Secrets of Rusty Things: Transforming Found Objects into Art,   ISBN:B002QGSX82

Customer Rating: 

I checked this book out from the library, fully expecting to enjoy and order my own copy. Boy - am I glad I did. It will NOT go into my shopping cart. The subtitle is "Transforming Found Objects in Art", which to me implies an instructional book. There MAY be some instruction here, but this book is simply too much of a chore to read.

Sure, the author may be talented. Sure - he may have some useful techniques to share. Trouble is, he apparently decided not to share them in this book. Photos are small, dark, and each is oh-so-cleverly bordered with artzy margins that take up way too much space on the page. There MAY be some interesting comments in the side bar on the right margin but it's hard to tell, as the chosen handwriting font makes them difficult to read. If you had a magnifying glass, you MAY be able to see what he's doing with the objects in the photos, but I've no patience for that and by now - I'm irritated.

It's just one more book that gets just too carried away with self-embellishment, cluttered layout, distracting backgrounds and frilly fonts to be a truly instructive source. Eye candy - that's all.

Customer Rating: 

This is an amazing book. I've noticed some reviews complaining that it isn't enough of a "how to" book, but actually all the techniques used are described fully and they aren't that complex (excuse me, but what part of get a dremel and some liquid nails is confusing?). What it is NOT is a blueprint for someone to duplicate the projects shown, because each is unique and very quirky. It isn't a book for the scrapbooking crafting crowd who would like templates and stickers - not that there's anything wrong with that, it just isn't that kind of book. It is actually a book about creating art - both the process and the products of that process. It is so well-written and often very humorous that it's a worthwhile read just for the text, but in addition of course are the wonderful photographs of the art pieces and the information offered about the process of creating them. This is one of the books I come back to most often for inspiration.

Customer Rating: 

Although this is a beautiful book, the title led me to believe this was going to be a book about techniques. I am a huge fan of Michael De Meng, and reading a couple pages into his journey is great, but I found myself skimming for techniques. I found nothing. I too, wished the font and the photos were larger.

Customer Rating: 

I love Demeng's work and appreciate that he wanted to talk about what the different works on display in the book mean to him and the story of how he came across some old frame...but I would like to know more about his methods of creating washes, choosing colors and using liquid nails, a hardware store product that most of us budding artists don't understand the properties of. Frankly I found the book to be self indulgent. I guess he didn't really want to share his "secrets".

Customer Rating: 

The Artist Michael gives away many of his trade secrets in this book!! So many times I have bought books and they failed to walk the reader through the art process!! They forget to let the reader know where to get supplies to create their look. Not this Artist!! He takes every day items and turns them into "Wonderful Mystical Art". Michael gives away his secrets for all to give his look a try!! I would love to take one of his classes!!