Synopses & Reviews
Whether it's a city park, a suburban backyard, a farmer's field, or the sandy seashore, there's a treasure trove of natural art materials out there. Twigs, vines, pinecones, flowers, leaves, rocks, shells, moss, feathers - they're all gifts of the earth. Add just a few inexpensive store-bought items, such as glue, string, and wire, and anyone can create beautiful, natural works of art.
In Nature's Art Box, writer, gardener, and nature-crafter Laura Martin offers 65 fun projects kids will love to make, using materials they can find just about anywhere. She explains how to make paints and inks from flowers and other plants; how to use shells, moss, seedpods, and cones to embellish large objects; how to build elf-sized furniture; how to decorate picture frames, birdhouses, and keepsake boxes with woodland treasures; and how to dig clay, weave vines, and make natural dyes to color T-shirts.
While Martin teaches kids to see the possibilities of the natural world, she also teaches them to respect what the earth offers. She warns them against stripping bark off live trees, plucking every flower in the field, and clearing the ground of every nut and seed. Nature's Art Box helps kids learn to be good artists and conscientious stewards of nature's resources.
Review
"...if you want to use nature to nurture your child's creativity, then "Art Box" provides hours of activities." - New York Daily News
"...you'll learn a little about conservation and a lot about art basics..." - Dallas Morning News
Run right out and get Nature's Art Box...this is a fun book that will get kids outdoors..." - San Diego Union Tribune
"Nature's Art Box takes nature crafts to a more creative level." - Knight Ridder
"The beauty of Nature's Art Box is that it entertains as well as educates. " - Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
"Youngsters will see nature through the eyes of an artist and learn how to be stewards of the Earth." - Indianapolis Star
"...the author encourages kids to see artistic potential in a handful of twigs, pinecones and more." - Publishers Weekly
"The projects display a respect for nature and art, and a simple, subtle beauty...Martin's unusual volume will be a great resource for crafters of all ages and abilities." - School Library Journal
"...the book emphasizes seeing the world as an artist's palate, there are also lessons on being kind to nature and how to collect items." - St. Paul Pioneer Press
Synopsis
Take your child s creativity outside Laura C. Martin offers 65 art projects that kids can make with materials found right in their backyard. There s no limit to the imaginative possibilities as children mix paints from colorful flower blossoms, dig clay for molding elf-sized furniture, and craft functional twig baskets. Cultivating a respectful engagement with nature while developing artistic skills, Nature s Art Box is an inspiring handbook for the next generation of expressive and conscientious stewards of the earth s resources."
About the Author
Laura C. Martin has been writing about nature, crafts, and gardening for 25 years. She has served as garden editor for Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles and Georgia magazines. She is the author of 18 books, most recently The Art and Craft of Pounding Flowers, which was featured on the Discovery Channel. Her lectures and workshops on crafts and gardening delight audiences across the United States.