Fun and easy art-appreciation activities abound in this resource that
features 75 American artists from colonial times to the present. A brief
biography for each artist tells why his or her work is important, and a
kid-tested art activity tries out the artist's approach. For Georgia
O'Keeffe, children will explore the concept of distance and foreground
in a desert painting. To understand Frederic Remington's sculptures,
they will create a face cast. Leroy Nieman will inspire a sketch of
athletes. And for James Whistler, children will explore portraiture.
Projects stress the creative process and encourage kids to try unusual
techniques such as block printing, soak-stain, and stone carving as they
learn about architecture, drawing, painting, photography, and sculpture.
Great American Artists for Kids includes easy-to-follow icons to
indicate the experience, preparation, and materials necessary for each
project, as well as guides to the style, movement, or era of each
artist. Resources include websites for further research or artworks, a
glossary, and a list of artists by style.