Saturday Morning ART

Pitamic, Maja and Laidlaw, Jill
Modern Art Adventures: 36 Creative, Hands-On Projects Inspired by Artists from Monet to Banksy
April 1st 2015 by Chicago Review Press
Copy received from the Publisher

In this beautifully printed and ambitious book, different types and styles of art are not only discussed, but they are dissected as to technique, and directions are given to recreate the style of the art and to reinterpret the themes of it. For example, when discussing Munch's The Scream, we are told the back story behind its creation, shown how different artistic techniques were used to manipulate our emotions, and given two different projects that recreate the style of the painting or show the emotions behind it. The artist, year, and country of origin are given for each work of art, and each project includes a list of supplies that will be needed. Tips for working with certain equipment or materials are included, and there are short biographies of the artists featured in the back of the book.
Strengths: This was laid out in a really coherent way, with complete lists of supplies, descriptions of the art and what the pieces are supposed to communicate. Clearly, there is a lot of scholarship behind this book. For parents who are upset there is less art taught in the schools, this would be a great supplement to home instruction.
Weaknesses: The print is on the very small side-- I might have preferred a slightly larger format. This is also one of the rare instances when a spiral binding might be good, since the high quality paper doesn't lend itself to the book being kept open for reference while the art is being done.
What I really thought: This is great for my school's art teacher-- I really think he may pull some of these projects for his classes. If I had to do this with children, however, I would be a very unhappy person! I don't have much patience for crafts that aren't useful in some way, which is why the only "art" I ever do is knitting and quilting!