Brave Intuitive Painting Let Go. Be Bold. Unfold.: Techniques for Uncovering Your Own Unique Painting Style

You know you've got an unusual book when you turn over the title page to be greeted with a double-page spread of the author's backside... decorously clad, albeit...Add to this that the author is a self-proclaimed, peripatetic, "lifetime seeker after joy", and you immediately get the book's flavour.The cover - comprising a bit of a quirky painting, and two shots of parts of the author's anatomy - is an accurate reflection of the contents. Leafing through the pages, it seems there are almost as many illustrations of the latter as the former.I'd say that, as far as artists are concerned, this book is aimed at a relatively small audience. It's patently not your average how-to-do-it book, and if anyone saw this 80-year-old following the advice on pp 26-27 to "dance like no-one is watching", which includes dancing with my eyes closed whilst clutching my brushes - one in each hand - and various areas of my body preparatory to painting, I might risk incarceration. Whilst I can fairly truthfully say that this painting procedure would not work for me, perhaps it might for you...However, there IS true painterly advice in this book, and whilst the author's decorative, freely-expressed paintings aren't my style, her medium is. She paints in acrylic, and has much good advice to offer about it, with all of which I agree wholeheartedly; why anyone, especially leisure painters, bothers to paint in any other medium I can't think. It is, of course, ideal for the kind of free expression she advocates, and if the book does no more than encourage anyone to try this medium for the first time, it will have served a useful purpose for that reason alone.The author seems a gay (in the old sense), extroverted sort of girl, and reading her book was good fun; it therefore gets five stars from me for that alone. The unkind might describe much of it as psycho-babble, but at least most of it is sensible and even cheerful psycho-babble, and it comes across as genuine rather than pretentious; being as much about having a thoroughly good time as it is about painting. It won't necessarily be YOUR idea of a good time, of course, but if, on the other hand, the notion of being a free spirit appeals to you, and you like leaping around during painting whilst some pleasing youth plays his guitar, you will identify with the delectable Miss Bowley.

I really like this book. Flora S. Bowley doesn't show you a painting and then tell you how to recreate it, she gives you tips on how to create interesting paintings and lets you use your own creativity to create your own works of art. You're using your own inspirations but learning how to paint with different objects, such as rags, any kind of stamper, spray bottles, etc. She gives you the confidence to go and try her style of painting, a looser style, but in your own way.There are prompts all through the book to kick start your creativity and to help you if you get stuck while in the middle of something. There are also a few challenges and a bit of yoga thrown in too. I found it really inspiring and it has helped me find a looser way of panting which I'm really enjoying. The subject or theme develops as you paint so you have no worries about making it look a certain way. I think this would be helpful to beginners and to more experienced painters who want to loosen up their style.

I have been aware of the work and teachings of Flora Bowley for a while from her website and as she is recommended by so many people on the internet sites I visit. This book was well worth waiting for. I will never be able to afford the chance to attend one of her workshops and even the online course is out of my reach financially so I was excited to find that she was writing a book. I plan to spend my summer exploring her ideas and cues and suggestions all of which seem to be clearly explained along with her inspirational encouraging suggestions to 'let go, be bold'. Thank you Flora, for making your methods and processes so accessible.

I have read, or flicked through, many an art book or magazine. I have studied art up to honours degree level. I can produce a fair representation of someone else's work. Yet, I knew something was missing from my paintings. It was me! My personality, my uniqueness, my thoughts on the world around me, all missing. This book alone transformed my art in one fell swoop. The paintings within it are colourful, beautiful and inspiring. However, the descriptive passages and quotes really helped to fire me up, to free me. I devoured this book from cover to cover. Then I dipped into it over and over again (I still do). And then I went outside with the biggest canvas I had used in years and had fun daubing, flicking, dabbing, finger painting, marking it with colour. That produced the foundation of what turned out to be, in my opinion as well as others, my best painting to date. It expresses my personality. It is original. It makes me happy. At last! I LOVE this book!

This book has opened up a whole new way for me colourful and creative.Some of the techniques I had found out for myself as I am sure other artists have.I think the strength of this book lies in helping you to let go and be creative (not easy when you have always had an idea of how your painting was going to turn out).The only criticism is I think this book is aimed mostly for female artists but the paintings are beautiful.However after having made some paintings using this approach I find it restricting not knowing what the painting is going to be I know this is contrary to the book but just how many images can you paint of leaves and buds ect?Now I am back to painting reality which gives me everything I need colour and subject|I must say I would still recommend this book for the fun approach and for helping people to paint who would otherwise might never have tried.

What a fantastic book this is, encouraging, inspiring, beautiful and supportive. The paintings are so colourful and the prompts suggest trying lots of simple ideas which lead to richer thoughts. I'd also recommend Writing for Your Life by Deena Metzger, another deceptively deep book which will inspire writing and a creative life.