The library has lots of nifty how-to-do-art books for kids of all ages that are technique oriented. There are some books, however, which are more about getting children to think about art: what it is, who can do it, what it can look like, and where inspiration can come from. Here are some of my favourites to share with budding artists.
Eric Carle has such a distinctive style of illustration. I think of his pictures as colourful, free, and joyful. It might surprise you to learn that he was raised in Nazi Germany where art education was severely circumscribed. When Carle was 12 years old, his art teacher secretly showed him some "forbidden" art, risking his life to introduce this gifted student to new ideas. Carle now sees that encounter as a pivotal point in his artistic development, and his newest picture book, The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse, is a celebration of the path he was set on that day. The artist the title refers to is Franz Marc, a German painter who died in WWI and was famous for painting animals in unusual colours. He was especially well-known for his blue horse series, one of which is shown below.
http://torontopubliclibrary.typepad.com/riverdale/2012/02/inspirational-art-books-for-children.html
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