Introduction

The Internet Resources

Getting Started

• Artchive - To find out about art, artists, and the art world explore this site. Art information is divided into several galleries like The Artcive, Art Reviews, Galleries, Theory and Criticism, Art Links, etc. The wonderful variety of images and descriptive writing will inform you and raise questions for your inquiry into why artists create.

• Arts Toolkit - This is a great site to begin your exploration into the 'how' part of why artists create. It clearly defines and differentiates the elements and the principles of art which are the tools of the artist. By clicking on each element and principle you see clear examples connecting to works of art effectively showing how artist use each element and principle. Master's works from the Minneapolis Art Institute help you make stronger connections, as does the interactive aspect which allows you to create your own art and view artist creating their work.

• Art Interactive - This site explores sculpture and helps you understand the variety possible for artist that choose to work in 3 dimensions. The Hirshhorn Museum's site differentiates sculpture into four styles: Figuative, Biomorhism, Assemblage/Found Object, and Geometric. You can create your own sculpture on the interactive aspect of the site.

Times and Places

• The North Carolina Museum of Art - Here you will find an instructive art timeline composed of art from this museum's collection. Both two and three dimensional images are showcased. By clicking on the image it will appear enlarged and it will be accompanied by a consice but informative description. 'Pigeon', a sculpture by Elizabeth Murray, 1991 is shown. In the description the artist says that painting is like starting to tell a story. Meditation is part of her creative process as is finding inspiration in other artist's and her environment. If you can download Shockwave you can virtually explore a selection of the museum's three dimensional art by seeing them rotate so you can see it 'in the round'.

• Mingei International Museums - Mingei is a special word used throughout the world to mean 'art of the people'. This site shows the simple and joyful result of art made by hand, using the universal language of line, form and color. Mingei speaks eloquently of the similarities and distinctions of individuals and cultures. This art shares a direct simplicity and reflects a joy in making, by hand, useful objects that are satisfying to the human spirit.

• Metroplolitan Museum Art History Timeline - The Timeline of Art History is a chronological, geographical, and thematic exploration of the history of art from around the world, as illustrated especially by the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection. The Museum's curatorial, conservation, and education staff—the largest team of art experts anywhere in the world—research and write the Timeline, which is an invaluable reference and research tool for students, educators, scholars, and anyone interested in the study of art history and related subjects. First launched in 2000, the Timeline now extends from prehistory to 1800 A.D., and will continue to expand in scope and depth. The Timeline will span art history up to the present day by the fall of 2004.

Methods and Materials

• Collage Town.com - This site is dedicated to the art of collage and photomomtage. This site explains the history of photomontage and collage, the artists, techniques and more.

• Cool Artist of the Month - This Cool artist of the month is Louise Nevelson who is known for her assemblage sculptures made of found objects. See a photograph of her as well as several of her sculptures. Read the interesting comments on her life and her creative process. If you search the site you will discover other cool artists of the month, something about their lives and art.

• The Colorfield Performance, 1000 paintings - One thousand paintings on the beach of Schiermonnikoog, our favourite island just north of the Netherlands.The sound of the surf... The unreal real reality takes 'shape' in front of your eyes...The vibrant colors, the extraordinary interaction between the artists... The artists and nature... Earth and sky... Land and sea Little of this site is written in English but the pictures say 1000 words about painting on canvas in the open air.

• The letters of Vincent Van Gogh to his brother Theo - Vincent Van Gogh describes how he uses color in his paintings and the relevant paintings are included in the site.

Meaning, E xpression and Style

• The Impressionists - This is a charming and instructive site where you are taken on a tour starting with The Salon, then to The Cafe, the City, L'Atelier, Plein Air, to a review and then conclusion. There are also biographies of artists and lists of paintings.

• The Art Institute of Chicago- Art Access - Art Access examines objects from various areas of The Art Institute of Chicago’s permanent collection. Using this site will enhance your understanding of their content, style, and historical context. Included are a variety of online resources of special interest.

• Think Quest / Famous Artists - This site gives you a list of some famous artists and an explanation of their styles. Good reproductions of their works help you understand the art as does a quiz and the game 'hangman' which reinforce your learning. This site is meant for the elementary student but I found it informative and colorful.

Artists at Work

• Lois Rubin Aronow - Anyone interested in pottery will enjoy this site. Lois Rubin Aronow's display of her unique fine art porcelain is accompanied by her biography, and links to many other potter's sites.

• Portfolio.ca-Sharon Porter Illustration - This artist's web site highlights her illustration portfolio which shows a wide variety of styles, that will accomodate anything from Annual Reports to children´s books. She lets her clients know that she can work in whatever style needed. This site will aquaint you with commercial art.

• Art Show .com - Art Workshops, tours, online stories and much more useful information for artists is available at this easy to navigate site.

• Nita Leland's Exploring Color and Creativity - Color and creativity are great motivators in art and this site has lessons and examples of art that are inspirational and informative.

• Site of Inga Titova - Inga Titova is a multi talented contemporary artist who is portrayed in this very personal and unique look into an artist's creative process.