I Am an Artist

“I spend every day thinking about the paintings and sculptures I will be creating, which fills my life with great joy. Art is an important means of identifying human existence and can send a wonderful message to the world. I believe that artists will create a new world and hope that everyone will share their own messages with the world.” —Yayoi Kusama, artist

“This book has not only entertained but has also encouraged my students to express themselves in new and powerful ways.” —Raleigh Young, Kindergarten Teacher at Polytechnic School, Pasadena, CA

“I wish I had this book when I was a youngster, to help me understand just how many ways you could approach being an artist, and all the tools you can use to make your work.” —Sharna Jackson, author of Black Artists Shaping the World

A follow-up book to the popular Making a Great Exhibition, I Am an Artist offers young readers exciting insights into the many ways artists work and the reasons why they make art.

Geared to children ages 4 to 8, but with appeal for all ages, this colorful and playful book asks: Who are artists? Why do they make art? What materials do they use? What tools do they work with? What forms do their artworks take?

Structured around a tour of an artists’ studio complex, the book introduces readers to street artists, ceramicists, conceptual artists, textile artists, photographers, glassblowers, and more! The artists share their working spaces and their techniques while explaining why they make art.

Rose and Doro’s first publication, Making a Great Exhibition, published in 2021, was acclaimed by The New York Times for “demystifying the art world and making it accessible to budding young artists,” and lauded by the renowned author and illustrator Oliver Jeffers, who wrote, “If this book helps shed light to just one kid that [art] is a viable career option, then it has done its job, as art is indescribably important!”

Now Rose and Doro have teamed up for a second time to bring their experiences with and love for the world of art to a young audience.