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Some choice menu options mention that you can upload your art to a program called artsonia. That is currently being set up, and I will let you know when that feature is available. Artsonia is an online art portfolio that allows students to upload their own artwork and create a digital collection of art pieces. Stay posted and I will let you know when this is ready!

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Who is she?

Yayoi Kusama is a Japanese artist who is sometimes called 'the princess of polka dots'. Although she makes lots of different types of art - paintings, sculptures, performances and installations - they have one thing in common, DOTS!

What's with all the dots?

Yayoi Kusama tells the story of how when she was a little girl she had a hallucination that freaked her out. She was in a field of flowers when they all started talking to her! The heads of flowers were like dots that went on as far as she could see, and she felt as if she was disappearing or as she calls it 'self-obliterating' - into this field of endless dots. This weird experience influenced most of her later work.

By adding all-over marks and dots to her paintings, drawings, objects and clothes she feels as if she is making them (and herself) melt into, and become part of, the bigger universe. She said:

'Our earth is only one polka dot among a million stars in the cosmos. Polka dots are a way to infinity. When we obliterate nature and our bodies with polka dots, we become part of the unity of our environment'.

She also creates environments of dots so that we can experience this feeling of self-obliteration too. She calls these rooms her 'Infinity Rooms', and creates them by installing hundreds of flashing coloured LED lights into mirrored rooms. The pinpricks of light in the dark room reflect endlessly in the mirrors, making you feel like you are in an apparently endless space. The dots surround and engulf you...it's very hard to tell where you end and where the rest of the room begins!

How did she start?

Yayoi was born in Japan in 1929. She loved drawing and painting and although her parents didn't want her to be an artist, she was determined. When her mum tore up her drawings, she made more. When she could not afford to buy art materials, she used mud and old sacks to make art. This is a drawing she made of her mum when she was 10-years-old.

Eventually Yayoi Kusama persuaded her parents to let her go to art school and study painting.

In the late 1950s she moved to New York as lots of the most exciting art seemed to be happening there. It must have been a bit frightening arriving in a big city with such a different culture from what she knew. But she was determined to conquer New York. She later wrote about her feisty attitude: 'I would stand up to them all with a single polka dot'.

She had the first of many exhibitions there in 1959. She met and inspired important artists including Donald Judd, Andy Warhol and Joseph Cornell, and her art was a part of exciting art developments such as pop art and minimalism. She was also one of the first artists to experiment with performance and action art.

As well as being an art pioneer, Yayoi Kusama put her creativity into other things including music, design, writing and fashion.

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Find out who is Yayoi Kusama. Find out about her dots, her art and infinity mirrors with this Tate Kids art homework guide, includes facts for kids.

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Who is she and what is she famous for?

Born in 1887, Georgia O'Keeffe was an American artist who painted nature in a way that showed how it made her feel. She is best known for her paintings of flowers and desert landscapes.

She played an important part in the development of modern art in America, becoming the first female painter to gain respect in New York's art world in the 1920s. Her unique and new way of painting nature, simplifying its shapes and forms meant that she was called a pioneer.

What inspired her?

The artwork below is a landscape. Can you see how she has simplified the shapes of the hills in the painting?

As well as the shapes of the landscape itself, O'Keeffe was fascinated by the bones and skulls she found in the desert landscapes near where she lived. She said:

'To me they are as beautiful as anything I know...The bones seem to cut sharply to the center of something that is keenly alive on the desert even tho' it is vast and empty and untouchable.'

Do you agree? Why do you think she painted the bones so large in front of the landscape?

How did she develop her style?

Georgia knew from the age of 12 that she wanted to be an artist. She went to art school but what she was taught there didn't seem relevant to the way she wanted to paint. Then in 1912 she discovered the revolutionary ideas of an artist and designer called Arthur Wesley Dow. He emphasised the importance of composition - which means how you arrange shapes and colours.

As O'Keeffe explained: 'His idea was, to put it simply, fill a space in a beautiful way'. This was a light-bulb moment for her and from then on she began to experiment with shapes, colours and marks.

Georgia met other artists who, like her, were experimenting with abstract art. Art in the 1920s was exciting. Artists didn't just want to show how something looked but were using colours, shapes and brush-marks in unexpected ways to express meanings, ideas and feelings. This encouraged Georgia to develop her own unique style - a combination of abstract and realistic.

Look at this painting of hills, above. Although you can recognise what it is, it also has a strange and powerful atmosphere that a photograph of the landscape, or a more traditional, straightforward realistic painting, wouldn't have. What words would you use to describe this landscape?

It was painted in New Mexico, USA. Georgia first visited New Mexico in 1916 and fell in love with the dramatic desert landscape with its rugged mountains. This is what she said about the landscape:

'As soon as I saw it, that was my country. I'd never seen anything like it before but it fitted to me exactly. There's something that's in the air, its just different. The sky is different the stars are different, the wind is different'.

On the Road

Georgia wanted to stay as close as possible to the remote landscape places she loved, she travelled around the desert drawing and painting. She battled the heat and heavy wind and camped out under the stars. Luckily she had favourite mobile studio with her - her car - which she'd specially adapted as a place to work!

Have you ever visited a landscape that has taken your breath away? Next time try putting those feelings across using shapes and colours and try, (as Georgia says) to 'fill the space in a beautiful way'.

Kids explore Georgia O'Keeffe

Check out what these kids thought of the Georgia O'Keeffe exhibition at Tate Modern.

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Mountains, skulls and flowers. Take the time to look at the world with Georgia O'Keeffe. Find out who is Georgia O'Keeffe with this art homework guide, includes facts for kids.

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Learn more about illustrator Chris Haughton

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Learn more about illustrator Chris Haughton

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Illustrator Chris Haughton makes lots of different things. From books to puppets to rugs to apps. Check out the film above to see how he makes his work and what he thinks about art.

Chris is inspired by cultures from around the world, especially Nepal and India, to make his illustrations. That's what makes them so bright, colourful, and playful. Howard Hodgkin is another artist inspired by India and used a technique called collage to think about the shapes and colours in landscapes and nature.

Collage is a way of arranging materials and sticking them down to make an artwork. Have you ever made a collage before? Henri Matisse and Tony Cragg are two artists who use collage to make artwork. Be inspired by Chris and other artists at Tate to make your own illustrations and collage creations!

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Meet an Illustrator - Kids' View | Tate Kids

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Illustrator Chris Haughton makes lots of different things. From books to puppets to rugs to apps. Check out the film above to see how he makes his work and what he thinks about art. Chris is inspired by cultures from around the world, especially Nepal and India, to make his illustrations.

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Find out who is Henri Matisse with this art homework guide, includes facts for kids, learn about fauvism and Matisse collage.

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1. What fun feels like!

What does playing in a playground make you feel like?

The artist Wassily Kandinsky believed that colours, lines and shapes affect our feelings and emotions in the same way that music can. You know how a slow sad song makes you feel down and a pop song with a happy, fast beat makes you want to dance? Well Kandinsky believed that creating a painting is like composing music.

In 1911 he wrote:

'Colour is the keyboard, the eyes are the hammers, the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand which plays, touching one key or another, to cause vibrations in the soul'.

Have a go at using bright colours, dynamic shapes and lines shooting into the air to express your whizzing, climbing, running, dizzying playground experiences!

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What does playing in a playground make you feel like? The artist Wassily Kandinsky believed that colours, lines and shapes affect our feelings and emotions in the same way that music can. You know how a slow sad song makes you feel down and a pop song with a happy, fast beat makes you want to dance?

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1. Taking a line for a walk

Artist Paul Klee said 'a line is a dot that went for a walk'. This is often what happens with a doodle...you don't plan to draw, your pencil just seems to wander off across the paper. This drawing is made from an almost unbroken line that makes a series of round-cornered boxes. The artist then added stick legs and eyes to make the shapes into a quirky character.

Why not have a go at taking a dot for a walk? Don't plan your picture. Just let your pencil wander randomly. See what happens when you add eyes, arms and legs to your doodle.

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Artist Paul Klee said 'a line is a dot that went for a walk'. This is often what happens with a doodle...you don't plan to draw, your pencil just seems to wander off across the paper. This drawing is made from an almost unbroken line that makes a series of round-cornered boxes.

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1. Frying pan

To make the perfect pancake you need to start with good equipment. Grab your frying pan and let's get cracking!

This painting looks a bit fragile with everything supporting each other, as if they might fall at any moment! Watch out! How would you place objects around you to make them look as if they are falling over?

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To make the perfect pancake you need to start with good equipment. Grab your frying pan and let's get cracking! This painting looks a bit fragile with everything supporting each other, as if they might fall at any moment! Watch out! How would you place objects around you to make them look as if they are falling over?

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Easily create beautiful interactive video lessons for your students you can integrate right into your LMS. Track students' progress with hassle-free analytics as you flip your classroom!

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Easily create beautiful interactive video lessons for your students you can integrate right into your LMS. Track students' progress with hassle-free analytics as you flip your classroom!

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Kids Stories: Rainbows in Windows with Donald Sutherland

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Easily create beautiful interactive video lessons for your students you can integrate right into your LMS. Track students' progress with hassle-free analytics as you flip your classroom!

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Easily create beautiful interactive video lessons for your students you can integrate right into your LMS. Track students' progress with hassle-free analytics as you flip your classroom!

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The Lines Song | Art Songs | Scratch Garden

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Easily create beautiful interactive video lessons for your students you can integrate right into your LMS. Track students' progress with hassle-free analytics as you flip your classroom!

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Today we are going to make handmade books out of recycled materials AND learn 5 simple book binding methods. Handmade books and journals are a great recycled craft that uses up leftover paper and artwork. Or if you are a recycling fanatic, all that scrap paper you've been collecting...

Getting started with bookbinding:

I love making books! I have made numerous portfolios for myself over the years, notebooks with the kids, accordion style books, and simple stapled notepads and I'm excited to share some super easy tips for bookmaking here today. Bookbinding does not have to be complicated! The methods in this post are easy enough for kids to use too! They will be amazed that they can make their own books at home.

Before we talk about book binding methods I want to mention a few common terms you will find in the bookbinding world:

Cover: The front and back of a book. The cover is usually made from a thicker, more durable material to protect the thinner pages inside. The materials you can use for a cover are endless! Consider cardboard, watercolor paper, plastic sheets, cereal boxes, chipboard, old artwork, postcards, greeting cards etc.

Spine: The side of the book where the pages are held together. In a typical print book the title of the book is displayed on the spine so that when the book is on a shelf it can easily be identified. Most homemade books don't have spines thick enough to include a title on the spine but it's something to consider.

Signatures: Stacks of pages bound together in small sections. To make a thicker book, signatures are stacked together and then bound.

What types of books can you make?

There are so many wonderful types of books kids can make using DIY bookbinding methods. Here are some ideas:

We will start by making a handmade journal. Make a bunch to have handy when you need them!

Part 1: Assemble the Inside Pages
For the book:

Scrap paper: old notebooks, artwork, envelopes with clasps, chipboard inserts, and old plastic folders, for more ideas scroll down to the end of this post.

Exacto/Straight edge OR Paper cutter OR scissors

For the binding:
Instructions

Step One: Choose your cover and paper. Select the piece of artwork or the paper you would like to use as the cover. Assemble all the scrap paper you will be using in the book.

Step Two: Figure out the size of your journal. If you are including envelopes, chose the one you would like to use and base the size of your journal off of it. Otherwise think about how you will be using the book and base the size off of that. Notepads can be long and thin, diaries should be thicker and the pages should have ample writing space, etc.

Step Three: Cut everything down to the same size. The easiest way is to use a paper cutter/rotary cutter but please ask an adult to help since these are dangerous! If you don't have a paper cutter, an Exacto knife and a straightedge may be used, also with adult help/supervision. The safest options is scissors but this method is time consuming and the edges won't be completely straight.

Step Four: Assemble your book. Depending on how you want the final book to look you can vary the paper types by shuffling them. Alternatively if you want to create sections of your book you may want to keep the same type of papers together. Get creative! If you include envelopes make sure to rotate them so that the bottom of the envelope is along the binding edge and you can open and close the envelope

Step Five: Add covers. Place your selected and trimmed artwork on top as the front cover. Select heavyweight card stock or chipboard for the back. You can also cut out a piece of lightweight plastic from an old folder for the back cover. To make the cover open easily, lightly score the BACKSIDE of the cover about an inch from the binding edge to make it easy to bend back.

Step Six: Punch holes. If you will be using a binding method involving holes through the pages, now is the time to punch holes using a hole punch. Always test the hole locations on a piece of scrap paper before making holes in all your sheets. You want them to be in a good location! If you are using a binding method that does not involved punched holes you can skip this step.

Step Seven: Bind it There are so many simple binding options for homemade books. See 5 of our favorites below.

Part 2: Simple Book Binding Methods

1. Staple + Duct tape: This is a great option for books that are not to thick. If you have a heavy duty stapler, though, you can use this for thicker books. Staple the pages together along the binding edge about a half inch from the edge. Now cut a piece of duct tape about an inch longer than your book. Place half the tape on the front of the book, covering the staples, wrap the tape over the edge of the book and around to the back. Burnish it with your fingertips. Now trim off the excess tape with scissors.

2. Hole Punch + Brads: If your book is a little thicker this is the way to go. Use a 3 hole punch to make holes along the edge of your book. Using a 3 hole punch allows you to align the holes as you punch through multiple pages and sets of paper. You may need to adjust the hole spacing to your book so always punch a few test sheets first! Add brads through each hole and bend them back.

3. Binder Clips: These make a super simple and cool looking bound edge. Make sure to score the front cover so it can easily open. And depending on how long the binder clips are you may have to bend them back when you want to open the notebook.

4. Book rings: These can be purchased in any office supply store and are good for thicker books with sturdy pages. All you need to do is punch a hole in one corner and place a book ring through the hole. Done! The binding is loose and removable should you need to take sheets out or reorganize. For this project we used some great free bookmarks from our visit to the space shuttle this summer.

5. Rubber Band + Stick: I love this method for binding books because it is so easy but looks very neat and "designy" when done. All you need is a thick rubber band and some type of stick. You can use a stick from the garden, a wooden skewer, dowels, even pencils! Just make sure the stick you choose is the length of the edge you are binding or a little shorter. To bind a book using this method punch two holes through all the pages, one near the top of the binding edge and one near the bottom. Flip the book over, fold your rubber band, and thread one end of the rubber band through the top hole and one through the bottom hole. Flip the book to the front. Now place your stick through each end of the rubber band. You're done! For this book I used some of our Marbled Milk Paper for the cover; if you want to make some of your own pop over here for the full tutorial.

The following are 5 simple ways to bind a book. When choosing the type of book binding to use consider the number of pages you have. The method you choose will depend on how thick the final book will be and how accessible each page needs to be, i.e. do the pages need to lay flat or not.

Coil Bind: The next time you are at Staples, FedEx Office or your local copy shop ask them to coil bind your book. The most common coil is made from black plastic.

Wire Binding: Similar to coil biding but the coil is made from metal wire. This option looks very professional and if you are lucky there may even be different colors of wire available.

Comb Binding: My dad used to have a comb binding machine and I loved to use it to make books! Comb binding is a thicker plastic binding that can be reopened even after a book is made. It's a bit less durable than a spiral binding but you have more flexibility if you want to add or rearrange pages after you have bound the book.

If you want a more durable bookbinding method there are several inexpensive options available at most copy centers. Here are some types of book bindings you can expect to find at a copy center (these are all spiral-bound books):

Perforate it! Note: Do this before you bind the book and don't perforate the covers. If you know someone who sews, ask him or her to run the sheets of your book through a sewing machine without thread. Leave a half-inch seam allowance and a stitch setting of 2 or 3. Run only a few sheets at a time and use a heavy-duty needle. Viola! Now your paper can be easily torn out of your notebook!

Sew it! Run your finished book through a sewing machine using colorful thread. Make sure to glue the trimmed end of the thread so your book doesn't unravel. This is good for thin books and folded books, where you fold larger sheets in half to create signatures

Get Creative with Paper! Don't be confined by looking for paper, think of other materials that would make great covers for your journal. Here are some ideas: Cereal boxes or other food packaging boxes, leftover cardboard mailers, greeting cards, packing materials like corrugated chipboard, large paint chips, junk mail postcards, what else????

More cool ideas for your homemade notebook:

Inspired to make a book yet? I hope these 5 simple ideas for how to bind a book and the loads of options for what to include in a handmade journal inspire you to make some recycled books of your own! Next time you are about to toss a half used notebook or the gazillionzth piece of art you don't now how to display, recycle it into a journal!

Check out some more DIY book ideas here on Babble Dabble Do:
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How to Make Books with 5 Simple Book Binding Methods. Use for kid's art, handmade journals & more!

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Easily create beautiful interactive video lessons for your students you can integrate right into your LMS. Track students' progress with hassle-free analytics as you flip your classroom!

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Easily create beautiful interactive video lessons for your students you can integrate right into your LMS. Track students' progress with hassle-free analytics as you flip your classroom!

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Hey, my name is Rob. We upload new art lessons M-F, every week! Follow along with us and learn how to draw plus other fun art lessons for kids. I have four kids, and we love drawing together! My oldest child is Jack (aka Chuckers), Hadley (aka Hads) is my oldest daughter, Austin (aka Austa-Wasta-Mc-…

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Play free games and quizzes, find art activities, explore homework help and share your art with Tate Kids. The best art website for kids.