I am so thankful to Gwen Blakley Kinsler for the opportunity to review her latest book, The Fine Art of Crochet. Gwen Blakley Kinsler is a Crochet artist, writer, designer, teacher, and founder of the Crochet Guild of America.
I am awestruck by the beauty of Gwen’s book. In her book, she shares with us 20 different artists, giving us an intimate portrait, displaying their artwork in wonderfully vivid pictures. Within the introduction Gwen writes, “Crochet is a craft whose time has come.” She writes about Crochets humblest beginning and how it developed into an ever evolving art form.
Gwen gives reference to some familiar names such as Del Pitt Feldman, Elyse and Mike Sommers as well as James Walters and Sylvia Cosh all names associated with Crochet as an Art form. In reading Gwen’s book, I now have a whole new list of artists to explore.
Gwen shares how she created the Crochet Guild of America, through her desire to educate the public about Crochet. In a wonderfully powerful statement she writes, “ Crochet as art reveals our beloved medium in its best light and powerfully fulfills the guild’s mission of education.” So very true. Crochet is an art encompassing ideas, inspiration as well as technique.
Network, Oil Mixed media on canvas by Kathleen Holmes
She shares how people are inspiring and networking together through the internet and details the work of the International Freeform Fiberarts Guild creating an art project through worldwide collaboration. Along, with the phenomenon of Yarn bombing in 2012, she shares how even the humblest of crocheters can tap into their inner bad child. If you have the opportunity to participate in a yarn bombing, I highly recommend it, they are so much fun.
I love how Gwen details her book as a beginning, a springboard to the understanding for anyone and everyone that Crochet is a valid and vibrant medium of art. I love this book and I feel very fortunate in the knowledge and understanding of Crochet possessing infinite possibilities. This book is a must have for any Crocheters library as well as for Artists of every medium.
Click for your very own copy from Amazon.
Click for your very own copy from Amazon.