Art in Action: Introducing Children to the World of Western Art with 24 Creative Projects Inspired by 12 Masterpieces

by Maja Pitamic, Mike Norris (Contributor)

Art in Action 1 is the first of two beautifully illustrated art activity books that introduce children to artwork by major painters of different eras, while also encouraging boys and girls to stretch their imaginations and enjoy the unique experience of creating original artwork of their own. Each book presents 24 creative projects inspired by works from famous artists who include the Italian baroque master Caravaggio, James McNeill Whistler, Henri Matisse, and many others. An introduction to parents and teachers advises on how to use these books with children, and emphasizes that no prior knowledge of the subject is needed. Each project includes a reproduction of an artwork, background on the artist, the historical period, techniques employed, and directions for presenting it to children as inspiration for them to create their own original art. The accomplished paintings shown for demonstration are intended as stimuli to get kids started creating artwork of their own, and are

Genres: Art

96 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2010

Reviews

[Ash Friend · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent resource/jumping off place for introducing young children to some notable artists such as Matisse, Seurat, and various abstract artists. Mostly European white male artists are represented. The other issue is that the projects aren't open-ended, although they could be modified to leave more room for creativity. Some fairly interested process-art ideas.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent variety of artworks and artists, clear instructions for the art lessons. Good combination of basic and complicated art projects -- as a teacher, projects requiring crazy amounts of prep work or obscure materials often push me away.