Arts & Activities articles from May 2008

Arts & Activities archives from May 2008

The Gates: A Film About The Gates In Central Park, New York City.(Brief article)(Video recording review)
May 1, 2008... THE GATES: A Film About The Gates In Central Park, New York City. DVD/30 min./$29.95. Level: All ages. Crystal Productions. "It is just a work of art," Christo quietly explains. Yet, The Gates is a joyous celebration of all that is...

Steven Caney's Ultimate Building Book.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2008... STEVEN CANEY'S ULTIMATE BUILDING BOOK (2006; $36), by Steven Caney. Running Press Publishers. This is a book that does not fit the usual format for publications dealing with art and design. Yet, in many ways it offers a content basic to...

Semiotics and Visual Culture: Sights, Signs and Significance.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2008... SEMIOTICS AND VISUAL CULTURE: Sights, Signs and Significance (2004; members; $20), edited by Debrah L. Smith-Shank. National Art Education Association. Many observers of present-day art education are understandably puzzled. Forms of...

Beading: 8 Easy Projects.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Video recording review)
May 1, 2008... BEADING: 8 Easy Projects. DVD/40 min./$14.95. Level: Upper Elementary through Adult. On Air Video, Inc. Eight beading projects in one video is a great deal. Narrated and demonstrated by Sharyn Pak Withers, this video provides all of the...

Blick Art Materials.(shop talk)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 2008 editions of both the Blick Art Materials catalog for grades 6-12 art educators and the Blick Classroom Art Resources for K-6 Educators are now available. Visit the Blick Art Materials Web site to request...

ArtBin.(shop talk)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Bead N Bellishment Bench from ArtBin is a convenient way to store small items such as beads, brads, buttons and other embellishments. Eighteen clear jars with screw-top lids nest inside the Bench, which is made...

Crystal Productions.(shop talk)(Gargoyles: How to Create Them )(Brief article)(Video recording review)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gargoyles: How to Create Them is a new video by artist/educator Peggy Flores. In it, Flores discusses the history of gargoyles, chimeras and other grotesque characters, and shares photos of actual historical...

Delphi.(shop talk)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Delphi EZ-Pro Deluxe fires ceramics, glass and metal clay all in one kiln. With unique heating elements, the EZ-Pro Deluxe can switch between fusing glass, annealing beads and firing ceramics or silver metal...

Xuron Corp.(shop talk)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Xuron TK2400 Bead Stringer's Tool Kit features three tools that are essential for stringing jewelry beads onto flexible stranded bead wire, cord, monofilament and thread. Packaged in a handy canvas pouch with...

Sax Arts & Crafts.(shop talk)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Life-sized foam sculpture heads provide the ideal base for creative faces. Use the new Sax[R] Paper Based Clay to sculpt facial features. The lightweight, air-dry modeling material dries to a hard, durable finish...

Barron's Educational Series.(shop talk)(Interior Design Course: Principles, Practices, and Techniques for the Aspiring Designer)(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The book, Interior Design Course, covers principles, practices and techniques for the aspiring interior designer. The book is organized into units reflecting courses given by top design colleges, and offers advice on...

AMACO.(shop talk)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Claycrete[R] Instant Papier Mache, from the American Art Clay Co. (AMACO), is a nontoxic, easily prepared modeling compound. Claycrete comes in dry form, mixes with water and is ready to use, setting up in 30...

Badger Air-Brush Co.(shop talk)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Portable Metal Spray Booth eliminates paint overspray and odors while completing a project. The expandable design has a sturdy metal body and a replaceable air filter, with a 165 CFM motor and 4" output adapter....

Creating mood with sculpture.
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Artists who work on a flat surface try to create the illusion of space in their work. Sculptors, however, actually create their works of art in space. I wanted my sixth-graders to have a tactile experience with...

Simulated storefronts.(on the ART CAREER TRACK)
May 1, 2008... As a high-school art instructor, I'm constantly looking for assignments that will better prepare my students for college art courses, and that will make them aware of some of the art careers available to them. I also believe that working...

Building blocks.(RECYCLING renaissance)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I'm a dumpster diver. I beg and scrounge art materials anywhere I can find them. Like most art educators, I reuse items and find new applications for non-traditional materials. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam...

Pinatas.(RECYCLING renaissance)
May 1, 2008... When I was in Spanish Club in high school, my teacher showed me how to make a burro pinata out of poster board, tape, paper cups, toilet-paper tubes and layered strips of tissue paper. The result was a beautifully decorated, three-dimensional...

Breaking through: a project in relief.
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As I sat in my art room looking for inspiration for my next project, I made a mental list of extra materials I had that I could possibly use. I had enough 8" x 11" canvas boards for each student in the fifth grade,...

Masks with tribal flair.
May 1, 2008... African masks have sparked the imaginations of countless successful artists including Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) and my fourth- and fifth-grade students. My students were excited and inspired by these...

Nava Ratna: the nine gemstones.
May 1, 2008... On a recent trip to a jewelry store, the owner shared with me some new treasures they had just received from India. He explained to me that they were Nava Ratna (or Navaratna), which means "the nine gemstones." This Indian version of the zodiac...

Bead-making with sophistication.
May 1, 2008... The history of adorning ourselves with precious or colorful materials is as old as the history of human culture itself. It is also so universal that there is no culture in the world that does not have this practice. Nevertheless, modernism and...

Clip & save art notes.
May 1, 2008... ABOUT THE ARTIST The Parisian artist who would become the founder of Impressionism was born Oscar-Claude Monet in November 1840. When Monet was 5 years old, the family moved to Le Havre, France. Monet's father was a grocer, and planned for...

Classroom use of the art print.
May 1, 2008... Claude Monet (French; 1840-1926). Garden at Sainte-Adresse, 1867. Oil on canvas, 38.625" x 51.125". The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, N.Y. THINGS TO KNOW Oscar-Claude Monet was born in Paris in 1840. With the exception of...

Young artist.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Art is a great way of expressing emotions and life experiences. I have used many types of art to express myself. I've always enjoyed using my art abilities and I never thought about if it was good or not. I just...

It works! 75th anniversary.(a&a: It Works!)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... When our readers tell us Arts & Activities works, they're not kidding--and the special 75th-Anniversary "A&A" It Works!" section on the following pages is absolute proof. We put out the call last spring, and the "A&A: It Works!"...

The exhibit!(eARTh ... it's got ART)
May 1, 2008... As we studied the art found across our eARTh, we realized what a beautiful, unique and vast world this is. As students traveled this great planet of ours virtually and visually, they witnessed the artwork that documents our history and helps us...

Tried & true tips for art teachers: three-dimensional art.
May 1, 2008... In the round, all around, sculpture is wonderful! Its use of space in space is a treat for the viewer, and can give art students a challenge. There are so many opportunities to view sculpture and practically as many materials in which to create...