At Mr X Stitch we love to review textile art and embroidery books for you. There are so many great books to discover, packed with needlework inspiration and textile techniques, so we dive into each book to find out what’s good, what’s bad and let you know why you should pick it up.
The Art of Moy Mackay by Moy Mackay
Published by Search Press
Fine Art? Textiles? Its hard to define the work of Artist Moy Mackay. One thing is for sure, her work is district and recognisable. Inspired by the countryside surrounding her, this artist produces landscapes in felt, in a painterly style. Will we be inspired to interpret out own local views?
Who is it aimed at?
Maybe you are a felt maker, bored of making the old bags and brooches. Or maybe you are into painting and feel the need to create more than the flat pages your watercolours produce. We think this book is suitable for anyone who has an artistic eye, preferably those with some knowledge of the felt making process, so that they can use the skills outlined to really create their own landscapes for themselves. However we don’t think anyone could be bored leafing through this solid handback.
This book is such a coffee table pleaser as well as a practical volume. Normally books are pigeon holed into one category, the beautiful or the practical, yet this book seems to create a balance between both.
About the artist
Interestingly Moy Mackay began her artistic life in printed textiles., yet since then she has gone on to develop her own way of interpreting a painterly style within the tactile. She has written several books and teaches classes locally and further afield.
Content
The book has been separated into certain sections. There is advice on the basics, such as colour choice and dyeing techniques, along with possible project ideas.
Many of us will not know where to start. Mackay tells us what inspires her work, without pushing us down the same path.
There are projects to follow with pictures to illustrate each process:
The addition of stitch lines to her work adds a hand drawn feel, as if this was black ink on top of watercolour.
What makes it special?
Small details, such as this books hard cover give away its worth. This isn’t a publication to get dog eared, it is one to keep reflecting upon. The imagery is good for the soul, we all need a bit of nature and Mackay fills this need in a practical way.
Look at just one of her beautiful scenes:
Photography
We really loved the layout of the pages, especially the ones illustrating her drawings alongside her finished felt paintings:
What is wrong with the book?
Hmmmm, well if you don’t appreciate colour, hate textiles and art and reading or in fact looking in general, then we guess this wont be for you. Then again, you wouldn’t be on our website in the first place!
Conclusion
The Art of Moy Mackay published by Search Press is a joy to own, celebrating rightly the talent within this artist.
