13 Modern Artists Children Should Know

Talking about modern art, and works of art in general, can be difficult - especially if you don't know where to start.  This book presents the work of 13 modern artists and describes their motives for making art and the development of their careers in 1-2 page detailed segments.  Each artist is unique; there is such a diverse offering in this book that any reader walks away with a foundation of knowledge that will deepen their appreciation for all works of art, and modern art especially.

Light Drawing After Picasso

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to paint with light?  All you need is a camera that can take a long exposure, a dark room, a variety of light sources such as glow sticks, LED lights - the flashlight on your phone works great - and your imagination!  Having a partner, or two, also helps a lot.  For inspiration check out Picasso's light drawings.  His drawing of a centaur is probably the most famous.  This is something I've been meaning to try ever since seeing it in action at the AAEA conference in Decatur last year.  If you're new to light drawing, here are some ideas to try:

Create a design:

Contour drawing:

What's on your mind?

  

Collaborate:

I'm Flipping Out! (Over Flipped Instruction)

I took a course called Instructional Strategies for Art Teachers from the Art of Education over the summer.  One of the strategies I learned about from the course is using the iMovie and iMotion app on the classroom iPad to create demonstration videos. Students can access these videos at anytime. Using the time-lapse feature I can give in-depth instructions while maximizing the time students have to make art; it's great for students who have missed class time or need help getting caught up on an assignment.

iMovie and iMotion are also great tools for creating stop motion animation videos.  William Kentridge is an inspiring artist who uses drawing and stop motion to tell stories about his native South Africa. In this video he talks about how he approaches drawing as a thought process: