More Than Meets the Eye: Picturebooks and the Prowess of Artists Who Paint and Draw

More Than Meets the Eye: Picturebooks and the Prowess of Artists Who Paint and DrawThis review column focuses on picturebooks that illustrate the prolific contributions of artists in the realms of painting and drawing.All children are artists. The problem how to remain an artist once he grows up. -Pablo Picasso (Peter, 1977, p. 25)THE ARTS ARE CRITICAL in the development of children's lifelong practices. In our current climate of standards and high-stakes assessments, educators might take comfort in knowing that visual is a component of overall literacy and that responding thoughtfully and critically to a painting, film, or performance hones the same skills of analysis and interpretation that are strengthened by the close reading of a text (The College Board, 2012, p. 4). Continuing our study of the arts in children's literature, in this installment we review books that visually celebrate artists-young and old, expert and beginner- who love to draw and paint. While there are several texts about the lives of European artists such as Henri Matisse, Vincent Van Gogh, and Claude Monet, we selected children's books that explore the muses, life, and work of both North American artists and child artists alike. Aligning with the primary color scheme of red, blue, and yellow, we organized our collection of books into three categories:1. Drawing and Painting as Social Testimony: North American Artists2. Natural Tendencies: The as Introverted Scientist3. Mentors and Muses: Inspiring the in EveryoneWe recognize the plethora of books accessible to the public and hope the books highlighted here will serve as springboards for art appreciation and a visual literacy-infused curriculum. Table 1 offers a legend of symbols to provide information about each of the reviewed books. Table 2 identifies additional, positively reviewed books that align with each of our categories.Category 1: Drawing and Painting as Social Testimony: North American ArtistsAsk someone to name a famous artist and more likely than not, he or she will mention a European. We admire and appreciate the global contributions of these artists; however, we lament that other artists' significant contributions to the field of art and aesthetics are often absent from curricula and conversations. In this section, we attempt to disrupt the White European Artist narrative by highlighting some biographies about North American artists whose creative vision and unmistakable talent expand and redefine traditional notions of drawings and paintings as well as the concept of artist.Art From Her Heart: Folk Clementine Hunter Whitehead, K. (2008). (S.W. Evans, lllus.). New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons, unpaged.CD BStories that detail the ingenuity and tenacity of those oppressed can never be too many or shared too often. Readers will enjoy learning more about folk artist Clementine Hunter. A self-taught artist at the age of 50, Clementine initially adorned local objects with images of everyday life and celebratory events. Over time, clotheslines swaying with Clementine's oil paintings transformed into official museum exhibitions. Similar to other artists of the time, Clementine was denied access to her exhibitions due to racial discrimination; however, she ultimately received an honorary doctorate from Northwestern State University of Louisiana. Independence, the celebration of daily experiences that constitute our lives, and trusting our artistic instincts are all celebrated in this picturebook biography. Shane Evans's mixed media illustrations give readers pause and evoke a desire to saturate themselves with art imbued with passion and soul.Chuck Close: Face Book Close, C. (2012). New York, NY: Abrams, 56 pages.* CD BWinner of the 2012 Boston Globe-Horn Book Nonfiction Award, this interview-style autobiography of large-scale portrait artist Chuck Close will captivate readers. …