Art Book Review – June 2024
Overall, this is one of the most thorough and complete guides to abstraction I’ve seen.
Books on abstraction appear now with some regularity and that means publishers are getting beyond the basics. This one is particularly useful as it comes from an experienced practitioner and covers both creative and practical aspects of the genre.
Carole works in a good variety of media that include watercolour, gouache, acrylic and ink as well as pencils and pastels. You won’t, therefore, feel constrained by a single one that isn’t perhaps your first choice. It’s also worth reporting that you won’t get to the materials section for 52 pages – you’ve been through all the looking, seeing and thinking before you start to get the brushes out.
Carole works with natural subjects – flowers, landscapes and water and her style is well beyond representation, while always retaining the essential essence of what is depicted. The abstraction comes from simplified forms, use of colour and technical manipulation. She includes plenty of basic instruction, exercises and demonstrations that explain her approach as well as developing your skills.
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