When one creates an artwork, the "ingredients" are the elements of art: (1) line; (2) color; (3) shape/form; (4) texture; and (5) value. How they are used makes up the principles of art: (1) balance; (2) emphasis; (3) proportion; (4) movement; (5) rhythm, repetition and pattern; (6) variety; and (7) unity. Students will gain a better understanding…

Having a career in art is based on strong inner feelings that tell a person what it is he or she wants to be, regardless of one's age. By becoming familiar with the lives of artists and what has inspired them, with knowledge of their working processes, teachers can better plan activities for the students in their care. This article takes a look at…

Students have taken a look at a number of artworks--sculptures, paintings, buildings, murals, masks and other art forms--and have learned who made them, in what country the artist lived and when they were made. They may even remember in which museum a painting now resides. But, do students have any idea as to why these artworks were created? In…

Edgar Degas was not yet famous, but was on the point of aesthetic and commercial success when he left Paris in the fall for his New Orleans visit of about four months, during which time he painted 22 major works. It might be said that he was having a midlife crisis at this time. He had been painting ballet and horse pictures to assist his father's…

Provides background information on the lives and works of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. Focuses on the artwork of the artists and the museums where their work is displayed. Includes museum photographs of their work. (CMK)

Provides an interview with Ken Young, a retired art teacher, who in order to gain students' interest in art history impersonates various artists by researching their backgrounds and dressing up in costume. Focuses on why he began impersonation, his research on the artists, makeup, and his experiences with impersonating artists. (CMK)

Focuses on the home of Charles Demuth that is located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Describes, in detail, the house and the Demuth Tobacco Shop, which is located next door to the house. Includes information on the life and work of Demuth. (CMK)

Focuses on Thomas Hart Benton, describing his house and studio in Kansas City, Missouri. Considers issues such as his life as the child of a congressman, his formal and informal art education, and his artwork. (CMK)

This text is designed for use by college and university students who plan to teach art to children. After an introduction that briefly explains the four components of discipline-based art education, the text is organized in six chapters. (1) "Artists and the Images They Make" introduces students to ideas about how several specific…