Wings of an Artist (Hardcover)

~ Julie Cummins (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"Art literacy is as simple as opening the pages of a children's book." In her introduction to Wings of an Artist, Julie Cummins discusses the importance of exposing young people to art during their formative years, especially through picture books. Twenty-three illustrators, including Maurice Sendak and Graeme Base, are allotted one big page each to describe in pictures and words how they became artists, in spite of or thanks to reactions from others. Under her glorious picture of a flying dragon with myriad colorful critters on its back, Woodleigh Marx Hubbard tells readers what all her art teachers told her: "You have no talent. Give it up!" She couldn't. She didn't. Michael McCurdy's father was a commercial artist who gave his son scratchboard to scribble on--and the inspiration to bring "dark surfaces into the light."

The variety of artistic styles, media, and methods represented in this book beautifully reflects the diversity of the artistic world. An activity guide offers an array of fun, useful exercises to open any creative mind. Young artists--and readers who have never even picked up a paintbrush--will be filled with the desire to start interpreting their world through pen and ink, watercolor, crayon, collage--whatever it takes. All proceeds from this book go to the American Library Association's Association for Library Service to Children, as part of a nationwide effort to promote art literacy. (Ages 7 and older) --Emilie Coulter

From Library Journal

Grade 4 Up-Aspiring artists, young and old, will be drawn to this collection of text and illustrations by 20 well-known picture-book illustrators. A single oversized page is given to each artist (e.g., Susan Jeffers, Maira Kalman, James Ransome, David Small), or in a few cases, an artistic duo (e.g., Leo & Diane Dillon, Steve Johnson & Lou Fancher, Jean & Mou-Sien Tseng), in which to express his/her feelings about art, inspiration, books, and life through a combination of pictures and words. One of the most compelling aspects of the book is how these creators approached the same task with very different results. Some chose a selection from their published body of work while others appear to have created illustrations specifically for this publication. The stylistic differences will serve as a launching pad for discussion, and readers may be prompted to seek out titles by illustrators with whom they are less familiar. While this title may not have mass appeal, it will serve as a useful art-education tool and as a stepping stone to discussions of fine art. An introduction and an idea-rich activity guide are also included. Broader and less detailed in scope than Leonard Marcus's A Caldecott Celebration: Six Artists Share Their Paths to the Caldecott Medal (Walker, 1998), this volume is a charming addition to the body of literature about the world of picture books.
Rosalyn Pierini, San Luis Obispo City-County Library, CA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams; 1ST edition (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810945525
• ISBN-13: 978-0810945524
• Product Dimensions: 13.4 x 9.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #269,649 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars clipped wings, June 5, 2001

By	Arbutusrose Hermann (Phoenix, Arizona United States) - See all my reviews

Although this book was probably aimed at children and teachers --and it would be very good for this market..I found it far too shallow for the serious investigator of children's art. The pictures were lovely, and the brief quotes were inspirational but not informative. I would have liked to know more about the artist..how they structure their life..where they work...how they work (in depth description of their techniques.).what generates their drive to succeed and how they overcome obstacles and defeats.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing and Beautiful!, April 13, 2000

By A Customer

I really enjoyed reading this book and admiring the incredible artwork. This is a must for anyone interested in children's book illustration.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent in the Classroom!, February 22, 2004

By	Education Oasis "Education Oasis" (USA) - See all my reviews

Imagine for a moment that you bring together twenty or so children's book illustrators and ask them to explain in words and pictures: "What gives flight to an artist's imagination?" This is exactly what Wings of an Artist does. The result is a rich mosaic of exquisite illustrations and writing that are both inspired and inspiring.

In the oversized pages, Leo and Diane Dillon discuss how they created a new version of Mother Goose. (They gave her a flying machine so she could "soar amongst the clouds with her beloved geese to faraway lands with new tales to tell.")

Maurice Sendak talks about doodling. It is, he writes, "an excellent exercise for stirring up the unconscious, just as you would stir up some mysterious soup all the while hoping it tastes good."

In prose and pictures David Catrow relates to the reader his confrontation with his first editor-his first-grade art teacher. And Graeme Base "shows off" a shimmering illustration of Finny, Pearl, and Bert, three undersea characters from The Sign of the Seahorse.

The book concludes with "Invitations to Fly," eleven well-thought-out and enriching activities.

The classroom uses for this book are countless. In one third grade classroom we read aloud from the book then discussed how the various artists used line, shape, and even color to create certain feelings in the reader. In a second grade classroom we compared and contrasted two different artists. We then did an in-depth "author/illustrator study" of Maurice Sendak.

Reviewed by the Educaiton Oasis staff.