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Ready Set Draw! Soak Stain technique from DANCING THROUGH FIELDS OF COLOR

Sometimes the best way to explore your emotions is through creating art! That’s just what the main character in DANCING THROUGH FIELDS OF COLOR, artist Helen Frankenthaler, did — and you can too! Join illustrator Aimée Sicuro as she demonstrates the “soak stain” painting technique and splash your way to colorful creations on this episode of Ready Set Draw!

ABOUT the Book

Written by Elizabeth Brown, Illustrated by Aimée Sicuro
They said only men could paint powerful pictures, but Helen Frankenthaler (1928-2011) splashed her way through the modern art world. Channeling deep emotion, Helen poured paint onto her canvas and danced with the colors to make art, unlike anything anyone had ever seen. She used unique tools like mops and squeegees to push the paint around, to dazzling effects. Frankenthaler became an originator of the influential “Color Field” style of abstract expressionist painting with her “soak stain” technique, and her artwork continues to electrify new generations of artists today. Dancing Through Fields of Color discusses Frankenthaler’s early life, how she used colors to express emotion, and how she overcame the male-dominated art world of the 1950s.

ABOUT Aimée

Aimee Sicuro is an illustrator, picture bookmaker and surface pattern designer living in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and young son. She graduated from Columbus College of Art and Design with a BFA in Illustration.

ABOUT Elizabeth

Elizabeth Brown is a children’s book author, writer, film producer, and college teacher. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College as well as a Post-MFA Certificate in the Teaching of Creative Writing from Antioch University Los Angeles where she was a TA to author Emily Rapp.

ABOUT ABRAMS BOOKS

ABRAMS BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS publishes picture books and illustrated nonfiction for preschool through middle-grade readers. Some highlights of this award-winning children’s line include Library Mouse; Rosie Revere, Engineer; I Am Yoga; Animalia; Babar’s Museum of Art; Separate Is Never Equal; Maritcha; and 365 Penguins.

CONNECT WITH Aimée
Website | Instagram | Twitter

CONNECT WITH Elizabeth
Website | Facebook | Twitter

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8 Comments

Kid Lit TV Commenter Jane Duffy

I saw Aimee’ Sicuro’s demo and was so impressed as she was delightfully enthusiastic and so encouraging relative to attempting this technique. The presentation was delightful as was the process and product demonstrated. Hopefully she will present again!

I am looking forward to another technique shown by this outstanding artist!

Please let her know how much I enjoyed this snippet! I am now going to attempt to create my own product using Soak Stain technique!

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Kid Lit TV Commenter Cheryl Odell

So beautifully creative. I love Aimee’s work so very much~ she is a true gift to the art world.

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