ART PROJECT FOR KIDS: Eyes in the Dark--Drawing Nighttime Animals

When daytime animals go to sleep, nighttime animals wake up. Imagine what it would be like to go on a nighttime walk and see some of these nocturnal animals peering in the dark. 

Here's how you can make your own illustration of the animals you might see.

You will need:

    Black construction paper.

    Chalk.

    Googly eyes. (You can buy these at a craft store.)

    Glue.

Use the chalk to draw your animals on the black paper. Glue the eyes in place. What kind of nighttime scene did you create?

Animals that are active at night are called nocturnal animals. You can read about both daytime and nighttime animals in my Day and Night books.

CONVERSATIONS WITH ART: Exhibit at Belmont Village Westwood, Los Angeles, CA

It was a pleasure to be part of the gala opening of the exhibit Conversations in Art at the Belmont Village Senior Living Westwood in Los Angeles today. I was one of twelve artists whose work is featured. Each of us had five minutes to tell a little bit about ourselves and our work, which ranged from paintings and drawings, to photography, calligraphy, jewelry and reimagined puzzles. I showed giclee prints of four illustrations from my Australian animal books—A KOALA’S WORLD, A KANGAROO’S WORLD, A PLATYPUS’ WORLD and A WOMBAT’S WORLD. I thank Alicia Thomason in Community Relations at the Belmont for doing an excellent job of organizing and hanging the exhibit.

Conversations with Art features works by UCLA Emeriti and Retirees. (I am a former instructor in the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program.) The exhibit is a collaboration of the Belmont Village Senior Living community with the UCLA Emeriti/Retirees Relations Center. It will be on display through February 2026 and can be viewed Monday-Sunday between 11:00 am and 6:00 pm. Belmont Village is at 10475 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90024.

WHERE IN THE WORLD? World Map Project, 2006, by Antonia Hirsch

Equal Countries A-Z, from the World Map Project, 2006, giclee print on paper, edition 5/5. By Antonia Hirsch.

On my recent trip to Vancouver, Canada, I encountered this print in the Art Museum on the University of British Columbia campus. Every country in the world is represented, from A to Z, with their contours correct but their land masses equalized. How many countries can you identify? Remember, they are in alphabetical order!

16th BLOG ANNIVERSARY: Time to Celebrate!

Sixteen years ago, in November 2008, I launched this blog. At first my plan was to use it to feature my art, which is why the link is carolinearnoldart. But a little more than a year later I decided to expand the blog to include my writing as well and changed the name to Caroline Arnold Art and Books (the link is still carolinearnoldart) with the plan of putting up a new post once a week--sometimes two. 

For me, this blog is a way to keep track of my book and art related activities, including school and library visits, publishing, reviews, activities for children and teachers, announcements of prizes and awards and more.  Since launching the blog I have posted more than 900 items that have been viewed by more than 470,000 visitors!
Thanks to all of you who have been following this blog either on Google or by email. I appreciate your support.

(Note: The Comments section is no longer active. If you would like to comment you can reach me at Facebook or by email.)

 

GRINNELL COLLEGE LIBRARY--A Complete Collection of My Books

Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa.

I am proud that Burling Library, the Grinnell College library in Grinnell, Iowa, has all of my books in its collection. To my knowledge, it is the only institution that has copies of every one of my published books. (Note: the Kerlan Collection at the University of Minnesota, one of the few national archives of children's books, has many of my books, as well as the accompanying manuscripts and correspondence. They also have my original art used for the books I illustrated.)

Five Nests (1980), my first published book.

I graduated from Grinnell College in 1966 with a B.A. in Art. My first book for children, Five Nests (E.P. Dutton) was published in 1980 and the publisher sent a copy of the book to the college library. Since then I have been sending copies of my books as they have come out. The books are kept in the Special Collections Room of Burling Library on the ground floor of the library along with books by other Grinnell College graduates.

Burling Library, Grinnell College.

I am the author of 170 books for children. Most are illustrated by other people. But between 2006 and 2015 I illustrated 16 of my books published by PictureWindow Books (Capstone). On my recent trip to Grinnell I brought 16 giclee prints of illustrations from those books--one from each book--and donated them to the library. (See list below.) I am glad to have them become part of the Grinnell Library collection. I thank Christopher Jones, the librarian in charge of Special Collections, for making my books and art available to students and users of the college library.

Giclee prints of cut-paper illustrations by Caroline Arnold for the following books are in the Grinnell College Library:

DAY AND NIGHT SERIES (2015)

Illustration from A Day and Night in the Desert 

A DAY AND NIGHT IN THE DESERT, pp 16-17 (PictureWindow Books, 2015)

 A DAY AND NIGHT ON THE PRAIRIE, pp 12-13 (PictureWindow Books, 2015)

 A DAY AND NIGHT IN THE RAIN FOREST, pp 6-7  (PictureWindow Books, 2015)

 A DAY AND NIGHT IN THE FOREST pp 16-17 (PictureWindow Books, 2015)

BLACK AND WHITE ANIMALS SERIES (2006)

Illustration from A Panda's World

A PANDA’S WORLD, pp. 4-5 and 20-21, (PictureWindow Books, 2006)

 A PENGUIN’S WORLD, pp. 20-21, (PictureWindow Books, 2006)

 A KILLER WHALE’S WORLD, pp. 8-9, (PictureWindow Books, 2006)

 A ZEBRA’S WORLD, pp. 18-19 and 20-21, (PictureWindow Books, 2006)

AUSTRALIAN ANIMALS SERIES (2008)

Illustration from A Kangaroo's World

A KANGAROO’S WORLD, pp. 18-19 and  20-21, (PictureWindow Books, 2008)

 A KOALA’S WORLD, pp. 12-13,  PictureWindow Books, 2008)

 A PLATYPUS’ WORLD, pp. 14-15, (PictureWindow Books, 2008)

 A WOMBAT’S WORLD, pp. 16-17, (PictureWindow Books, 2008)

ARCTIC ANIMAL SERIES (2010)

Illustration from A Bald Eagle's World

A BALD EAGLE’S WORLD, pp. 10-11,  (PictureWindow Books, 2010)

 A MOOSE’S WORLD, pp. 6-7,  (PictureWindow Books, 2010)

 A POLAR BEAR’S WORLD, pp. 18-19, (PictureWindow Books, 2010)

 A WALRUS’  WORLD, pp. 8-9 and 18-19 , (PictureWindow Books, 2010)

 

INDIGENOUS HISTORIES at the KODE MUSEUM OF ART, Bergen, Norway

Big Party (detail) by Patricia Rengifo. Indigenous Histories at the Kode Museum of Art, Bergen, Norway

On our recent trip to Norway I visited a fascinating exhibition at the Kode Museum of Art in Bergen called Indigenous Histories. With more than 285 items on display, the exhibition presents different accounts of indigenous experience from South America, North America, Oceania, and the Nordic region, through art and visual culture, curated by artists and researchers who are indigenous or of indigenous descent. It will be on view until August 25, 2024. Here are just a few examples illustrating the wide variety of items in the exhibit and where they are from.

SOUTH AMERICA

Peru

Brazil. Big Party by Patricia Rengifo

Brazil

Brazil

Peru

Brazil

Brazil

OCEANIA

Australia

Australia

Australia

Australia

New Zealand

NORTH AMERICA

Mexico

Mexico

Canada

Canada

NORDIC REGION

Norway

Norway

The Kode Museums include four art museums and three composers' homes. For more about the Kode Museums in Bergen check their website.

ASTRUP FEARNLEY MUSEUM, Oslo, Norway: Contemporary Art from Norway and Around the World

Painting by Leonard Rickhard at the Astrup Fearnley Museum, Oslo

During our recent visit to Norway we visited the Astrup Fearnley Museum in Oslo, one of Scandinavia’s most notable museums for contemporary art. The building, designed by Renzo Piano, spans two buildings bisected by a canal and joined by a bridge

Astrup Fearnley Museum, Oslo

In the building on one side of the canal, selected items from the Astrup Fearnley collection are displayed. They include paintings, textiles, sculpture, and other works by a wide variety of artists from around the world. Here are a few examples.

One of the galleries with pieces from the permanent collection.

Textile by Ann Cathrin November Haibo

Michael Jackson and Bubbles (detail) by Jeff Koons

Falling by Nicole Eisenman

Paradise 4, Daintree, Australia (detail), photograph by Thomas Struth

Textile by Ibrahim Mahama

Textile by Synnove Anker Audel

On the other side of the canal the Astrup Fearnley Museum building features rotating temporary exhibits. We chose to see the retrospective of the work of Norwegian artist Leonard Rickhard (1945-2024). It was organized around repeating themes in his work—a bird cabinet, the night painter, the model table, the birch forest, deserted barracks, workers sheds—often in combination. I was struck by the contemporary look of his paintings, even those done fifty years ago. (The exhibit ended on May 19th.)

Leonard Rickhard painting of a shed.

Leonard Rickhard, Bird Cabinet

Leonard Rickhard, Bird Cabinet

Leonard Rickhard, Early Morning Pine Forest

Leonard Rickhard, Model Table

The spacious rooms inside the museum were filled with light allowing each work of art to shine on its own. Outside the museum there is also a sculpture park and restaurant, Venti Venti. The museum and surrounding park were designed by Renzo Piano with the idea that the experience of art, nature, and architecture should complement each other. There is also a room in the museum for children and families to create their own art. 

For hours, directions and more about the Astrup Fearnley Museum go to their website.

View from gallery over the bay.

View out the museum window to walkway along the Oslo Fjord.