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Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts

Gigi Shin Is Not a Nerd -- Middle Grades Book Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Today I get to share a fun new middle grades novel. It features Asian-American middle school girls that are creative, intelligent and trying to figure out life and how to get their dreams to come true. The book is Gigi Shin Is Not a Nerd by Lyla Lee. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12 and was released this week.

In the Winter Jigsaw Puzzle -- perfect for those snowy winter days

 

Disclosure: I was sent this puzzle in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Now I love a good jigsaw puzzle. I have shared the benefits of doing them several times. In my classroom I have a puzzle table set up. (I even got a puzzle table cover with drawers to organize the pieces in case we need to move it.) My classroom is popular before school, during lunch, and during study halls. Many different kids come to work on the puzzle. Some only put a piece in and others are there every day. Now I got some mathematical themed puzzles, and it took several months for them to do a 1,000-piece mandala puzzle. They have been doing the other ones quickly though. Today I am going to share a perfect puzzle for the holiday season or a snowy day or in my case for when you are stuck home with Covid. The puzzle is called In the Winter and the artwork was done by Luci GutiĆ©rrez.

Sierpinski Gasket -- Math Art -- Fractals

 


Today I am going to share some fun math art looking at a famous fractal--the Sierpinski Gasket or the Sierpinski Triangle. It is a perfect fractal to have kids create and goes well with geometry lessons. A fun way to introduce it and create it is the Chaos Game. Here is a video showing the Chaos Game with a triangle, square, and pentagon. With the triangle the Sierpinski Triangle will appear with enough iterations of the game. The rule as explained in the video is to begin with a random point. Then randomly choose a vertex. Connect your point to the vertex and find the midpoint. (Erase the line.) The midpoint is your new starting point. Repeat. This is a game you could easily play in a class as well. Don't watch the video first though. 

Exploring Pi with a Fractal & Pi Activity Round-Up

 


I really wanted to do something with pi for artwork in my classroom plus would love a good pi activity. I struggled with this one. I have seen the pi skyline like this one over at What Do We Do All Day? It is fun but not quite what I am looking for. There are different pi artworks if you google "pi art" but most is based on the digits of pi. To be honest I do not believe in having kids memorize the digits of pi, so much of the artwork is not my thing. As I was searching for ideas, I came across this YouTube video that intrigued me. I decided to make the "fractal" that has an area of pi! It is a spin from the Sierpinski Carpet, Menger Sponge, and the Wallis Sieve. Now fractals are supposed to be infinite, but I cannot draw them this way. I am working on taking this fractal to the third level. If you were able to go on infinitely the area of this picture would be pi. 

Pythagorean Theorem Fun -- DIY Mathematical Art

 


As I continue to think about my new job in September and plan for what I want to hang in my classroom, I am exploring the Pythagorean Theorem. The Pythagorean Theorem is probably one of the most well-known or well-remembered theorem in math. It is often taught in both algebra and geometry. In algebra it lends to working with exponents and roots and in geometry with triangles. I have seen memes saying how people did not use the Pythagorean theorem today, but I have also been told by many people that they have used it in their lives from building a new deck and woodwork to programming and more. Although math has real life applications and was mostly discovered to explain the world, much of math is taught to help develop the brain of our children. In high school the brain is just beginning to truly develop its logic skills and math is huge in helping with this. The Pythagorean theorem also is mentioned (incorrectly) in the Wizard of Oz. Yes, it is this famous!

Although it is named for the Greek mathematician, Pythagoras, it was known throughout the world before his time. It is referenced in Ancient Egypt and Babylon (around 1900 BC). Apparently, it did not become as well known until Pythagoras stated it. There are many proofs of this theorem and some of them like the one below is a visual proof.

Sumi-e -- Japanese Ink Painting

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Before Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month ends, I wanted to explore sumi-e, Japanese ink painting. I was sent three books that share the about this beautiful art and provides tutorials to create your own. Now a while ago I shared my adventure with Chinese brush painting. The idea I had when I bought the supplies was for Hazel and I to do it together. Since sumi-e is similar I thought she would enjoy expanding her skills. She did some Chinese brush painting in art class last year. However in reality she never had time or desire to do it with me, so after waiting quite awhile for her to join me, I did it on my own. When researching books to learn Chinese brush painting I discovered sumi-e. This is the Japanese form of brush painting. I am going to share three books that teach sumi-e from three different masters. Each is a bit different. I have not tried any of the techniques as my life has gotten busy. (If you didn't read about my big news, you can here.) Let's begin with the newest book, A Beginner's Guide to Sumi-e: Learn Japanese Ink Painting from a Modern Master by Shozo Koike. This book was released in October 2021!

Mathematical Art: DIY Fibonacci Spiral and My Big News

 


I have BIG NEWS!! My life is changing. After leaving teaching high school math sixteen years ago to get married and focus on family, I am going back to the classroom full time in the fall. Then on top of that news I have been helping out four days a week in the school's directed learning center since someone left at the end of April. My life has been a bit different, and you can tell by the number of posts I have been doing. This will mean some changes to Crafty Moms Share, but I am not sure the extent yet. I will change my focus to more math-based posts but am hoping to still review some books, especially math focused ones and young adult ones so I can connect with my students. I will also be doing more origami, so be ready for review of origami products. 

Unicorns & Other Mythical Creatures

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Unicorns, dragons, and other mythical beasts have been the center of attention for many people. I know most girls go through some unicorn phase and some never grow out of it. Today I am going to share with you a picture book based on the unicorn tapestries and a fun fact book about mythical beasts. I am also sharing a unicorn craft round-up to go with these fun books! We will start with The Lady and the Unicorn by BĆ©atrice Fontanel and Vanessa HiĆ©. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12.

Mary Edmonia (Wildfire) Lewis -- the First Person of Color to Be a Famous Sculptor

 


Today we continue our celebration of Women's History Month by learning about the first person of color who became famous as a sculptor. Besides being a famous artist, she also had a very interesting life story and background. Throughout her life she dealt with racism and sexism. She was orphaned at a young age. She was biracial--Black and Native American. Her name is Edmonia Lewis or Mary Edmonia Lewis or Wildfire. 

Origami Art with Origami Paper 1000 Sheets Color Bursts with Origami Butterfly Tutorial

 

Disclosure: I was sent a box of this origami paper in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

I have shared I have been on an origami kick since I subbed at Hazel's school for the geometry teacher. I have had a piece of origami artwork I have been waiting to share. For some reason I thought the paper I used wasn't released yet, but it was, so I am finally getting to share it with you. I will also share the tutorial to make the butterflies on it. 

Cherry Blossom Season in Old Tokyo 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle

 

Disclosure: I was sent this puzzle in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I haven't shared a puzzle in a while so today I am sharing a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle. It features the woodprint of Utagawa Kunisada. Did you know that Vincent Van Gogh collected Japanese prints? Almost half of his Japanese prints were Utagawa Kunisada's. (Source) The puzzle is Cherry Blossom Season in Old Tokyo 1,000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle from Tuttle Publishing. 

Queen Goharshad -- Brave with Beauty -- a Multicultural Children's Book Day Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Have you ever heard of Queen Goharshad? She was queen of Khorashan back in the 1400s. Khorashan was in present day Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey. She is remembered for the buildings she built including the Goharshad Mosque (in present day Iran) and for supporting the arts. Today I get to share with you a wonderful picture book based on this amazing woman and her accomplishments. The book is called Brave with Beauty: A Story of Afghanistan by Maxine Rose Schur with art by Patricia Grush, Robin Dewitt, and Golsa Yaghoobi. It is recommended for ages 7 to 9.

Art Is Everywhere: A Book About Andy Warhol -- Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Last week we shared how math is everywhere. This week we are looking at a book called Art Is Everywhere: A Book about Andy Warhol by Jeff Mack. So today we are adventuring into the world of art and Andy Warhol. Andy Warhol was born as Andrew Warhola in Pennsylvania in 1928. His family moved to New York City shortly after. He became part of the Pop Art Movement. (Source) This book is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

DIY Gifts for Tweens and Teens to Make

 


Hazel always makes gifts for the holidays for family members. This year she is struggling with ideas and time. In 2020 when our library was only allowing door pick-up and drop-off of books, I picked up a craft bag that the Children's Department left for patrons. I figured Hazel and I could do the craft some time. It sat on my desk for over a year. Inside it had tissue paper in different colors, two 5" x 7" flat canvases, a small container of Mod Podge, a sponge brush applicator and instructions. The idea behind the craft was for the kids to create a picture by cutting the tissue paper into different shapes and gluing it on to the canvas. This craft sparked my interest. I wondered how my Cuttlebug would be with tissue paper. I am a bit obsessed with butterflies right now. Since Hazel is turning 13 this year and I see that age as a big metamorphosis year, I thought her birthday party should be butterfly themed. I have some beautiful butterfly dies to cut with my Cuttlebug. I tried it out with four pieces (different colors) of tissue paper and got some beautiful butterflies. The largest ones had some tears in some of the layers but otherwise were great.  Using the craft idea and my tissue butterflies, I wanted to make Hazel a butterfly picture. I found a pink square canvas that we had in our craft supplies and came up with this.

The Complete Guide to Drawing for Beginners -- Crafty Sundays Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Do you have a budding artist in the family or perhaps are you one? In our house Hazel is our budding artist and one of her favorite forms of art is drawing. Over the summer she went to a weeklong art camp at her school. Her art teacher is truly amazing and he ran it. I wanted to review this book for her or actually I wanted her to review the book. She did try some of the projects for me to write the review. The book is The Complete Guide to Drawing for Beginners by Yoshiko Ogura. 

The Volume -- Picture book introducing art along with science & math concepts like dots, lines, Big Bang Theory & more!

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Today I get to share a book that introduces topics like art, books, as well as geometry, infinity, the big bang and more. Needless to say this book is perfect for introducing different concepts to kids. It is a picture book but has a good amount of words in it and on a page so I'm guessing it is for grades 1-3. There is no age recommendation given by the publishers. The book is The Volume by Luis Camnitzer. 

Diamond Painting with Craft Ease

 

Disclosure: I was sent this kit in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My birthday is fast approaching and this year thanks to Craft-Ease I have made myself a great gift! Now pink roses are my favorite flower and my favorite color combination is pink and turquoise, so when Craft-Ease asked me to pick out a kit and I saw this beautiful Roses on Turquoise, I knew it was for me. 

Japanese Artwork inspired by the World's First Novel Jigsaw Puzzle

 

Disclosure: I was sent a this puzzle in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I have been loving my puzzles but I am also loving learning about the picture on the puzzle. Today's puzzle is a woodblock print by Kuniteru Utagawa called Song of the Four Seasons: Summer created in 1853. It depicts a scene from the famous novel, The Tale of Genji written by Murasaki Shikibu. The Tale of Genji is considered to be the first novel in the world. It was written in the 11th century. You can learn more about the novel here. The picture on the puzzle is of Prince Genji with his companions in a Japanese garden on a summer's evening. 

Wabi Sabi--Learning about Embracing Imperfection

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I have a confession to make. I have been meaning to share today's book with you for over a month but I keep picking it up and then reading something else because of time constraints. However I am very excited to share it with you. I will admit I have not completely finished it and will do so because it is so interesting. The book is Wabi Sabi: The Wisdom in Imperfection by Nobuo Suzuki. 

A book full of advice and encouragement for grades 7-12 to bring more creativity to their lives

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Hazel loves to write. She is in the middle of writing multiple books though I never get to read them.  She also loves creating artwork. In fact she is signed up for an Art Masters Program this summer at her school. I'm so excited she is willing to try it. She usually says no to any summer program, but her art teacher talked her into it. I think one of the hardest things for her is putting her work out there for others to see. Her class does daily writing prompts and she comes home sharing what others have written for them but when I ask if she shares her writing she always says no. I want to encourage her to share her creativity with others including myself. Her work is beautiful and everyone who has read her writing is impressed with it. Today I am sharing a book written for someone like Hazel. It is Courageous Creativity: Advice and Encouragement for the Creative Life by Sara Zarr.