Arts & Activities articles from March 2009

Arts & Activities archives from March 2009

Learn To See, Learn To Draw.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Video recording review)
March 1, 2009... LEARN TO SEE, LEARN TO DRAW. DVD/92 min./$19.95. On Air Video. Larry Withers, founder of On Air Video, is the driving force behind this very comprehensive, generous--at under $20--and lengthy presentation about drawing. Based on the premise...

Complete Guide to Materials and Techniques for Drawing and Painting.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2009... COMPLETE GUIDE TO MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES FOR DRAWING AND PAINTING (2008; $26.99), by David Sanmiguel. Barron's Educational Series, Inc. This is an "accessible book" appropriate for secondary-school students. Clearly and succinctly, it...

Beasts: Factual and Fantastic.(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2009... BEASTS: Factual and Fantastic (2007; $19.95), by Elizabeth Morrison. The J. Paul Getty Trust. This is a small book that draws upon manuscript illuminations from the Middle Ages and early Renaissance. The text is organized into three...

Camille Faure: Impossible Objects.(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2009... CAMILLE FAURE: Impossible Objects (2007; $35), by Cork Marcheschi. Umbra Books. This is a book written for a narrow audience of individuals interested in enamel Art Deco vases produced by the French Studio of Camille Faure over a 70-year...

Perspective Drawing.(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2009... PERSPECTIVE DRAWING (2007; $14.99), by Gabriel Martin Roig. Barron's Educational Series, Inc. A recurring challenge, as reported by students, is drawing objects and forms in space. How are things rendered so that they appear to be near or...

Prismacolor.(shop talk)(Premier Lightfast Colored Pencils)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Complying with ASTM D 6901 for lightfastness, Premier Lightfast Colored Pencils have the highest approved lightfast ratings (I or II), and boast excellent resistance to the fading effects of prolonged light exposure....

Crayola.(shop talk)(Crayola Telescoping Crayon Tower)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The largest set of Crayola colors ever, the 150-ct. Crayola Telescoping Crayon Tower[TM] puts lots of color at children's fingertips, compacts neatly for storage and comes with a built-in sharpener for extra...

Barron's Educational Series.(shop talk)(Beginner Art Guides series)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Barron's Educational Series announces its Beginner Art Guides book series that instructs readers trying to master a particular style of art or media. Recent offerings include Drawing with Charcoal, Chalk and Sanguine...

Crowood Press.(shop talk)(Portrait Drawing)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Aimed at those interested in drawing the human face, Portrait Drawing introduces a method of teaching based on continuous revision, working from the general to the particular. This enables the student to understand...

Sakura of America.(shop talk)(Cray-Pas)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Combining the soft, smooth color application of crayons with the brightness of dry pastels, Cray-Pas[R], from Sakura of America, are some of the most well-known oil pastels. Cray-Pas oil pastels come in three...

Loew-Cornell.(shop talk)(For Dummies art sets)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Loew-Cornell has added arts and crafts "kits" to their For Dummies[R] line. Included are: Acrylic Painting, Manga, Watercolor, Cartooning, Oil Painting, Drawing (shown above), Paper Crafts, Jewelry & Beading,...

Different strokes.(pastel drawing)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I actually liked this project, Mrs. G!" This backhanded compliment, from one of my most jaded, skeptical students, really warmed my heart. If I'd provided this cynical kid with an exciting, engaging activity, I'd...

Stained-glass pastels.
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I have always liked the look of stained-glass windows. Usually the designs are simplified and the shapes are easier for younger students to draw. This technique...

M.C. Escher portraits.
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I love teaching art at the middle-school level because I believe this is a critical time for students to experience success as visual artists. If they do not, they might give up on their participation in the visual...

It's raining cats and dogs: learning about the role of pets in impressionist art.
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Animals have always been close to the heart of humankind. They appear in the earliest imagery as the very first subjects of art. Household pets are a fixture for many a family. This is true in art as well. In...

Crossing the line.(INTEGRATING the curriculum)(art curriculum)
March 1, 2009... In a time when art programs are being cut across the country, we must show others just how valuable a good art curriculum can be. We do much more than "roll out the crayons"! The other educators at my school do some great, large-scale units,...

Clip & save art notes.(Kenny Scharf)(Brief biography)
March 1, 2009... ABOUT THE ARTIST As a little boy growing up in California's San Fernando Valley, Kenny Scharf was fascinated by television. The purchase of the family's first color set was instrumental in forming Scharf's artistic sensibilities. "I like...

Art print: Dawn in Paradise.(Brief article)(Photograph)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Kenny Scharf (American; b. 1958). Dawn in Paradise, 1985. Oil and canvas with acrylic painted frame, 92.5" x 123". Private Collection. [c] 2009 Kenny Scharf/Artist Rights Society (ARS), N.Y. Photograph by Ivan Dalla...

Classroom use of the art print.
March 1, 2009... Kenny Scharf (American; b. 1958). Dawn in Paradise, 1985. Oil and canvas with acrylic painted frame, 92.5" x 123". private collection THINGS TO KNOW Kenny Scharf was born in Southern California in 1958, the son of Eastern European...

Plug into a great outlet for creativity.(seeing the beauty of wall sockets)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Everyone with the ability to see can find pleasure in the beauty of nature and in the art of man. But how about the beauty in the everyday, somewhat mundane things in our rooms at home or our schoolrooms? Perhaps...

Celtic roads.(Celtic art)
March 1, 2009... Building upon lessons learned is relevant to art and life. As an art teacher dealing with teens, I try to give my students an understanding of art as a window to the "big picture" as well as a practical, relevant skill. I developed this lesson...

Panorama Jamma!(COMMUNITY: connections)(Fayetteville State University's Art Education program the Panorama Kids)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Get the community involved in art! Interactive art activities can empower children and adults to experience art as active participants rather than passive spectators. Fayetteville State University's Art Education...

Young artist.(how a young artist sees her work)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... When I am creating art, I'm in my own little world, unable to do anything else. That's why I like it. It calms me, refreshes me and gives me exactly what I need when I need it. It is impossible to put into words what it's like to experience...

Summer art experiences 2009.
March 1, 2009... Arts & Activities' listing of Summer Art Experiences provides ideas on how to make the most of art programs this summer. When writing, e-mailing, calling or faxing, be sure to let the workshops, schools and camps know that you read about them...

Edgar Degas in New Orleans.(WALKING through HISTORY)(Brief biography)
March 1, 2009... "Turkey buzzard." These were the only two words that Edgar Degas learned to speak in English when he sailed for America in 1872 with his brother, Rene, on the British ship, the Scotia. Edgar found the crew and passengers on the ship stiff and...

Drawing from within.(tried & true tips for art teachers)
March 1, 2009... Artistic people are often said to march to a different drummer. In this issue we concentrate on marching forward, with a nod to our past. Our focus this month--drawing--can be taken literally or figuratively. What came first: the idea or...