What: By combining more than one element of art, mixed media artists create a wide variety of unique products. Materials: paint, photographs, metal, nature, etc. History: Mixed media art was born around the twentieth century. Pablo Picasso’s use of oil paint, cloth, rope, and paper helped mixed media become popular. Despite its brief history, mixed […]
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Mixed Media
May 7th, 2014Wood
May 7th, 2014What: By carving, turning, or using other methods, artists use wood as the primary material in creating crafts that combine practicality with beauty, in products like furniture and jewelry. Materials: hardwoods, softwoods, plywood, carving tools History: As one of the first materials used by early civilizations, wood has a rich history. What began, like many […]
Read More...Leather
May 5th, 2014What: By shaping and coloring leather, artists create goods such as bags, jewelry, carved pieces, and other crafts Materials: leather, paints and spirit stains, carving tools, stamps History: Beginning with a need for the most basic source of warmth and comfort, animal hides were dried out and used for clothing and shelter. Eventually, it was discovered […]
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May 2nd, 2014What: By transforming metal through heat, molding, and shaping, metalwork artists create large or small scale items such a jewelry, sculptures, and many other pieces. Materials: metal, heat, dyes History: What began as simple hammering and etching by Native Americans was quickly transformed into an advanced practice by the […]
Read More...Jewelry
April 30th, 2014What: Using a multitude of materials and techniques, jewelry makers create small decorative crafts that are meant to be worn. Materials: gems, metals, stones, clay, wood, fabric, paper, beads History: More than 40,000 years ago Africans introduced beads as the first form of jewelry. They used shells, animal bones, teeth, stones, string, and sinew to […]
Read More...Glass
April 25th, 2014What: With the use of varying temperatures, glass is transformed into sculpture, vessels, wall pieces, and jewelry. Materials: glass, paint, tools History: Glass art can be traced back to Mesopotamia where beads were made. Lampworking forms of glass art became popular much later in 14th century Italy where the technique was widely practiced. From there, […]
Read More...Furniture
April 23rd, 2014What: Useful household items made using a variety of materials and methods. Whether the purpose is to store items, seat guests, hang clothes, or serve a meal, craft furniture combines practicality and efficiency with the beauty of handmade art. Materials: wood, metal, plastic, paints, etc. History: Beginning with the use of stone around 3,000 BC, […]
Read More...Fiber/Textile
April 18th, 2014What: Crafts created using synthetic, plant, or animal fibers. Materials: fibers, yarns, dye History: The importance of textiles has been around since the beginning of history, but many innovations have evolved and made the craft into what it is today. With the introduction of fabric trading, the cotton gin, and the power loom, fiber and […]
Read More...Clay
April 16th, 2014What: Clay, or other raw materials, is molded into various objects through multiple techniques. The materials are hardened by exposure to heat in various forms. Objects include bowls, tiles, figures, etc. Materials: Stoneware (dense & hard), earthenware (porous & delicate), porcelain (strong & translucent), terracotta (type of earthenware, practical uses) History: Clay crafts can be […]
Read More...Basketry
April 16th, 2014What: Pliable materials are used to form baskets or other similar products. Materials: wood, grass, animal hair, straw, plant stems, reeds History: Baskets were first used for trading and religious ceremonies in Indigenous tribes. While some baskets have been dated as far back as 12,000 years, the natural decaying process of materials like wood […]
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