Wings of an Artist

Rating:
Summary: clipped wings
Review: Although this book was probably aimed at children and teachers --and it would be very good for this market..I found it far too shallow for the serious investigator of children's art. The pictures were lovely, and the brief quotes were inspirational but not informative. I would have liked to know more about the artist..how they structure their life..where they work...how they work (in depth description of their techniques.).what generates their drive to succeed and how they overcome obstacles and defeats.

Rating:
Summary: Intriguing and Beautiful!
Review: I really enjoyed reading this book and admiring the incredible artwork. This is a must for anyone interested in children's book illustration.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent in the Classroom!
Review: Imagine for a moment that you bring together twenty or so children's book illustrators and ask them to explain in words and pictures: "What gives flight to an artist's imagination?" This is exactly what Wings of an Artist does. The result is a rich mosaic of exquisite illustrations and writing that are both inspired and inspiring.

In the oversized pages, Leo and Diane Dillon discuss how they created a new version of Mother Goose. (They gave her a flying machine so she could "soar amongst the clouds with her beloved geese to faraway lands with new tales to tell.")

Maurice Sendak talks about doodling. It is, he writes, "an excellent exercise for stirring up the unconscious, just as you would stir up some mysterious soup all the while hoping it tastes good."

In prose and pictures David Catrow relates to the reader his confrontation with his first editor-his first-grade art teacher. And Graeme Base "shows off" a shimmering illustration of Finny, Pearl, and Bert, three undersea characters from The Sign of the Seahorse.

The book concludes with "Invitations to Fly," eleven well-thought-out and enriching activities.

The classroom uses for this book are countless. In one third grade classroom we read aloud from the book then discussed how the various artists used line, shape, and even color to create certain feelings in the reader. In a second grade classroom we compared and contrasted two different artists. We then did an in-depth "author/illustrator study" of Maurice Sendak.

Reviewed by the Educaiton Oasis staff.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: This book was created for children so I was pretty disappointed. If you are an artist wanting some tips I wouldn't recommend this book.