Keri Smith already has quite a following from the numerous guides and how-to’s that she’s written and drawn, generously sharing with us how she (and we) can get those creative juices flowing. Now she’s got another great book to add to our shelves ~ The Guerilla Art Kit. A few words of wisdom and pointers (like how to make street art respectful and nondisruptive), pages of illustrated how-to’s and instructions (my favorites are “seed bombs,” “public chalkboards” and “hidden fortunes”), some really cool templates, and she’ll have you ready to hit the sidewalk as an anonymous artist. And the book looks just as good as the content: a sturdy hardcover with spiral bound inserts printed on cardstock (so the book won’t get soggy if you’re following a page of instructions and you’ve got glue and paint on your fingers), filled from cover to cover with her fun illustrations.

Keri Smith reminds us that seeing things differently involves connecting with our surroundings, and in the case of guerilla art, letting our work be changed by the environment it’s placed in, getting rained or stepped on, and responded to by others: ”Like a random act of kindness, guerilla art has the potential to create a ripple effect. Imagine the postal worker running through his day, stopping for a moment to read a quote you have chalked onto the sidewalk. You have the power to enter into people’s daily routines” (pg. 15).

I’ve already gone through the book twice. Once the weather turns a little cooler I’ll be pulling on my walking boots and heading outside with a handful of seeds and chalk.

September 10th, 2007