Friday, February 10, 2012
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Art History Influencing Art Today
The winter break to me means going to the movies, and there is a great selection out this year. One of the movies I saw this past week was “The Adventures of Tin Tin” directed by Steven Spielberg. My two boys and I really enjoyed it. I was reading some of the reviews and many of them were about the comparisons with “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, which is defiantly true (and really cool)! But, as an artist, I was drawn to the beautiful artistry that kept me looking back to the great Realist Painters in Art History like Rembrandt, Van Eyck and Vermeer.
Art History is not just in History…it influences our art and culture every day.
Left is a painting from Rembrandt compared to a clip from the movie on the right.
Left is a painting from Vermeer compared to a clip from the movie on the right.
The Storm on the Sea of Galilee by Rembrandt, 1633, Oil on Canvas, 63 x 50.4 in., Current location unknown.
The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer, 1660, Oil on Canvas, 17.9 x 16.1 in.,Dutch National Museum, Amsterdam.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Leaning a new craft...
I love working with other artists and all kinds of art. I'm one of those people when I see something...I have to try it...I have a table saw, drill press, a complete line of power tools, a sewing machine...I would even have a fully working kiln* in my house if I could. Which brings me to my quirky brother-in-law who is a craftsman of basketry. Yes. Basketry. Isn't that cool? (he says he usually gets blank stares when he tells people his occupation) I took one of his workshops for the first time this week and learned how to weave.
Later, I will post a picture of some of his exhibit baskets and more about his craft at a later time...stay tuned!
*kiln a huge oven that heats clay to make pottery.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Kidzaw is going to Americas Mart in Atlanta, Jan 11-18, 2012
Michelle and Jane will be there...stop by, say hello and see our two new kits:
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Happy Birthday Henri Matisse!
In honor of Henri Matisse, who was born on New Year’s Eve, I am writing about how I feel when I look at his works in person.
What makes seeing a painting in a museum so special? Everybody probably has different reasons but two stand out for me the most.
First is the scale of everything. You may see a painting a hundred times but never understood the impact it makes by the size of it, whether it is 8 feet tall or much smaller than you would have imagined. There is no better way to show the scale of something unless you are there to see it for yourself. The MoMA has this comparision that shows Matisse's painting “Bathers by a River,” so you can see just how big it really is.
Photo: Henri Matisse painting Bathers by a River, May 13, 1913. Photograph by Alvin Langdon Coburn. Courtesy of George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography and Film, Rochester
Painting: Henri Matisse. Bathers by a River. 1909–10, 1913, 1916–17. Oil on canvas, 102 1/2 x 154 3/16" (260 x 392 cm). The Art Institute of Chicago, Charles H. and Mary F. S. Worcester Collection. © 2010 Succession H. Matisse/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
I encourage you to show your children this photograph and then bring them to see the real painting at The Chicago Art Institute, it will be a WOW you can’t buy in a toy store.
The other reason why seeing a painting in a museum is so special, is being able to look into the painting and see the many layers of the painting. You almost always see things in the painting you can never see in a book or online. This summer I visited Matisse’s “The Red Studio” and was amazed…I could have looked at it for hours. I felt like I was going back in time and envisioning what Matisse was thinking when he painted what he did. Why he put strokes down, what made him put some details in and what made him leave details out. To see the underpainting…his original canvas, you can see the canvas how Matisse was seeing it.
Our Matisse kit should be ready in Spring of 2012 and we will keep you updated on its progress.
Happy Birthday Henri Matisse
and Happy New Year to everyone!
and Happy New Year to everyone!
Thursday, December 29, 2011
The Art Institute of Chicago Family Programs Jan/Feb 2012
Cool thing to do with the kids on their day off...
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Monday, January 16
Drop in between 10:30 and 2:00
Celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King! Hear a storytelling program with Gwen Hilary, accompanied by the music of Enoch Williamson at 11:30 or 12:30, and visit a drop-in workshop to make a picture that celebrates friendship and peace. Enjoy a gallery walk at 12:15 or 1:15
Download the latest Family Programs brochure and find a program that fits your family.http://www.artic.edu/aic/kids/fam-prg_jan-feb12.pdf
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Children's Christmas Picture Book Countdown
Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, our last book in our series is is clearly a must. The Night Before Christmas Pop-up written by
Clement Clarke Moore and illustrated by Robert Sabuda.
This book was created by the master of pop-up books, and you will be fascinated how he made everything work...the Santa pops out of the chimney, glides over the clouds in his sleigh and much more inspired by Clement Clarke Moore's classic Christmas rhyme.
Robert Sabuda who is also the force behind many stunning best-selling pop-up books, including America the Beautiful, Alice in Wonderland, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and Winter's Tale: An Original Pop-up Journey.
My boys love The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: A Commemorative Pop-up.
There is a spread where the Emerald City pops up and even comes with emerald green colored glasses you can wear to make everything even more green!
©Robert Subuda
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