3D Art Lab for Kids: 32 Hands-on Adventures in Sculpture and Mixed Media - Including fun projects using clay, plaster, cardboard, paper, fiber beads and more!

by Susan Schwake, Rainer Schwake (Photographer)

Overview

Encourage an artistic spirit in children with 36 kid-friendly fine art projects in paper, clay, textiles, sculpture, and jewelry. Each project is inspired by the work of a prominent artist and is illustrated with step-by-step color photographs of the process as well as finished samples and variations.
Have fun exploring:

• paper by making paper bead figures from magazines, pipe cleaners, wooden beads, and other common supplies.
• clay by creating whimsical pinch pot birds.
• textiles by making a nature weaving with two branches, various items collected from nature, yarn, string, ribbon, and glue.
• sculpture by creating a little world featuring miniature plants, animals, and objects under a stemless wineglass.
• jewelry by making a modern cameo pin from tiny beads, cardstock, felt, pin, and glue.

Colorful photos illustrate how different people using the same lesson will yield different results, exemplifying the way the lesson brings out each artist’s personal style. On-site visitsto the studios of an established potter, metal smith, jeweler, and sculptor illustrate first-hand accounts of their creative process.

3D Art Lab for Kids is the perfect book for creative families, friends, and community groups and works as lesson plans for both experienced and new art teachers. Children of all ages and experience levels can be guided by adults and will enjoy these engaging exercises.

The popular Lab for Kids series features a growing list of books that share hands-on activities and projects on a wide host of topics, including art, astronomy, clay, geology, math, and even how to create your own circus—all authored by established experts in their fields. Each lab contains a complete materials list, clear step-by-step photographs of the process, as well as finished samples. The labs can be used as singular projects or as part of a yearlong curriculum of experiential learning. The activities are open-ended, designed to be explored over and over, often with different results. Geared toward being taught or guided by adults, they are enriching for a range of ages and skill levels. Gain firsthand knowledge on your favorite topic with Lab for Kids.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781592538157
Publisher:	Quarry Books
Publication date:	10/15/2013
Series:	Lab for Kids Series
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	530,362
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Mixed-media artist and art teacher Susan Schwake is best known for her playful, process-oriented teaching style and for her bold use of color in her nature-inspired paintings. For over 20 years, she has enjoyed bringing out each student's personal style and nurturing their self-expression through their own artwork in her classroom. Susan also has created large-scale permanent exhibits of children's and multi-generational artworks for local municipalities. Over the years she has worked with thousands of children in public and private schools, community groups, arts organizations, and has promoted the arts in her state through many non-profit organizations. She continues to teach art in her little private school called Artstream Studios in New Hampshire and online at www.susanschwake.com. Susan has written five books about making art with others. Her Art Lab for Kids series is a bestseller—the series has sold over 100,000 copies worldwide and is available in nine languages.

Rainer Schwake is a versatile and talented media designer holding a master's degree in graphic design. His photography has been used in hundreds of business- and arts-related design works for print and websites. He is co-owner of artstream studios (www.artstreamstudios.com) and lives with his wife, Susan, in Rochester, New Hampshire.

Editorial Reviews

"I love Susan's Art Lab series and reference them in the Art Studio often. They're easy to follow, full of images, and directed at open-ended exploration - exactly the kind of reference I need for my own busy home." - Meghan Burch, Art Studio Educator, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, MA

"Schwake combines 32 3-D art projects with interviews with four artists, each of whom is photographed. The first two chapters give general instructions for setting up for each project, providing an exhaustive list of materials needed. The subsequent five chapters each focus on a single medium: paper, clay, textiles, sculpture, and jewelry. The six relatively simple paper projects use mostly found bits of paper. The seven clay objects range in size and difficulty but require a kiln. The six textile projects use fabric, yarn, or jute. The eight sculptures require corrugated cardboard, papier-mché goo, plaster, pasteboard, or joint compound. Finally, the five jewelry projects are made with paper, card stock, or various types and sizes of beads. Instructions are always detailed, both through step-by-step photographs of children making each object and the detailed text. This well-written book with myriad color illustrations is a must-have for art teachers or those who help children appreciate art and artists."—Booklist 

From the Publisher