{"id":46932,"date":"2026-09-22T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/?p=46932"},"modified":"2026-09-18T10:08:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T17:08:12","slug":"inside-the-artists-studio-attack-of-the-journal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/inside-the-artists-studio-attack-of-the-journal\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the Artist\u2019s Studio \/ Attack of the Journal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

AN ARTIST TOURS THE SPACES OF 24 FELLOW ARTISTS, THEN MAKES ART INSPIRED BY HIS VISITS<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

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Inside the Artist\u2019s Studio<\/em>
by Joe Fig
Princeton Architectural Press
2015, 256 pages, 7.2 x 9.5 x 1 inches (softcover)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buy on Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m a gigantic snoop. I love to peruse people\u2019s bookshelves, rifle through the magazines on their toilet tank, look at their media Likes on Facebook, etc. I am endlessly fascinated by people and the media, tools, and ideas that inspire them. I also like workshops and the unique way in which people set up and use their spaces. These interests converge to great effect in artist and author Joe Fig\u2019s Inside the Artist\u2019s Studio<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given my nosey proclivities, I have read a number of similar collections of artist studio tour books. This book has a slightly more satisfying weight to it. The questions Fig asks are more interesting and far ranging, from childhood memories to working techniques to each artist\u2019s working \u201ccreed.\u201d And the photographs he takes are especially lovely, artful, and create a distinct mood that reflects each artist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The really special dimension to this book is Joe Fig\u2019s artwork. Fig is known for being an artist whose subjects are often art, artists, and art spaces. In this book, after interviewing and photographing such artists as Ellen Altfest, Byron Kim, Laurie Simmons, Adam Cvijanovic, Tara Donovan, and Roxy Paine (24 artists in all), Fig creates a piece of art inspired by that artist, their studio, and their work. The subject of each piece is the artist\u2019s studio. All of this works to create a surprisingly rich, intimate, and informative collection. \u2013 Gareth Branwyn<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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ATTACK OF THE JOURNAL \u2013 PART JOURNAL PART SKETCHBOOK AND A GREAT COMPANION TO THE STAR WARS JEDI ACADEMY SERIES<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

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Attack of the Journal (Star Wars: Jedi Academy)<\/em>
by Jeffrey Brown
Scholastic Inc.
2015, 112 pages, 5.8 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buy on Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When an author who writes books for grown-ups is successful at translating his voice into books for kids it\u2019s a win-win. Jeffrey Brown, author of graphic novels such as Clumsy<\/em> and Funny Misshapen Body<\/em> has done just that with his series Star Wars Jedi Academy<\/em>. These graphic novels follow Roan, a young Jedi fumbling his way through middle school\u2019s version of the Jedi Arts. This latest installation, Attack of the Journal<\/em>, is part activity book part sketchbook and a great accompaniment to the series. It features familiar characters from the books, but you don\u2019t need to have read the actual novels to enjoy the journal. Unlike many character-based activity books for children, Attack of the Journal<\/em> gives the reins over to the reader. Instead of preprinted mazes and simple seek and finds, Brown\u2019s activities are open-ended and challenge readers to try drawing new things and to write their own stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The book is great for elementary-aged kids, but even younger can have fun with the \u201cDraw Your Friends As Aliens\u201d page or attempt a self-portrait. I found it\u2019s a great way to practice letters and words with kids in a way that is fun for everyone. Even the fact that it\u2019s a hardback makes whatever you create inside feel more important. Jeffrey Brown\u2019s sense of humor and kind encouragement are felt in the journal activities, helping young authors and illustrators not take it too seriously if their \u201cCreate your own Lightsaber\u201d page looks more like a Wookie. And be prepared to grab some extra paper \u2013 because I guarantee big kids (aka grown-ups) will want to take a crack at drawing the \u201cEwok pilot.\u201d \u2013 Amy Lackpour<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Books That Belong On Paper<\/strong> first appeared on the web as Wink Books and was edited by Carla Sinclair.<\/em> Sign up here<\/a> to get the issues a week early in your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Issue No. 136<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47588,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[31],"tags":[2398],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46932"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/47588"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46932"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46932\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46954,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46932\/revisions\/46954"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46932"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46932"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46932"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}