Camp Creek Press

I ordered this book after I saw Lena's copy.

This book attempts to show children involved in making sculpture. Their work does not have to be good, finished or artistic. What matters is the activity itself and the knowledge gained by the child…

This book was written in 1972. It is the work we did with children from 2000 to 2007, and it is the same message we tried to spread through our own work with children, workshops and conferences, and educational consulting.

It is not a new message. We are saying the same things that Elizabeth Leyh was saying in 1972; unfortunately they are still largely ignored. We were constantly having to explain to parents, education students, teachers, visiting administrators, etc., that what the children were doing was important and meaningful and a better use of their time than coloring in a mimeo book about apples or making a follow-the-directions craft.

Many of the books that sustained me during the running-a-private-school years were written decades earlier. Yet the vast majority of the work with children that we observed in both public and private schools didn't reveal one one-hundredth of what we knew children were capable of doing, making, experiencing, and expressing.

That's not to say we shouldn't keep trying. What I'm trying to say is, we must keep trying.

5 dangerous things you should let your kids do

via swissmiss

In the coming week, I'm going to focus on the art studio, our basic inventory, more advanced inventory, and how to store and display your materials.

Most of the large art-supply stores offer weekly coupons in the newspaper and online; they also honor each other's coupons! Stefani asked for my suggestions on spending her 40% coupons at Michaels. Tomorrow, my post will be about some nicer items you can add to your studio when you can take advantage of a sale or coupon.

Today, I have some suggestions for holiday gift ideas for your young artists. Another great use for the coupon!

• sketch books

Bundle with a small field bag (you can sew yourself if you are handy), a plastic enclosed pencil sharpener, pencil case with pencils, small magnifying glass, a couple of small guide books, and you have one of my favorite presents of all time.

• high-quality markers/marker sets

These markers, with their vibrant colors and varied tips, will make everyone who sees them want to sit down and draw. You can add special colors over time, and there is a colorless blending marker available as well.

• scratch-board kits with tools included

My boys love to do scratch art; the boards are kind of pricey and fall into special gift territory for us.

• small canvases with a set of acrylic paints

Canvases are available in every possible size and in bundled packages. Inexpensive craft-store acrylic paint sold in small bottles is fine for painting on these; you can also get lovely gift sets.

Stocking stuffer ideas:

• metallic pencils (for the best Star Wars drawings) (great on black paper)

• glitter glue! (kids love it)

• fat multicolored pencils

• tiny sketchbooks

• mini staplers with colored staples (great for tiny book-making)

• fancy-edge scissors

Finally, here are some of my favorite children's books about art and artists:

This is by no means an exhaustive list, just some of our favorites!

Based on the ateliers of Reggio Emilia, programs in the Art Studio feature a variety of materials and techniques in order to promote the process of “thinking” with our hands, eyes, and sensibilities, as well as our brains. By using one’s visual language as a means of inquiry and investigation of the world, the cognitive and expressive processes are joined in the development of knowledge. Whether through the drop-in Public Art Program available to all visitors whenever the Museum is open, the group programs which include a gallery and studio component, or the many workshops and classes offered by teaching artists, we are guided by the belief that encounters with materials teach us about ourselves, heighten our awareness of the world around us, and promote a deeper understanding and appreciation of the visual arts.

Eric Carle also has a separate website, which includes an FAQ that might be interesting to children who enjoy his work. At the bottom of the same page are links to download Eric's "occasional newsletter", the Caterpillar Express.

I ordered this beautiful and inspiring book because it fit so nicely with J's project on cartooning and comics. He has loved reading books that contained interviews with his favorite cartoonists, and this seemed like a lovely continuation of artists talking about their work.

This book is published by and benefits the Eric Carle Museum, which has a few lovely activities for kids at their website. I would love to visit the museum in person someday; I love Eric Carle's work.

Each illustrator (some of whom are author/illustrators) tells a little about how they came to be an artist and give some encouragement or advice to the young artists reading the book. There are pictures of their studios and showing the process of how their work progresses from sketches to finished products. Finally, they have self-portraits done in their signature style.

Forget about the kids, *I* loved and was very inspired by this book! It makes a lovely read. Look for it at your library, or think about giving it as a special gift (maybe with a pad of nice paper and some colored pencils) to your favorite young artist.

(If one of your children is five years old right now, you might want to look at the Eric Carle Museum's Big Book of Five request for submissions.)