Summer Art for Kids

If you are like me, you are ready for the children to go outside! There are plenty of art activities they can make or draw outside. Plenty of children of all ages like to draw with sidewalk chalk. Children can be inspired by drawing a large circle or square and adding a variety of lines and shapes and colors. Older ones can print out abstract paintings of Picasso with noses going in one direction and eyes in another. Tomato Soup cans of Warhol can be inspirational.

I have a product containing art lessons for the outdoors for sale in my store on teachers pay teachers. Here is the link: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Art-Lessons-for-the-Outdoors-3849980

 

Spring Coloring Sheets

Are you quarantined with bored children? Maybe they are busy with assignments and need a break. My Spring Coloring Sheets can be just the thing to break up the boredom! You get 10 sheets of Spring flowers to color for $2! Here’s the link:  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spring-Coloring-Sheets-2468036

 

What Makes Art ART?

Why is Art Art?

What is the difference between GREAT ART and mediocre art?

I don’t really know. The phrase “I know it when I see it” makes art a perception but art is still art whether it is perceived as such by one or not. So then the idea of art becomes quite subjective depending on the viewer’s opinion or mood of the day.

For me really good art is that which has been drawn well and somewhat realistically but is then turned into an abstract or an impression or an abstract impression. I am a bit of a conservative in that I believe for artists to create really good art they have to be able to draw. I have told my students that drawing is the basis of all other art techniques.

My favorite artists who have demonstrated the ability to draw realistically and turn a painting or sculpture into an abstract, impression or abstract impression are Pablo Picasso and David Hockney. There is a video/DVD called “Behind the Scenes, Volume:1 Painting and Drawing” (available on Dick Blick’s website) during which David Hockney draws a chair from many different views while explaining perspective, depth, and vanishing point. I showed it many times to my middle school students. The result is a cubistic chair (Picasso’s influence).

Today I discovered a painting of David Hockney’s called “Gaugin’s Chair” that looks like the very chair that’s in the DVD. It’s a painting with bright tropical colors similar to those Gaugin used but drawn in a cubistic manner like Picasso. That thought process is what makes a great artist and great art to me!

That’s MY opinion! Mizz Mac