Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Create Your Own Fine Art Puzzle

Here is another use for those old calendar pictures. If you don’t have any old calendars you can print a picture from the internet. You could also use a photo (just make sure to get permission first!).

Supplies Needed:

Picture
Poster board
Glue stick
Scissors
Decorative-edged scissors (optional)
Spread glue over every inch of your picture and stick it to your piece of poster board. If you feel that your puzzle is still too thin, glue a second sheet of poster board to the back.
Use either your decorative-edged scissors or your regular scissors to cut the picture into pieces. I’ve given you examples of both. A third option is to trace the pieces of a puzzle that you already have. If you choose to do this, make sure your puzzles are the same size before you start. Also, trace the pieces onto the back so your pencil marks don’t show on the picture.
Enjoy your new puzzle!

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Monday, August 11, 2008

Van Gogh X-Ray

I know I should talk about the Olympics opening ceremony but I didn’t see much of it. Yes, I am ashamed of myself for not watching. Not to worry, though—my mom caught it on her DVR so I will get to see it. I hope you all enjoyed that display of art and culture.

I did, however, see that amazing Men’s 4X100 Meter Free Style Relay. If you missed it, go watch it. It was a nail-biter!

Okay, let’s get to the art…

As you may know, Vincent van Gogh sold only one painting during his lifetime. His brother, Theo, paid for his housing and food, and his paints and canvases. But van Gogh never had enough canvases for the paintings he wanted to create. Because of this, van Gogh sometimes painted over older paintings when he didn’t have blank canvases.
It was possible to tell which paintings had been created on top of other pictures, but experts hadn’t figured out to see and recreate the older images. Until now. A group of scientists has used a new x-ray method to find a hidden picture behind a Vincent van Gogh painting.

In late-1884 and early-1885, van Gogh painted a series of small portraits which showed the heads of Dutch peasants in their huts. The paintings are very dark, like much of van Gogh’s early work. The scientists found one of these paintings hidden behind a painting van Gogh created in 1887, Patch of Grass.

This is pretty amazing technology. You can see the uncovered image, and read about how the scientists did it, here.

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Friday, August 8, 2008

The Magical Garden of Claude Monet by Laurence Anholt

From now on (actually from last week on), Fridays will be book review days here at Art Smarts 4 Kids. If you have read the book, please feel free to comment on whether you liked or disliked it (but please be nice).

Today’s book is The Magical Garden of Claude Monet by Laurence Anholt. This is a beautiful picture book that is a perfect read-aloud bedtime story.

Julie lives in Paris with her mother, a painter. She wishes she had a garden so her mother decides to take her to visit Claude Monet in his garden outside the city. They take a train to Monet’s huge garden and Julie is taken for a tour by the artist, himself.

The illustrations were inspired by Monet’s paintings but Anholt has put some of his own style into the pictures.

The book is based on a story about the daughter of Berthe Morisot. I have not yet written about Morisot, but I will tell you about her and her art next week.

Enjoy your weekend!

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Thursday, August 7, 2008

Paint Your Own Bookmark

Yes, it’s a second bookmark project. Can you really have too many, though? Today, you’ll paint your own picture before turning it into a bookmark.

Supplies Needed:

Crayons
Watercolor paints
Paintbrush
Construction paper
Thick watercolor or sketch paper
Scissors
Ribbon
Glue Stick
Hole punch
Ruler
I decided to make a fall-themed bookmark but you can choose any subject you want to paint. In crayon, draw the outline of your picture or design onto your thick paper. Add any details that you want to stand out. Make sure to press hard with your crayon. The watercolor will not stick to the waxy crayon and your outlines will show through. When you’re happy with your picture, fill it in with watercolors. Watercolor dries pretty quickly but you’ll want to make sure to wait until it is completely dry before you continue.
Use your ruler to cut a bookmark-sized rectangle out of your painting. Choose the most interesting strip of the painting. Use your ruler to mark where you want to cut. It doesn’t matter how thick you make your bookmark (as long as it isn’t thicker than a book!) or how long you make it. Cut it out.

Next, spread glue over the back of your bookmark picture. Glue the picture to your piece of construction paper and then trim away the extra. If you’re feeling fancy, try trimming your paper with decorative-edge scissors.
Punch a hole near the top of your book mark. Fold your ribbon in half and thread the folded end through the hole. Run the ends of the ribbon through the loop and tighten.
If you’d like, write the date and your name (as the artist) on the back of your bookmark. Enjoy your bookmark at home or at school, or give it to a friend or relative as a gift!

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Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Create Your Own Fine Art Bookmark

Today I’ll show you how to make your own fine art bookmark. This project is quick and easy and you probably already have everything you need to complete it.

If you’re anything like me, you have tons of old art calendars lying around. If you’re not like me, you can find a picture online and print it off yourself. You’ll want to use paper that is thicker than your average printer paper. Try white construction paper. The archives of this site are a good place to start your search for a picture.

Supplies Needed:

Calendar page
Construction paper
Scissors
Ribbon
Glue Stick
Hole punch
Ruler
Choose an interesting strip of the painting and use your ruler to mark where you want to cut. It doesn’t matter how thick you make your bookmark (as long as it isn’t thicker than a book!) or how long you make it. Cut it out.

Next, spread glue over the back of your bookmark picture. Glue the picture to your piece of construction paper and then trim away the extra. If you’re feeling fancy, Try trimming your paper with decorative-edge scissors.
Punch a hole near the top of your book mark. Fold your ribbon in half and thread the folded end through the hole. Run the ends of the ribbon through the loop and tighten.
If you’d like, write the date, the artist, and the painting on the back of your bookmark. My bookmark is a detail from Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night Over the Rhone. If you're inspired to, make several bookmarks from the same picture. Now you have a beautiful bookmark to use when you go back to school!

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