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Drawing Lab

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Drawing Lab for Mixed Media Artists:
52 Creative Exercises to Make Drawing Fun
Published July 2010
Quarry Books
100,000 sold! 
From the back cover:
Carla Sonheim is an artist and creativity workshop instructor known for her fun and innovative projects and techniques designed to help adult students recover a more spontaneous, playful approach to creating. Her innovative ideas are now collected and elaborated on in this unique volume. Carla offers a year’s worth of assignments, projects, ideas, and techniques that will introduce more creativity and nonsense into your art and life. Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists offers readers a fun way to learn and gain expertise in drawing through experimentation and play. There is no right or wrong result, yet, the readers gain new skills and confidence, allowing them to take their work to a new level.
Drawing Lab: Short Author Interview
Testimonials:
“I’ve never considered myself an ‘artist’, because I’ve never been able to ‘draw’. That belief has colored my artistic expression for decades. Lately, the pull towards art has led me to some wonderful books, but THIS BOOK speaks to me. When I look through the activities, I know I can do them, and I know they are non-fail projects. There is so much fun and whimsy built in, that creating will be a joy. I stumbled on this book by accident, and what a happy accident it has turned out to be. If blank pages intimidate you, Carla has solutions to inspire.” — Marme, review from amazon.com
“Thank you for being you, Carla. You changed art for me. Actually, you de-freezed it, after you helped me dig it out of polar ice.” — Seema
 
To purchase a signed copy directly from Carla:
 
https://www.etsy.com/shop/carlasonheim
To Purchase Online:
from amazon.com
from Barnes & Noble
from Powell’s
from Independent Bookstores

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"Creative Photography Lab"

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Creative Photography Lab: 52 Fun Exercises for Developing Self-Expression with your Camera

By Steve Sonheim, with Carla Sonheim
Published August 2013
Quarry Books
From the back cover:

Go ahead, have fun with your photography. Creative Photography Lab is a collection of fun and silly photography exercises designed to teach you something about your camera (and yourself!). Whether you’re rockin’ a digital SLR, a point and shoot, or even a phone camera, this book will:
– Provide easy exercises to help you discover your own personal style.
– Tackle the technical stuff.
– Explore a new way of seeing.
– Turn your camera into a powerful tool of self-expression.
– Help you capture amazing shots for your blog, social media, photo albums, your wall at home, or just for yourself.
You don’t have to be a professional photographer or own expensive cameras and equipment to get inspiring shots. If you’ve ever taken a picture, this book is for you. Warning: once you get started, you’ll never want to stop.

Review:
“The 52 assignments here will nurture readers’ photography skills by acclimating them to photographic technology and by encouraging them to make this largely digital and mechanical medium more their own. Commercial photographer Steve Sonheim and artist, instructor, and author Carla Sonheim (Drawing Lab for Mixed Media Artists: 52 Creative Exercises To Make Drawing Fun) believe in the significance of a photograph, even in this age of ubiquitous cameras. Sections on observation, light, storytelling, portraiture, and more will help readers realize photography’s creative potential. Assignments allow readers to use their choice of digital single-lens reflex, point-and-shoot, or smartphone cameras. VERDICT This highly accessible guidebook will have broad appeal.” – Library Journal
To purchase a signed copy directly from Carla & Steve:
$24.99; includes free shipping in U.S.

To Purchase Online:
from amazon.com
from Barnes & Noble
from Independent Bookstores

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Drawing and Painting Imaginary Animals

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Drawing and Painting Imaginary Animals:
A Mixed-Media Workshop by Carla Sonheim
Quarry Books (September 2012)

From the back cover:
Carla Sonheim… brings you another volume of exciting and liberating drawing exercises in her brand new book: Drawing and Painting Imaginary Animals.
The book opens with three chapters of fun and freeing creative exercises in which you will draw a variety of fun animals and creatures as you learn to recover a more childlike approach to creating. The next ten chapters present a variety of mixed-media techniques that incorporate painting, artist’s books, transfers, and more, that will help you bring your amazing creatures to life and result in a unique, finished art piece. You will improve your drawing skills, expand your creatiity, learn new art approaches, and have loads of fun doing it!
Review for “Imaginary Animals”
“I have to say, I am incredibly impressed with this book.  It’s packed full of great ideas, projects and mixed-media techniques, many of which I have added to my repertoire.  The book is inspiring, fun, creative, imaginative and releases all pressure and expectations that we artists often place on ourselves. Instead, it gives you permission to let go, have fun and enjoy yourself.” — Regina Lord, www.creativekismet.com
More Reviews:
www.comicbookmom.com
www.quinncreative.wordpress.com 
www.lifeimitatesdoodles.blogspot.com
 
To purchase a signed copy directly from Carla:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/carlasonheim
To Purchase Online:
from amazon.com
from Barnes & Noble
from QBookshop
from Independent Bookstores

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The Art of Silliness

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The Art of Silliness:  Draw, Doodle, and Play for 10 Minutes a Day

Due November 2012
Perigee Books


From the back cover:
Ready to play? Whether you think of yourself as an artist, a doodler, a dreamer, or none of the above, this book will jump-start your creativity. Popular art instructor Carla Sonheim offers fun, engaging ideas on every page, from drawing upside-down to imagining new worlds (down to their silly hats and strange animal species). All you need is a pencil or pen, and your imagination.
To Purchase:
Your local independent bookstore
from amazon.com
from Barnes & Noble
from Powell’s