Tommye Scanlin has published two books in the last year. Her first book, The Nature of Things, is a memoir about her life and work as a tapestry weaver. I reviewed that book HERE. Her second book, Tapestry Design Basics and Beyond, has just been released by Schiffer Publishing (June 2021).
“I wish Tommye’s book had been available when I was first struggling with creating my own designs. This book is a much-needed addition to the scant literature on designing for tapestry weaving. Her explanations of the basic elements and “rules” of design, and the hands-on exercises she offers, provide a pathway through the twists and turns of finding your own voice. There is no person more qualified to teach these ideas than Tommye Scanlin.”
I interviewed Tommye about this book for the Design Solutions, Season 2 course in May of 2021. We had a great talk about the book and if you want to see the entire video, that is in the course which is open for registration again. The video below has clips from that interview and I also show you the inside of the book.
This book is a much-needed addition to the tapestry weaving literature. Tommye has decades of experience as a professor of art as well as a consistent and prolific art practice of her own, mostly in the field of tapestry weaving. The book walks us through fundamentals of design and how they apply to the medium of tapestry. Then she gives us lots of explorations to learn about these principles. She includes a section of work by students and colleagues using these explorations and there is an important section about how to critique your own work so you can make understand it better and decide on your next steps.
I highly recommend this book* and I hope you will get as many enlightening moments from it as I have. Tapestry Design Basics and Beyond has been released by Schiffer Publishing. You can get your copy HERE or anywhere books are sold.
Tommye McClure Scanlin, Tapestry Design Basics and Beyond, table of contents
Tommye McClure Scanlin, Tapestry Design Basics and Beyond
Tommye McClure Scanlin, Tapestry Design Basics and Beyond
*Full disclosure, I did write the foreward to this book and was so honored that Tommye wanted me to be part of the project.
Header photo is Tommye’s tapestry diary on a loom at Penland School of Craft’s Lily Loom House where Tommye was teaching an 8-week concentration with Bhakti Ziek.