Helene’s work is beautiful and I think it’s instantly recognisable as “Helene’s work”. Some of you may not be familiar so here’s a link to her Instagram account and her web page.

 

https://instagram.com/helene.jeanclaude?igshid=1u2j6hnbaacm1

 

 

https://helenejeanclaude.wixsite.com/les-ethiopiques/galerie

 

Anyway, I have loved her work, her use of textures and colours along with her statement collars she often makes me go “I wonder how she did that” I’m sure we all do that with other people’s “wow” work?

 

So I saw that she had a book available on Amazon and I added it to my wish list. So I could look at it in more detail and decide if I wanted to but it as it was written in French and I don’t speak French well enough to translate a book. So I wasn’t sure if it would be a good purchase or not. I promptly forgot about ordering the book only to find it landed in my doorstep as a friend decided with buy it for me! Lucky me! 

So this is a tough book to review fairly as I can’t read 80% of it and google translate is excellent, yet time consuming. So it’s a visual review with lots of assumptions thrown in.

There are 18 different projects.

An opening section of material and tools which is brief and even with my limited translation skills is easy to follow.

Each of the projects are well laid out, she reveals the products, manufactures and suppliers of the material in each project which is very good. Some artist say use a deep texture sheet whereas she will say which one and whom she purchased it from, very helpful.

There are step by step instructions with matching photos this allows you to follow the project without the need for direct translation.

She gives away a lot of her ‘trade secrets’ in this book more recently she has been putting out YouTube videos of some of the projects in the book. 

 

Her ‘Éruption métallisante’ shows how to incorporate magnetic clasps within her project creating simple yet effective closure in a way that I had not considered before. At the rear of the book there is a section on the templates and shapes, to scale, for the projects. 

 

She’s certainly a clever artist, who has her own methods and techniques, and this is typical of most of the French artists I have met.

 

Am I glad I have this book in my collection? Oh yes! 

Has it inspired me? Absolutely 

Was it easy to use despite the language issues? Well enough to not get frustrated.

Does it make good eye candy for us polymer jewellery enthusiasts? I believe it does.

If you can get your hands on a copy I would recommend particularly if you love Helene’s work. 

 

Review by Debby Wakley Feb 2020