Wooden Animals: Minnie Adkins
Description:
Minnie Adkins tells viewers how she came to carve the roosters and other animals she’s known for and then demonstrates the process. She says that it’s “hard to find a really good stick for whittling because I’ve just about used them all up around here” in the Isonville area where she lives and works. After introducing viewers to some of her original creatures, including something she calls the “Roach Terminator,” she describes the evolution of A Day in the Country, an annual art event featuring traditional and folk artists and their work.Suggested Uses:
- Use to spark a discussion about the artist’s methods and intentions as well as the creative process in general. Have students create art based on the video and your discussion.
- Use in conjunction with a discussion of the purposes of art from the point of view of a traditional artist.
- Compare and contrast the techniques and methods different artists use in their approaches to the same medium (e.g., the “Wood Sculpture: LaVon Williams” segment on Through Artists’ Eyes).
- Use in conjunction with the Kentucky Virtual Art Museum CD-ROM, finding other examples of Minnie Adkins’ work and the art of other self-taught artists working in wood.
- Use as part of a “careers in the arts” unit or as an introductory activity before an artist-in-residence visits your classroom.
For more information:
(These links may leave the Arts Toolkit.)
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