Arts & Activities articles from February 2007

Arts & Activities archives from February 2007

Editor's note.
February 1, 2007... Making "Art from the Earth" is the theme of this issue, which offers clay-project ideas for every school level--from high-school ("Primitive Firing... Pots with a History" on page 18) to kindergarten ("Tea in the Garden," page 32)....

On the Wheel with Nils Lou.(Video recording review)
February 1, 2007... ON THE WHEEL WITH NILS LOU. DVD/103 min./$49. Level: High School and Adult. Axner Pottery Supply, P.O. Box 62184, Oviedo, FL 32762; (407) 365-2600; www.axner.com. Nils Lou is not only incredibly skilled at throwing pots on the wheel, but...

African American Culture.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Book review)
February 1, 2007... AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE (2006; $20.95), by Catherine Nichols. Rourke Publishing, P.O. Box 3328, Veto Beach, FL 32964; (800) 3947055; www.rourkepublishing.com. This book is one of a series, "Discovering the Arts," designed for...

I Can Make Art.(Video recording review)
February 1, 2007... I CAN MAKE ART. DVD or VHS/10-15 min. each/$19.95 each; $99.95 for set of six. Level: Grades 9-12. Crystal Productions, P. O. Box 2159, Glenwood, IL 60025; (800) 255-8629; www.crystalproductions.com. The National Film Board of Canada has...

The clay lady.(shop talk)(How to Teach Clay ... The Clay Lady Way)(How to Throw on the Potter's Wheel ... With The Clay Lady)(Video recording review)
February 1, 2007... THE CLAY LADY presents two new DVDs. How to Teach Clay... The Clay Lady Way is a two-hour introduction to The Clay Lady Way. It includes a mask workshop that can be used to teach your class, full demonstration of over 25 projects, full basics...

Blick art materials.(shop talk)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... BLICK ART MATERIALS has been serving artists, teachers and students since 1911, offering tremendous savings and selection, as well as superior customer service. Art instruction books are among the thousands of items available from Blick. Two...

Scratch-Art Co.(shop talk)
February 1, 2007... With SCRATCH-ART CO.'s Shade-Tex[R] Rubbing Plates, countless patterns can be created on clay and paper. Textured designs are molded right into flexible and sturdy large plastic rubbing plates, and can instantly add intriguing patterns to clay...

Binney & Smith.(shop talk)(air dry clay from Crayola Products Div.)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Crayola Air-Dry Clay from BINNEY & SMITH looks, feels and performs like true clay, but requires no baking or firing. The 2.5-1b. Bucket offers an authentic clay that's smoother, finer and less sticky, but still maintains the texture and...

Josef Albers: To Open Eyes.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Book review)
February 1, 2007... JOSEF ALBERS: To Open Eyes (2006; $75), by Frederick A. Horowitz and Brenda Danilowitz. Phaidon Press, Inc., 180 Vanick Street, New York, NY 10014; www.phaidon.com. This is a wonderful book for high-school libraries, community art centers,...

Primitive firing: pots with a history.(Cover story)
February 1, 2007... Primitive. Before kilns and technology to gauge temperature, color and other results. The earliest methods of firing were fire pits. Animal fat and, perhaps, beeswax eventually became the predecessors of glazing so a vessel could hold liquids....

Young artist.(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Ever since I was very young, art has always been my passion. I mean, I was coloring inside the lines when I was 2 years old! Like my grandmother, uncle and brother, I have always showed talent and skill. I like using materials such as...

Big fat hens.(clay sculpture)
February 1, 2007... As I was trying to come up with a hollow clay figure for my seventh-grade students to attempt, adding this piece of clay and that, a chicken suddenly appeared in the clay! It was so comical and cute that I knew immediately it was perfect for my...

Clay dragons.
February 1, 2007... What could have a head like a lion, body like a lizard, wings like a bat, scales like a fish and claws like an eagle? This perplexing question was written on the board as my fourth-graders walked into the art room. As I started sketching...

Charming chalices inspired by Beatrice Wood.
February 1, 2007... After visiting the ceramics studio of Beatrice Wood in Ojai, Calif., I was excited to share her story and work with my second-grade art class. As a young woman, "Beato" lived a carefree, bohemian lifestyle. Many of her friends were well known...

Clip & save art notes.(symbolism in korean painting)
February 1, 2007... ABOUT THIS PAINTING This month's Clip & Save Art Print is a scroll produced in Korea in the 19th century. It is a classic example of "minhwa" painting, or folk painting. The subject matter depicted in the scroll is a common and popular...

Classroom use of the art print: Horizontal Scroll showing 10 Symbols of Immortality. Korean, Yi Dynasty, 19th Century. Musee des Arts Asiatiques-Guimet, Paris, France.
February 1, 2007... THINGS TO LEARN * Korea (currently politically divided into North Korea and South Korea) is a country in East Asia, located in the Korean peninsula. It is bordered to the northwest by China, to the northeast by Russia, and lies southeast...

Artists on the floor.(CHILDREN'S art diary)
February 1, 2007... Parents warn against floor life without recognizing the value of this unique play space and art studio. To kids, floors that are cold, wet or slippery are fun and feel good. Children's art careers begin on the floor as crawling explorers....

Tea in the garden.
February 1, 2007... The invitation from Mrs. Stover's kindergarten class read, "You are cordially invited to attend our Garden Tea Party." The children were excited to invite their families to visit their school. Mrs. Stover had transformed the classroom into...

Masks of Venice.(Venetian Carnivale)
February 1, 2007... Every year, right before the Lenten church season, the alleys of Venice become alive with "Carnivale"--a celebration before the rigors and deprivation of Lent. People from all over the world come, dress in incredibly ornate costumes and...

Giant negatives are big fun.(PHOTOGRAPHIC Expression)
February 1, 2007... Photograms have been fascinating since Niepce, Bayard and Talbot created cool contact prints while testing their emulsions back in the 19th century. In the early 20th century, Moholy-Nagy, Man Ray and Christian Schad used the technique. ...

Using art to promote literacy.
February 1, 2007... Literacy is a concern for all schools. All grade 10 students in Ontario write a provincial literacy test, which they must pass if they are to receive a high-school diploma. At Merivale High School, a concerted effort has been made by our entire...

Delphi.(shop talk)
February 1, 2007... DELPHI's Studio One Kits are a convenient way to quickly create stained-glass projects--with no glass cutting. Each of four kits available include the precut glass pieces needed to complete a project as well as detailed instructions. Choose...

Paragon.(shop talk)
February 1, 2007... PARAGON's Pearl-44 clamshell glass kiln measures 22" deep x 44" wide x 13" high. With the kiln top in the open position, 9 inches of wall height lift up out of the way so that pieces can be arranged on shelves that are already loaded into the...

Ceramics.(Tried & True Tips for Art Teachers)
February 1, 2007... Ceramics is another of my favorite mediums to teach and to work with personally. Teaching ceramics requires a little prior planning so you and your students can get the most out of working with clay. There are a few things you need to think...