Editor's note.

Editor's note. Winter has arrived here at Arts & Activities (such as it is inSouthern California ...), so it's time to turn up the"creative heat" thermostat and explore "Fibers andTextures in the Art Room." Secondary-level students become familiar with textile art Textile art is the creation of textiles or creation with textiles.Textile artists use various techniques to create works of art using threads and fibres sometimes in combination with paints or dyes. as theyare challenged to create a piece of art within a wooden frame, with amultilayered textile landscape extending over it, in our Cover Story,"Textile Landscapes" (page 18). Then, skills obtained inearlier grades lay the groundwork for an eighth-grade project in"Combination Weaving: A Culmination of Years of Learning"(page 20). Here, students change the shape of their looms, snipping offcorners, cutting out notches or removing portions, and proceed to createsome very interesting woven artworks. And, the marvelous examples shared in "Creative Possibilitiesof Doll-Making" (page 22) provide motivation for all ages toexplore figurative sculpture, as they learn basic sewing and stitchingtechniques, while elementary students enjoy making "Weavings withCharacter" (page 32), using trapezoid looms and 3-D papertechniques. High-school art students in Ottawa, Canada, reach out by designinga special patch to be worn by a unit overseas in Afghanistan, andauthor/teacher Irv Osterer hopes that the story--Community Connections:A Crest for Canadians in Kandahar" (page 24)--will serve to inspireart teachers in the United States United States,officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. to think of ways their art studentsmight boost morale for their own armed forces stationed far from home. The wonders of wintery win��try? also win��ter��yadj. win��tri��er also win��ter��i��er, win��tri��est also win��ter��i��est1. Belonging to or characteristic of winter; cold.2. art are illustrated in a selection of ideas,including "Ir-resist-ible Snow People" (page 29), whereprimary students learn about warm and cool colors, and apply collagetechniques to create charming artworks. Contented babies, bundled incolorful blankets, are the goal in "Rock the Cradle withKlimt" (page 30), as elementary children learn to effectively useline, shape and color to create pattern. I'd like to think thatGustav Klimt Noun 1. Gustav Klimt - Austrian painter influenced by art nouveau (1862-1918)Klimt would have smiled at these youngsters' artisticefforts, which were inspired by his portrait, "Baby (Cradle)." In "There's a Blizzard Rolling In!" (page 34)students discuss characteristics of a snowy landscape from both a visualand kinesthetic kin��es��the��sia?n.The sense that detects bodily position, weight, or movement of the muscles, tendons, and joints.[Greek k perspective, examine winter landscapes created byCharles Burchfield and Grandma Moses, and then create a winter landscapeof their own. This month's Clip & Save Art Print, Agnes Tait's"Skating in Central Park" (page 25-28), also features awonderful wintery scene, and is sure to inspire students as they ventureto create their own winter-themed art. Yes, exploring fibers, texturesand other "wintery" art with your students will turn up theheat on everyone's creative thermostat, keeping things nice andwarm in your art room. Maryellen Bridge, Editor in Chief