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Page 15.  The Tragedy, by Pablo PicassoA tragedy is a very sad, disastrous event.  What do you think has happened to this family to make them so sad?  One way the artist captured their immense sadness is by showing them with their heads lowered.  And although they are standing together, they seem to be very separate from one another, like three statues on an empty beach.  Only the little boy shows any sign of movement, as he gently touches the mans leg with one hand and gestures with the other.  What does the boy seem to be doing here?  How else does the artist convey their emotions?
Page 27.  The Scream, by Edvard MunchIn this very famous picture, a deeply frightened person stands on a bridge, alone except for some shadowy figures in the background.  Why do you think the artist made this person look so distorted?  He is screaming at something that the artist does not want you to see.  Wha do you think it is?  Why do you think the artist chose to leave out the thing that is terrifying this unlucky person?  If this picture were a move, what do you think would happen next?
Page 31.  The Kiss, by Constantin BrancusiVery few things express love more sweetly than a kiss.  In this sculpture, the artists created the figures of two people literally locked in a loving embrace.  As they kiss, they gaze at each other with wide-open eyes.  If you were to come upon them, do you think they would notice you?From a single, rectangular block of stone, the artist carved two separate yet intertwined figures.  With simple lines and shapes the couple seems to emerge from the block.  What other geometric shapes can you find?  Now trace your finger along the lines of their hair and the outlines of their bodies.  Very few of the lines ar straight, and these wavy or curving lines give the sculpture a feeling of movement and texture.  Look back through all the artworks in this book.  Which ones use lines in this way?
Page 32.  Under the Horse Chestnut Tree, by Mary CassattThe bond that exists between mother and child is like no other.  The artist who made this color print captured the love between this mother and her baby in a very simple way.  Starting with the babys face, let your eyes travel down the childs arm to the mothers eyes, down the mothers back, and up her left arm until you reach the baby again.  This circle of warmth and affection forms a loop that your eyes.
Page 18.  Drowning Girl, by Roy LichtensteinHave you ever cried so much that you could have ”drowned in your own tears”?  Of course, people cant actually drown in tears, yet the woman you see here seems to be doing just that.  To exaggerate here feelings of depair, the artist uses bold, swirling waves of lines that engulf the woman, leaving only her head and left hand above the surface of her tears.  Now compare this picture to the sculpture you just saw.  In which picture does the woman look sadder?
How Artists See Feelings
Joy Sadness Fear Love

By Colleen Carroll 
Size: 7 x 9" 
Hardcover, 48 pages
32 full-color illustrations
Published 2001
ISBN: 978-0-7892-0616-9
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$12.95


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Abbeville Kids expands its award-winning series of interactive, inquiry-based books designed to teach children about the world by looking at art, and about art by looking at the world.

"Wow! If you have been looking for a way to get children interested in art, call off the search: it just doesnt get any better than this." -- The Childrens Literature Choice List

"Carrolls series eclipses the competition. How Artists See has the makings of a classic--a core experience for budding art enthusiasts to build on." -- Publishers Weekly

Each volume in this innovative series is devoted to a subject that every child already knows from personal experience. The works of art chosen for each book show the many different ways great artists have perceived and expressed that very subject. Author Colleen Carrolls engaging, conversational text is filled with thought-provoking questions and imaginative activities that spark childrens natural curiosity both about the subject of the artwork and about the way it was created.

This direct, interactive approach to art — and to the world — promotes self-exploration, self-discovery, and self-expression. As it introduces basic artistic concepts, styles, and techniques, it also provides loads of fun. For children who want to know more about the artists whose works appear in the book, biographies are provided at the end, along with suggestions for further reading and an international list of museums where each artists works can be seen. As they begin to understand the multitude of ways that artists see, children will deepen their appreciation of art, the world around them, and, most importantly, their own unique visions.

Colleen Carroll is an educational consultant for MTV, USA Today, the Smithsonian Institutions National Museum of American History, Black Entertainment Television, CNBC, Channel One, and The Edison Project. She has taught sixth grade and lives in Sleepy Hollow, New York.

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