’t tell
by Carson A. Metzger
Exercise #1: Practice writing a song where you avoid telling entirely
How do you do this?
Be descriptive.
Avoid universal statements by grounding or dramatizing your song in the details of a particular scene, character, or relationship between characters.
Avoid using “to be” verbs.
Forgo clichés and truisms by translating things you have […]

Jun

30

paper-making

June 30, 2007 | 1 Comment

[-craft, tutorial-]
Making handmade paper is an artform. In the hands of an experienced artist, the paper can be thin and smooth, molded to wonderful shapes or scenes and made into elaborate sculptures and vessels.
However, the good news is that making paper is just as rewarding for a beginner.
Last summer, I finally—after many years […]

May

23

Problem-solving Drawings

May 23, 2007 | Leave a Comment

[-exercise, un-blocker-]

by Nancy Waldman

Do you feel creative but still have difficulty creating?
Is something holding you back but you’re not quite sure what or why?
Are you feeling blocked?
Do you feel that your output is a trickle instead of a flood?
Here is a exercise designed to explore these kinds of problems in a new way.
In Marks […]

May

3

Metaphors: creating illusions

May 3, 2007 | Leave a Comment

[-writing, technique-]

by Nancy Waldman
“…the successful use of metaphor is a matter of perceiving similarities.” ~ Poetics, Aristotle
Metaphors are magic. The right metaphor in the right place transforms a felt hat into a black rabbit, a silk scarf into a flower, solid reality into illusion. In magic, however, tricks can be spoiled […]

May

3

unseamly

May 3, 2007 | 1 Comment

[-photo essay, fiber art-]
by Nancy S.M. Waldman

Patchwork quilting is an exacting process. There is a great deal of planning, measuring, precise cutting and piecing. Some of us are cut out (ahem, *sorry!*) for that and some aren’t. Or perhaps it’s a discipline that we enjoy at some times and not others.
At times we […]

May

3

Marks have Meaning

May 3, 2007 | 4 Comments

[-art, process, tutorial-]

by Nancy S.M. Waldman

Time:
10 minutes or less
Materials:
two standard sheets of printing paper torn in fourths
marker, crayon, pen or pencil
Before reading this article, do one drawing each for 8 of the following words. I’ve given you more than 8 in case you prefer not to deal with some of them but, of […]

Apr

15

Soap Tin Clock

April 15, 2007 | Leave a Comment

[-alteration, crafts, how-to-]

by Nancy Waldman
Here’s a fun little project that grew out of The PCQ’s Alteration Challenge.

It took less than a half an hour to put together. If you have your own tin (they are easy to find at garage sales or online auctions) you can make one of these for well under $10. The […]

Apr

12

Digital Doodles

April 12, 2007 | Leave a Comment

[-art, digital art-]

Meet Flik R, our featured doodler

Flik R - who chooses to remain in his flickr persona - does fantastical drawings with gelpens and Uniball Signo rollerpens. But rather than be satisfied with that, he keeps going, taking his art farther by using his drawings as the raw material for digital art.
Flik draws […]

Apr

12

Altered Photography: Making Polaroid Transfers

April 12, 2007 | Leave a Comment

[-photography, how-to, art-]
Words and Images by Angela Petsis
Polaroid Transfers are a fun and creative way to elevate your photography to a whole new level. The most important thing to remember when starting out in the world of transfers is to have patience, and be open to experimenting with different transfer methods because what works for […]

Apr

10

Journal on making an Altered Book

April 10, 2007 | Leave a Comment

[-process, journaling, found poetry-]
by Nancy Shepard Metzger Waldman
In the course of researching Altered Books for the January 2006 issue of The PCQ, I couldn’t resist tackling my first altered book. Here is the journal and some photos I made of the process and progress so far.
Take heart other beginners, from the lumpy pages and […]

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