Back in Print! A wonderful children’s book that highlights four famous works of art is now back in print. Dog’s Night, written by Meredith Hooper and illustrated by Allan Curless and Mark Burgess, is as entertaining as it is clever. Back Where Dogs Belong The plot involves four dogs in four works of art in… Read more »
After finishing the first volume of my American Art series, I recommend to my students here in San Diego that they go visit the Heritage of the Americas Museum at Cuyamaca College in El Cajon (a suburb of San Diego, see map of museum location). Impressive Collection This museum has one of the most impressive… Read more »
Textbooks that are both interesting and engaging are rare and I rarely recommend them, but if you absolutely need a textbook for American History, A History of US is the only choice. Written in a narrative style, A History of US tells the history of the United States, from prehistory to the present, thoroughly and… Read more »
This is a sweet and interesting biography of the childhood of Benjamin West, who is often called the Father of American art. I read this to my class on Friday while they were drawing and they loved it. I didn’t hear a peep throughout the entire story. Although the illustrations are beautiful, they were not… Read more »
When I teach classes here in San Diego, the only homework that I assign is reading. I provide 50 – 60 books per semester for my students to check out each week from my personal library. Each book is linked to a piece of art in my curriculum. I hand choose each title based on:… Read more »
Thomas Eakins friend, Max Schmitt, won the single sculls competition on October 5, 1870. This painting (completed in 1871) celebrates his victory. The painting measures 32.5 by 46.25 inches and is currently at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Enjoy! Thomas Eakins and his paintings The Gross Clinic along with Max Schmitt… Read more »
Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1525 – 1569) was a Flemish Renaissance painter. He was sometimes referred to as the “Peasant Bruegal”. His painting, The Procession to Calvary, measures 49 by 67 inches and was completed in 1564. There is a lot of detail in this painting so don’t miss it. Many of the photos below… Read more »
Thomas Cowperthwait Eakins (don’t ask me to pronounce his middle name) was an American artist born in 1844. He died in 1916 and is considered one of America’s most important artists. One of his most famous paintings is The Gross Clinic completed in 1875. Thomas Eakins and his paintings The Gross Clinic along with Max… Read more »
ARTK12’s American Art History, Volume II will be ready for purchase at the end of January 2013. For the first time in the short history of ARTK12 curriculum The Biographic Bard will be making her debut with three new biographies all sung to the tune of popular songs. Here is a small taste of things… Read more »
Thomas Cole tackled the journey of civilizations in his five paintings The Course of Empire. In this series of paintings, The Voyage of Life, Cole illustrates the individual life in four stages. Cole depicts the journey as one progresses from Childhood, to Youth, to Manhood and finally, to Old Age. The four paintings are currently… Read more »
Thomas Cole was an American artist who was born in England. That’s right. He defected. He was born in 1801 and his family settled in Ohio in 1818. Let’s talk about his somewhat short life, his major influences and what academia thought of his works…..nahhhh….let’s just skip that and get right to the good stuff—his… Read more »
Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, former curator and Fellow for Research at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston wrote an essay entitled Why Exhibit Works of Art? Throughout my art history and teaching career, this essay has been pivotal in developing my own philosophy of art. His ideas go against much of what passes as art education… Read more »
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