Art Lessons For Children, Vol. 3: More Fun With Watercolors; Art Lessons For Children, Vol. 4: Felt Pen Fun; Show Me What You See: Sharing Art With Children

Art teacher Donna Hugh once again offers children new ideas for creating their own art in Art Lessons for Children, Vol. 3 & Vol. 4 (Vols. 1 & 2 were reviewed in our May 1992 issue). In More Fun With Watercolors, children are shown what supplies are needed, and then guided through four projects: creating a field of flowers, a Chinese dragon, "surprise" blossoms, and an underwater scene (using inexpensive sponge stamps cut into the shape of fish). Felt Pen Fun also includes four projects: kids are taught to draw a sailboat, a dinosaur, a series of hot air balloons (a lesson which also teaches perspective), and an impressionist scene using a style similar to Van Gogh's. Throughout the series, Hugh emphasizes that all pictures look different, and that the important things are to be creative and have fun. Show Me What You See: Sharing Art With Children is a four-tape video series designed to help parents get their children started with art. We watched two titles, In a Forest Grove and At a Victorian House, in which an adult guide helps eight-year-olds Josh and Christina to create pictures of a tree and house, respectively. While the idea behind the series (to get children to see rather than merely look) is quite good, the production values hurt the effectiveness of the programs. The image is not broadcast quality, a fair amount of wind and other background noise is heard through the mike, and too many of the longer shots show the children from the front (so you can't see what they're working on). Art Lessons for Children, Vol. 3 & Vol. 4 are recommended. The Show Me What You See series is not a necessary purchase. (Art Lessons for Children, Vol. 3 and Vol. 4 are available from: Coyote Creek Productions, 2419 E. Mission Rd., Fallbrook, CA 92028; (619) 731-3184.) (The Show Me What You See series is available from: Grand Marais Productions, P.O. Box 722, Grand Marais, MN 55604-0722; (218) 387-2251.)