I'm not usually one to submit projects for books and magazines, but they made it easy - they asked me to do specific things and set a deadline for each step - that made it easier for me (not very well self-directed ;) to get things done.

It was a very long process - over a year from the first contact, and interesting to observe.

The day that the book came in the mail, there were a few wild minutes of jumping-up-and-down noisy hooplah, and then I settled down with a cup of coffee to read it like a calm and rational human being, instead of like a screeching jumping bean. ;)

I was already excited just to be part of this project, but I was doubly proud to be associated with it after I saw the beauty and the originality and the finely-executed craftsmanship shown throughout the book. Beautiful paper and text, well-organized and laid out, it's just a gorgeous book.

Thirty faux substances and thirty different projects. I was intrigued by this idea from the start, but I wasn't sure how it would show up. Turns out that it works very well - the recipe for the faux surface flows right into the project that goes with it or right into some other project.

The photographs are rich and beautiful and the array of different faux surfaces is amazingly wide. The book has basic information about the clays and materials in the beginning, and the instructions for the projects and recipes are clear and easy to follow.

I love the rusted steel and copper verdigris by Alison Ingham - what a novel approach!

Luann Udell, who got me started with the addicting hobby of carving my own rubber stamps with her book has a gorgeous rendition of bone project for buttons.

Gerry Newfry's celadon pottery and Lynn Krucke's raku faux's are innovative and exciting, too.

Dawn Schiller's "bronze" green man would be a beautiful outside wall decoration.

Diane Villano provided one of the most original applications of faux Balinese filigree silver that I've ever seen!

Julia Sober's Baisse-Taille book is on my "must do" list.

In fact, I loved all of the projects in this book, even though I can't remember them all at the moment.

I plan to try as many of them as I can... the level of realism demonstrated is just incredible.

If you're as fascinated with the possibilities of this wonderful medium as I am, you will love this book. It's aimed at people who have some experience with the clay, but even if you're a beginner, try a couple of the projects and practice and I'll bet you can do these things, too.

Another of my favorite books is Tory Hughes' "Chameleon Clay," and I'd recommend buying that one, too - these are two completely different books with very little overlap in the processes by which we arrive at the different faux looks. They complement each other very nicely.

zig