Kids and Teen Blog

Tag: Art

Mom Minute- Bring out your inner Van Gogh this summer with Doodle Books!

by Crystal
Art & Photography + Kids + Parenting / June 22, 2011

This week I bring you another Mom Minute. Summer is here. School is almost out. Your kids need some great activities to keep them busy at home, on vacation, or on long road trips.

My suggestion? Doodle books! Bring out their inner Van Gogh with these fun activity books. One part coloring book, one part sketch journal, they are fun for audiences of all ages. Yes, I myself have one in my studio at home that I pull out when I want to bring out my inner creative child.

Want to give them a whirl? As a special treat I have two free downloadable doodle pages for you.

The first is from Johnny Joe's Coloring Book.  Roz Streeten is the creator of the Rosie Flo Coloring books and now she brings us Johnny Joe who is a bit more appealing for a male audience.

Our second download is from PocketDoodles for Young Artists. These books are the perfect size to tuck in your back pocket or throw in a purse, bag or backpack to take on the go. Plus they come in a variety of themes. Your girly girls will love the PocketDoodles for Princesses, and look out for Monster Doodles for Kids coming this fall just in time for Halloween.   

Want to download these doodle pages? Click on the photos to be brought to larger sized pdfs that you can print out!

Happy Doodling!

Crystal

Have You Met Noonie?

by Crystal
Art & Photography + Contests + Kids / March 23, 2010

Have you been introduced to Noonie yet? If not you are in for a great treat! Noonie is the main character of Chronicle Books new kids' fiction title Noonie's Masterpiece. A 10-year-old aspiring artist stuck living with an aunt, uncle, and cousin who clearly don't recognize her genius.

Here... get to know her!

One of my favourite things about Noonie's Masterpiece is that all of those amazing illustrations that you just saw in the trailer video are in the book! Yep that's right it is filled througout with gorgeous colour illustrations!

Want to be inspired by Noonie? Why not download a free Noonie Art Sheet?

The Mad Hatter’s Art Party

by Siobhan
Art & Photography + Events + Film + Kids / March 02, 2010

Tim Burton's much-anticpated Alice in Wonderland movie comes out this Friday. I can't wait to see it; there's something really intriguing about new artistic interpretations inspired by classic children's books.

Crystal has already blogged about Chronicle's new edition of Alice in Wonderland -- which includes the story alongside a collection artwork by many artists who have illustrated the story in the 145 (!!!) years since the book was originally published.

I also wanted to share links to these two art shows that are also on now, featuring Alice-inspired art:

"Two Days Slow" opens March 4th at Canteen Gallery in Ottawa, Ontario.

"Curiouser and Curiouser" opened last week at Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra, California -- you can see artwork in the show online.

I read about these two shows on the blog Picture Book Report, which is itself a celebration of brilliant, classic children's books, revisiting and renewing them with new artwork:

Picture Book Report is an extended love-song to books. Fifteen illustrators will reach out to their favorite books and create wonderful pieces of art in response to the text that has moved them, shaped them, or excited them.

Doodle, Scribble and Squiggle with Taro Gomi

by Siobhan
January 27, 2010

I was lucky enough to be in the Chronicle Books offices in San Francisco a couple weeks ago, when who should stop in but one of my favourite illustrators, Taro Gomi!

He was really lovely - and much admired by the crowd; he received a standing ovation from everyone in the room.

Here's a short video of Taro Gomi's visit, taken by a Chronicle staffer.

Taro Gomi is the creator of a ton of really fun - and funny! - colouring and activity books: Doodles, Scribbles, Squiggles, Doodle All Year. These books are perfect for kids of all ages - and I've also given some copies away as presents to adults, who have enjoyed them just as much (if not more!).

He's also the author of some great picture books, including Bus Stops, Spring is Here, My Friends - which includes a drawing of a karate-chopping gorilla that makes me laugh every time.

Taro Gomi's new book coming out in March 2010 is called Doodle 123!

You can download a few sample colouring pages from Scribbles and Doodles from the Chronicle website.