Arts & Activities articles from December 2004

Arts & Activities archives from December 2004

Editor's note.
December 1, 2004... The cute fellow on our cover is happily running forward into this month's issue, which focuses on ways to involve students in the magic of fiber arts. First up is "Circus ABC" (page 16), a fun project that leads fifth-graders through the...

Batik: Fabled Cloth of Java.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... BATIK: Fabled Cloth of Java (2004, $40) by Inger McCabe Elliott. Turtle Publishing (Periplus Editions), 364 Innovative Dr., N. Clarendon, VT 05759. This impressive and beautifully executed volume would serve as an excellent reference for...

Who is the Artist? Dufy, Gauguin, Matisse.(Video Recording Review)
December 1, 2004... Who is the Artist? DUFY, GAUGUIN, MATISSE. Video/25 min./$29. 95. Level: Ages 9 and up. Crystal Productions, P.O. Box 2159, Glenview, IL 60025, (800) 255-8629, www.crystal productions.com. This video features artists who were masters of...

Hooked On Art.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... HOOKED ON ART (2002, $29.95), by Jenean Romberg. Prentice Hall Press, 240 Frisch Court, Paramus, NJ 07652. This is a collection of "ready-to-use" activities in seven media or approaches--crayon techniques, paper projects, techniques using...

Hills and Mountains and Skies and Clouds.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... HILLS AND MOUNTAINS and SKIES AND CLOUDS (2003; $14.95 each), by Richard Taylor. Collins and Brown/Sterling Publishing Co., 387 Park Ave. S., New York, NY 10016. These are two neatly packaged books designed as guides for watercolor...

Mud tools.(shop talk)
December 1, 2004... MUD TOOLS were created out of necessity. Clay artist Michael Sherrill found that he had to either modify or make his tools to suit his creative needs. These new tools quickly became indispensible and were always the first thing to come out of...

Kids Can Press.(shop talk)
December 1, 2004... Embroidery is enjoying a resurgence as crafting continues to grow in popularity among youngsters. Described as drawing with a needle and thread, it is a creative way for kids to make a statement by embellishing their clothing and belongings...

Harrisville designs.(shop talk)
December 1, 2004... HARRISVILLE DESIGNS has announced two new products. First is The Designer Purse Kit, which allows you to weave your own designer purse on a potholder loom. The kit makes four potholders, from which either two open purses or one with a flap can...

Kodansha International.(shop talk)
December 1, 2004... Published by Japan Publications Trading and distributed by KODANSHA INTERNATIONAL, Quick & Easy: Origami Christmas, by Toshie Takahama, is an entertaining how-to book of Christmas themed origami. Packaged with 60 sheets of origami paper in six...

Xuron Corp.(shop talk)
December 1, 2004... The new, combination long-nose plier from XURON CORP. is ideally suited for jewelry making and bead stringing. The Xuron Model 485C Long Nose Plier is a combination tool that features a full by-pass shear cutter in the back of the jaw which...

Paragon Industries.(shop talk)
December 1, 2004... PARAGON INDUSTRIES has introduced a glass crucible kiln called the Vulcan. It heats glass to a molten state for mixing custom glass colors, making glass figurines, paperweights, blown vessels and stringers. The Paragon Vulcan has 4...

Ellison.(shop talk)
December 1, 2004... The Sizzix Sidekick is the portable, affordable companion to the Sizzix Machine, developed by ELLISON, a leading manufacturer of hand-operated die-cutting equipment. The Sidekick effectively captures the hearts and minds of crafters and...

Watson-Guptill Publication.(shop talk)
December 1, 2004... WATSON-GUPTILL PUBLICATION's Water Color Fairies, A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating the Fairy World, is an inspirational guide to drawing and painting the fairy realm. The book looks at the origins and development of fairy art, and draws upon a...

Crizmac.(shop talk)
December 1, 2004... CRIZMAC has just received a new collection of Josefina Aguilar's clay market figures from Oaxaca. Josefina's handmade, one-of-a-kind figures are known internationally for their unique primitive style and vibrant colors. For over 20 years, the...

Sargent Art, Inc.(shop talk)
December 1, 2004... SARGENT ART, INC. introduces a "breathable" long-sleeve children's smock called the Smart Smock". This revolutionary lightweight material is comfortable and stays cool even in warmer weather climates or heated classrooms by allowing cool air to...

Rounder Records.(shop talk)
December 1, 2004... Celebrate music and fine arts with Hey, Picasso, a new CD from ROUNDER RECORDS that provides a tuneful celebration of favorite works of art, using sound to bring paintings to life. Van Gogh, Monet, Mary Cassatt and, of course, Picasso, are all...

3+Co.(shop talk)
December 1, 2004... Designed by award-winning, New York-based design studio 3+CO., The Big Book of Illustration Ideas, published by Harper Design International, offers stylized pop cultural vignettes and features both acclaimed and emerging illustrators who...

Circus ABC.
December 1, 2004... From Agile Acrobat to Zany Zebra, with a Cavorting Clown, Daunting Daredevil, Portly Peanut-vendor, Sinuous Snake-charmer and Wily Wire-walker thrown in for good measure, my sixth graders created a circus alphabet using applique and stitchery....

Straws are for more than sipping.(Cover Story)
December 1, 2004... Easy for all ages, soda-straw weaving challenges students to create a variety of products from a woven band. The materials are readily available: thick plastic soda straws, masking tape and yarn (the stretchy kind used for knitting and...

A community quilt.
December 1, 2004... "Did you say sew?" That is usually the first question asked when I introduce my community-quilt project to my high-school crafts classes. The apprehension about their sewing ability is alleviated once I explain that sewing is one small...

Young artist.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... My name is Tony Purnell and I love to draw! I am always drawing. I was probably 3 years old when I started. When I was in kindergarten, my teacher would tell me I was a great artist. When she needed something drawn on the blackboard, she would...

Clip & save art notes.(self-portraits)(Biography)
December 1, 2004... ABOUT THIS SELF-PORTRAIT This portrait was painted in 1919, when Joan Miro was 25 years old. At this time he was still living in his hometown of Barcelona, Spain, and was only at the beginning of his long artistic career. As a young...

Art print: self portrait.(Young Man in a Red Shirt)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Joan Miro (Spanish; 1993-1983). Self-Portrait (Young Man in a Red Shirt), 1919. Oil on canvas; 28 1/4" x 23 1/8". [C] Artists Rights Society, N.Y. Musee Picasso, Paris. Photo courtesy of Reunion des Musees Nationaux/ART Resource, New York. [C]...

Classroom use of the art print.(self-portraits)
December 1, 2004... Joan Miro (Spanish; 1893-1983). Self-Portarit (Young Man in a Red Shirt), 1919 Oil on canvass; 28 1/4 x 23 1/8. Musee Picasso, Paris. THINGS TO LEARN * In order to appreciate the art of Joan Miro, students need to know something about...

Performance artists.(Children's art diary)
December 1, 2004... My daughter Ana opens the refrigerator to find a theater of stars. She animates a milk jug by grabbing its handle and dancing it to the table. Children are Geppettos, lending lively moves and gestures to most any object. We adults may open...

Painted weaving collage.
December 1, 2004... The idea for these painted weaving collages began with the weavings themselves. Several years ago, when my third-graders created some weavings, they seemed to be too plain and similar. This was a concern because I like to display work in our...

The three C's of coiling.
December 1, 2004... Every teacher knows that the art curriculum is so crowded and time so short that each time we meet with students we must attack several concepts. Once students master the basics of coiled-basket making, their time in production of this art form...

Chair portraits.
December 1, 2004... I had been toying with the idea of taking a functional item and raising it to the level of an art form. For many years now, I have done just that: painting on chairs, making them accessories within a home, rather than simply being something on...

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
December 1, 2004... If you can't escape it, paint it! That was my sentiment after my community was covered with more than 2 feet of snow, with the prediction of even more on the way. After several major snowstorms this season, the prospect of more snow did not...

Luminaria.(clay corner, lamp stands)
December 1, 2004... A fun and challenging clay activity is making a "luminaria." A luminaria is a container that holds a candle. When the candle is lit, it will glow through the openings in the clay. My eighth-grade students were given the assignment of...

Winter catalog showcase.
December 1, 2004... AARDVARK CLAY & SUPPLIES The most comprehensive ceramic supplies catalog available. Over 250 pages of clays, glazes, kilns, potter's wheels, equipment, tools, books and everything else for ceramics. From K-12 and beyond. Aardvark has what...