Mr. X is Gerald Thornton

Gerald Thornton is a man who deeply cares about history, equality, his family and art. When he lived nearby, he was always working on an art project of some kind. He signed his work "X" to align himself with the nameless slaves who were ripped from their families and their culture and brought to a new world. Mr. Thornton used materials which were at hand and many of his most magical works had elements of collage worked into the art. Gold and silver foil was used for the medals of Haile Selassie, a powerful painting that I still cannot get out of my mind after not seeing it for decades!

But if you ask your parents to take you to the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, you can see his "Flag Funeral", which proudly takes it's place among other masterpieces in the show, Life, Liberty & The Pursuit of Happiness, curated by Roger Manley. The somber widow and her child fall in step behind the flag draped coffin, while an invisible jazz group leads the way to the cemetery. Mr. Thornton is a man who continues to celebrates life, and he now lives in a new town with his new wife, and continues to make wonderful art. This lovely painting is available for sale and will be released in a year when the show comes down.

Real Art for Real Kids!!!!!

Bird houses equal art in England! A Challenge....

In exploring the bird houses created by genius designer, sculptor, painter and " inky wings" herself, Judith McNicol, kids can learn that art can be found anywhere. They might even be motivated to try it themselves, which is a splendid reaction to this whimsical and refreshing sculpture by one of England's most imaginative artists. And the birds which approach such houses, well they too poke at the imagination of kids and parents alike. Could you, would you Sam I am? Try making houses out of twisted grapevines, bittersweet, sunflowers, or what have you. And send me pictures at Beverlyskaye@aol.com. I'll post the best on this blog!

Philosophy and real art for kids.........

Amy Leask has a spectacular site whose mission is to "introduce kids (and the adults they run with) to the wonderful world of Philosophy." It's called kidsthinkaboutit

Children are challenged to think about:

• What is real? What exists?
• What makes a human? Is it our minds, our bodies, or a combination of the two?
• How do we gain knowledge and understanding? Is it with our senses, our minds, or something else?
• How can we be sure that something is true?
• What is the difference between the good life and the bad life?
• How can we decide on the right thing to do?
• What does it mean for something to be beautiful?
  Ahhh, now you get why this link is on my site! I, too, ask kids to try to figure out what beauty is, in it's endless forms, and to decipher which of those forms they relate to the most. It's a wonderful steppingstone to communication and reasoning and enlightenment.
  (The image above is an antique scale/fortune telling machine, which is now considered a form of folk art! Discuss amongst yourselves!

Paul Pitt redux.....barn discoveries

Paul Pitt's charming folk art paintings grace the walls of quite a few museums, as well as private collections. His paintings bring to mind Grandma Moses and times gone by. The paintings are gems, filled with detail that surprises you each time you look. So much to see which coaxes a smile to your face. A forage into a barn on his Connecticut property unearth a few vintage works, when his style was just emerging. These paintings are lovely and available for sale through the gallery here

Ivan Koota is a self-taught painter, but a retired pediatrician as well! He illustrates scenes from his beloved Brooklyn, NY heritage and relies on both memory and historical photographs for fodder. His charming paintings illustrate a time gone by, and will pull at the heartstrings and memories of all who have experienced this same past. Here's a bit from the painters own voice.....

"Most of my paintings focus on neighborhoods and the “simple” events of daily Brooklyn life like shopping, children at play, sports, family entertainment, etc. Simple yes…but it’s the stuff that made special the vibrant and nurturing family neighborhoods of Brooklyn either before or during the 25 years I lived there and happily continue to the present. My work also includes prominent Brooklyn sites like parks and important buildings.

In April, 1996, I had my first solo exhibit at the Frank Miele gallery in NYC. Since then I have been in several solo and group shows. In 1998 my painting of Ebbets Field titled “Before the Game” was exhibited at the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, NY."

Dr. Koota's list of honors is great, but the paintings tell the better story for children of all ages. I hope you enjoy these extraordinary paintings.

Real art for and by real kids......

Kieron Williamson is a six year old child from the UK who paints like a pro. Your own children probably also have turned out a masterpiece or two. Why not honor one of the best with a lovely matt and frame? Real art for real kids, by real kids! The encouragement will go far, and who knows what lurks in the heart of kids? Click on the title to read more about this amazing young artist.

Sandy Mastroni charms all ages.....

Sandy Mastroni, who used to paint furniture, now devotes all her time to painting wonderful, whimsical and some what mysterious artworks. Although she is in permanent museum collections, her works are still very accessible for young and old alike. There often are cats......Sandy has given home to a variety of them and they are very prevalent in her work. She also is drawn to Alice in Wonderland type characters so there are plenty of queens, bunnies, and the like. All of them are charming and if you click on the title of this piece you will see many more new works recently posted on my website, www.artbrut.com.