American Indian pottery.....a wonderful start

Traditional Pueblo Indian pottery is a fascinating collectable, which captures the imagination of children as well as their parents. Clay collected from the individual pueblos in New Mexico, is then refined by mixing with water, dried, and mixed again. Old broken pieces called shards are crushed, both for stability and  tradition, and incorporated into the clay. Then the process of coiling begins  and the pots take shape. After they have dried, paint made from color taken from special local rocks and vegetation, is applied, dried, burnished with a smooth rock, and fired over dried cow dung. Primitive, filled with spirit and history, and beautiful results are pulled from the fire, and are cherished for a lifetime. Most traditional Pueblo Indians are buried with a pot to this day. Here are three examples which might appeal to kids, and many more are available if you click on the icon of a pot here at Beverly Kaye Gallery.

Ship's Return for little sailors

This stunning painting called "Ship's Return" is perfect for a nautical room. It's another gem by Theresa Prokop, retired nurse, turned painter. The piece measures 16" x 20", oil on canvas, and priced at $650. Theresa's work is widely collected and she is a very respected Folk Art painter. In an earlier post you can see a childhood slate bordered painting of an African American rural scene, which is also available. Her works never get old, and compliment period as well as contemporary homes. All this work is available through Beverly Kaye Gallery in Woodbridge, CT and on-line at http://www.Artbrut.com
Click on the green title above and you will come to this page.

A lovely game of marbles and memories......

This artist, with childhood memories intact, traveled with his family, sharecropping their way through the South, and finally landed in Connecticut. Willard James, Sr. has a wonderful portfolio illustrating this hard, but honest life, working through fields and orchards, and the joy inherent in each of his painting is obvious. 
"Steelee Man" is acrylic on board, 16" x 20", at $650 and brings me back to the days when my Dad reminisced about marble games in the schoolyard. Some things do change........and are worth capturing.

Owls, Jacks, Pixies, and Fairies

Karl Mckoy is a wondrous artist as well as a master gardener! His owl begs for a child's wall, but would be savored for a lifetime. The next image reminds me of jack in the pulpit puppets in a storybook scene. He is a magician with both earth and paint and no one knows what will sprout next in the garden of this fertile mind.

Music for ears and eyes..........

How about a musical instrument which could hang on the wall, as a truly amazing work of art, and be taken down to play by an intelligent, music loving kid or that kid's fortunate parents?  Any of Peter Huiras's creations fit the bill. If you have a lot of them.....bills that is.......$5,000 to $10,000 apiece, but worth every nickel.

Forget Basquiat and Dubuffet, try Huber

Although I dearly love Basquiat and Dubuffet, not many budgets can afford them anymore. But, Alexandra Huber's engaging paintings are a different story. Her very affordable original works are not just for kids, but kids love them. Her art is in museum collections in Germany and many private collections in the United States. They have take 2009 art fairs by storm, even in these trying economic times. These delightful, childlike  25.5" x 19.5" mixed media pieces make quite an impact, and will be treasured for posterity. She also is well known for her 6" x 6" pieces which work well alone or in groups. Huber has had many one woman shows, and she's been published in many catalogues and as well as Folk Art magazine and Raw Vision magazine. One of my most popular artists at Beverly Kaye Gallery. Within the next month, new works will be posted on the site, but I always have a large portfolio of her works available. See much more of her work here

Asking kid questions about art.........

This is part of an interesting article by Cindy Carson about children and art. Enjoy!
Children love art. Art helps a child’s imagination and creativity. It can help develop their fine motor skills, cognitive skills and problem solving abilities. It provides a calming activity. It can be used as an emotional outlet to express feelings. It develops manual dexterity (through using hands to create) and it increases sensory awareness.......
Visiting an art museum occasionally is another great way to foster a love of art.
When viewing artwork, ask kid questions about the paintings they see, like “what time of day is it in the picture?” If there are people in the painting, ask “what are they doing? And, describe the mood: are the people happy? Sad? Angry?” Talk about the colors, and how the picture makes your child feel. Explain the media used to create the artwork (i.e. oil paints, bronze for sculptures, acrylics, etc). Talk about when the artwork was created and who the artist was. Parents should study art also, so they can be prepared for any questions.
Parents can show books showcasing fine art to their little ones, such as the Come Look With Me, Enjoying Art with Children series by Gladys Blizzard, or the Child’s Book of Art, by Lucy Micklethwait. Kids might also enjoy an art class, or even entering an art contest.
So start introducing your kids to the world of art. Who knows? Your little one might be the next Rembrandt, Van Gogh or Picasso.

Skating With Nuns!

Where are the two little running friends? Clue: One of them always wears a red scarf! They are hidden in plain sight and are the artist's signature in every one of Paul Pitt's charming paintings. This one is called "Skating With Nuns" and measures 32" x 26", oil on canvas, framed, $1400.
Paul's luscious paintings bring us back to a simpler time, filled with a strong sense of community and extended family. Even if we have never personally experienced his subject matter, it rings a responsive chord. However, these are not memory paintings. A church steeple or the architecture of an old barn or via duct will catch his eye, and in month's time, a new painting has come to life.
The work is meticulously and compulsively repainted up to six times before Paul is willing to pronounce the piece done. Within each large scene, there are many small stories unfolding, each with their own considerable charm and humor.
Because the pointillist backgrounds and constant repainting are so time and labor intensive, there are rarely more than twelve new paintings available each year. Folk art enthusiasts love Paul's work, and a large body of his paintings has been included in several important collections. Hampton Museum acquired an example in 2001, and four of his paintings have graced the cover of the Craft Digest magazine. Recently his work was in the opening exhibition of the Baron and Ellin Gordon Galleries at Old Dominion College. He has also been published in Folk Art Magazine and Raw Vision Magazine.

An Idyllic view of childhood....

Picnics. sailboats, harbors, country scenes all filled the canvases of Theresa Prokop when she started to paint. After a career as a nurse for many years, painting became a priority and her popular work became quite well known in the folk art world. I have several fine examples and the first one is called "God Bless America", which is oil on stretched canvas, with painted edges, needing no frame, 18" x 24", and the price is $750. It has a wonderful ABC border, resembling children's slates of earlier times, and is an idyllic view of a joyful African American community at work and at play. A work of art for the whole family and perfect for a child's room.

Sandy Mastroni, from painted furniture to Museums.....

How delighted would your kids be to know that a painter, who used to decorate furniture, and who is now in the Hurn Museum, could also be featured on a wall in their room? Jonas Brothers posters come and go, but real art lasts a lifetime. "The Lady in a Red Chair" is stunning in primary colors and perfect for a cat lover, as well as a child who appreciates bold colors. "My Cat Knows" will be published shortly in a book about Self-taught and Outsider artists, and "Red Hat, Yellow Vase" is subtle but smart. Consider real art, your children will thank you! Click on the title and you will be brought to more original paintings by this very popular self-taught painter.