Inspiration from books.

Let me just start this post by saying, the internet is a wonderful thing.  I love being able to look up something at the click of a mouse.  Sometimes my ideas come in rapid succession and I love the quick fix that a search engine browse can supply.  But it can also be a time suck, where looking at one thing leads to another, and before you know it, it's 3.00pm and time to do the school run. Not only that, but the brilliant idea that you had at 9.00am has been pushed to the back of your mind as a myriad of new images jostle for space and competition in your creative recesses.
I am lucky enough to have an extensive craft book library.  I spent many a paycheck on glossy coffee table books  prior to having children.  They would often be about art, bag design or gardening.  Over time, I added to my new book collection with books sourced from Op-Shops.  I delighted in finding  decommissioned library books, many on jewellery making, student art ideas and Encyclopeadia of crafts.  Often I would find a book that I remembered borrowing as a young girl.  I have one book that I covet, entitled Art In Craftmaking by Carolyn S. Howlett.  I remember borrowing this book from Glen Waverley Library when I was doing an Art and Craft Certificate in 1988.  I still have the sketchbbok with the ideas inspired by this book.
Imagine my delight years later, when I unknowingly purchased this book for $2.50 at my local Op-Shop.

 

As my book collection grew, I became more selective in what I purchased.  I also had to restrict my visits to places like the NGV bookshop at Federation Square, as a trip into the city would often end in me lugging home one or two large books.  Also, when I purchased the same book twice (different covers), I knew that things had begun to get out of hand.  I'm currently trying to catalogue them on an Ipad app, but get distracted quite easily and am only about halfway through. 

Today's burst of inspiration lead me to three books in my collection.

The first two are books I never tire of browsing through.  I LOVE Jonathan Adler's work and his books are always, fun, cheeky and full of pattern and texture.

The last book, Crafting Modernism, is filled to the brim with inspiring designers like Art Smith, Ruth Asawa,  Alexander Girard and a plethora of lesser known but equally talented artists and crafts men and women.

Do you have a favourite craft book that you regularly turn to?
Do you have a book that you can recommend based on the ones above?
I'd love to hear your thoughts.