Dallas artist Jon Flaming's deep love of Texas is evident in his paintings and sculpture. Although he has created one sculptural Texas theater, his work primarily showcases old Texas barbershops, vacant homes, and gas stations. In this article, the author describes how her students, inspired by Flaming's works, created three-dimensional historical…

Most teenagers do not really like to be told what to do. For that matter, most adults don't either. This article discusses contemporary artist Oliver Herring's TASK, which is an opportunity for participants to bend or define the rules on their own terms. It is about choice, and, for many, it is a dream come true. TASK is controlled chaos that can…

Cakes are no longer the simple desserts they once were. The cake has evolved into an elaborate, sculptural form that represents a special occasion. Sculptural cake forms have become expressive designs using three-dimensional shapes, an array of surface textures, and a range of colors. The use of cakes in the artwork of David Gilhooly, Wayne…

In the first half of the 1800s, John James Audubon roamed the wilds of America attempting to draw all the birds in their natural habitat. He published his life-sized paintings in a huge book entitled "Birds of America." Audubon developed a unique system of depicting the birds in natural poses, such as flying. After shooting the bird, he would wire…

Photography students spend a considerable amount of time working on technical issues in shooting, composing, editing, and processing prints. Another aspect of their learning should include the conception and communication of their ideas. A student's memories and dreams can serve as motivation to create images in visual art. Some artists claim that…

Mark Dion creates sculptures, installations, and interactive environments that sometimes seem contrary to what one expects from visual artists. Remarkable curiosity cabinets and carefully arranged artifacts from specific places and time periods make up a large part of his work. His work does not neatly fit into traditional lessons about elements…

Sepia tones range from pale neutral cream, tan, and amber all the way to deep chocolate brown; some even have dark green undertones. Sepia tones are used primarily by photographers. Photographers opt to print their photos in sepia because of the warmer, almost old-fashioned look it has. Art is considered "anthropomorphic" when an object or an…

Since the earliest times, humans have made objects--oil lamps carved out of stone to light their way, baskets and pots to hold grain and water, blankets and clothing to protect them from the elements. At some point, their need for the functional was enhanced by their desire for the beautiful. They began to decorate their lamps, pots, baskets,…

In this article, the author describes how her third-grade art students made linear face drawings. Inspired by Pablo Picasso, an artist who tried to maintain the quality of child-like art, the students invented their own abstract line faces true to Picasso's artistic intentions. (Contains 1 online resource.)

In this article, the author describes a creative way to demystify contemporary art for students. TASK is artist Oliver Herring's creation, where participants actively interpret instructions found on little pieces of paper--what he calls "tasks." An art classroom has all the key ingredients for a TASK event: (1) people; (2) materials; (3) space;…

The best way to combat apathy in art class is through authentic art education. Authentic art education involves making meaningful connections with students. Students are motivated by their environment, their peers, and their media. Sometimes this means eschewing the canon of old masters in art education and embracing more current trends. The…

In this article, the author describes an art project inspired by the work of the Canadian artist, Calvin Nicholls, who makes amazing low-relief sculptures from archival paper. Student works include owls in flight, a hawk, a kingfisher, a rat on a chain, a moth, and other creatures. (Contains 1 online resource.)

Born in Cumberland, Maryland, Nancy Sansom Reynolds earned her Master of Fine Arts degree from George Washington University in Washington, DC in 1982. Reynolds' reputation as a sculptor has steadily grown over the years, and today her artwork is included in many private and public collections and has been displayed in the United States, Asia,…

The Dadaists were an unconventional group of artists who used their art to rebel against civilization in the early twentieth century. They experimented with a variety of media and often used machines as themes in their artwork. Dadaist artist Kurt Schwitters incorporated city refuse into his collages, including bus tickets, newspapers, cartons,…

Popular culture is a relatively new area of study in the artroom, and combining it with the demands of a rigorous curriculum requires some thought. Combining threads from several sources was the key to an exciting exploration of pattern inspired by a newspaper headline. In 2006, a landmark case was settled in Austria, which repatriated five famous…