The pure and simple delight of children playing outside is captured in needle-felted wool paintings created by Claudia Marie Lenart in Seasons of Joy: Everyday is for Outdoor Play. The picture book pairs dreamy images of multi-cultural children, animals, flowers and trees with verse that expresses the joy young children experience in nature's seasons. Children can see themselves in the diverse characters and can be inspired to spend more time playing outdoors and connecting to nature.
"Young children learn through imitation and movement. If that movement is filled with imaginative pictures, they are able to take it up in their whole being and express it outwardly in their play. Claudia Lenart's book Seasons of Joy uses the artistic medium of needle-felted wool to express the joy of children in movement at every season of the year."
--Barbara Patterson, retired Waldorf Extra Lesson teacher in private practice, author of Beyond the Rainbow Bridge: Nurturing Our Children from Birth to Seven
"In Seasons of Joy, Claudia Lenart uses her beautiful rhyming prose to tell a classic tale of the changing of the seasons and the carefree pleasure of playing outside all year around. The details in every scene are meticulous and refined, down to the distinct wing pattern of a butterfly and the catchlight in a squirrel's eye. This book is exactly what it sets out to be - a joy to read and an inspiration for nature play for children everywhere."
--Linda Ã…keson McGurk, journalist, blogger at Rain or Shine Mama, author of There's No Such Thing As Bad Weather
"What a treat to meander through the seasons with these wonderful words and beautiful wool paintings. Claudia is an extraordinary fiber artist who has the special talent of bringing magical scenes to life. A delight for adults and children alike."
-- Donni Webber, www.TheMagicOnions.com, author of Magical Miniature Gardens and Homes
Learn more at www.ClaudiaMarieFelt.com
From Loving Healing Press www.LHPress.com
Lenart, Claudia Marie: - Claudia Marie Lenart is a fiber artist from northern Illinois.artist from northern Illinois. She experimented in the arts and handwork since childhood and while working as a journalist. While her son was in Waldorf school, she discovered needle felting and found her true passion. Her soft sculpture characters are created by repeatedly poking wool and other natural fibers, like alpaca, with a barbed needle. Claudia pioneered a distinct style of illustrating books using wool as the medium. She illustrated three books for the late children's author Jewel Kats. Claudia is a nature enthusiast and spent three summers working in national parks out west as a young adult. Daily walks in the woods with her dog inspire her wool paintings and wildlife sculptures. To see her work, visitwww.claudiamariefelt.comlike alpaca, with a barbed needle. Claudia pioneered a distinct style of illustrating books using wool as the medium. She illustrated three books for the late children's author Jewel Kats. Claudia is a nature enthusiast and spent three summers working in national parks out west as a young adult. Daily walks in the woods with her dog inspire her wool paintings and wildlife sculptures. To see her work, visitwww.claudiamariefelt.com
