Vision Box Ideas by Mark Montano – I don’t usually like to review graphic-intense books such as graphic novels or art/crafting books in digital format because my past experiences has included pages that take F-O-R-E-V-E-R to load, and miniscule text rendered as PDF that is nearly impossible to read.
I was pleasantly surprised, then, when I found Vision Box Ideas by Mark Montano very easy to read, with beautifully rendered images and clear text. I was not familiar with Montano when I started this book, but apparently he has some real arts & crafts cred, which shines through in this inspiring offering. Montano offers several examples of vision boxes centered around ideas such as travels and angels. He takes great care to let us know, though, that these are ideas that we should use as jumping off points for our own creative vision boxes.
What is a vision box? Pretty much anything you can imagine. Think about what is special to you, what has meaning in your life right now, or what you envision in your life in the future. Then think about how to represent those visions visually. Finally, arrange all those visual representations into a 2 or 3 dimensional collage created inside a frame or box. I’m making a box right now centered around letter-writing using old letters from friends, beautiful stationery, photos, stamps, and unusual writing utensils.
Montano is very clear and precise in his instructions, all the while reminding us that creating art isn’t done according to a blueprint – that each project has to have some of us injected somewhere. He shows us how to create his boxes exactly, if we want to, but he also pushes us to change a little bit here, or add a little bit there, to create something unique.
Highly recommended.
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