This is a book which dispels a lot of the myths and mystique surrounding mixed media painting. Soraya French demonstrates that it's much more about the results than the technique itself. Mixed media is about working with colours, shapes and textures to create the sense of your subject rather than finding or learning ways of handling materials. Soraya has a loose way of working that's somewhere between Impressionism and Abstraction and this reflects her approach, whatever the subject. In a busy market scene, for instance, it's the quick marks and sublimation of details that create the sense of bustle rather than an accurate record of what was there. As a result, the painting comes alive in a way that any other approach, and any concentration on ways of working, would suppress. Although there are plenty of demonstrations and examples to work from, this is mainly a book about using your materials to interpret a subject and explain it to your viewer. Soraya is an entertaining writer as well as an inspiring painter and you'll see that mixed media is something to celebrate and enjoy and not to be afraid of at all. Book: Crowood Press - Paperback - 160 pages - Colour throughout