Inside the Creative Studio: Inspiration and Ideas for Your Art and Craft Space

The subtitle of this gorgeously photographed book ought to be "Inspiring Envy and Longing Among Amateur Artists Everywhere" for its lush layout and behind-the-scenes studio tours of prominent working artists and craftspersons both here and overseas. Between artist profiles and studio descriptions, Prato, former editor of the quarterly Studios magazine, and several contributors offer helpful information artists of all levels must consider for their own spaces%E2%80%94types of light, qualities of wall color, and principles of organization and storage. Chapters that focus on specific aspects of designing a studio%E2%80%94storage and layout, personalization of space, etc.%E2%80%94make the content easily digestible without being overwhelming. The book's chief pleasure lies in its photographs, which, with their peeks into cozy corners filled with yarn, tidy closets bursting with fabric, drawers stocked with paints, and well-lit tabletops with clear spaces, make this book what might be called "craft porn." It excites and inspires the reader, making it seem that a studio of her own is within her reach. Whether it will be as well-organized, well-stocked and lusciously inviting as these studios is beyond the book's ability to promise. Photos. (Oct.)