SNEAKY ART

First there were guerrilla knitters, now sneaky artists. Folks who want to create fun, temporary works of art for public places will have plenty of inspiration here.

Novelist and picture-book writer Jocelyn turns her talents to crafty things. Using everyday objects, preferably things pilfered from a recycling bin, people can unleash their inner artists to make whimsical creations out of buttons, twist ties, old magazines and cards, paper plates and other common items. Introduced with the proviso that these objets d’art be “easy to install and effortless to remove,” each project is designed for fun. With photos showing faces made of cut-out noses, eyes and mouths from magazines, amusing speech bubbles, adorable paper creations in matchboxes, tiny paper clotheslines, and Swedish fish hanging off of coffee cups, among others, this is an April Fooler’s dream come true. Wouldn’t it be fun to sneak a little cork boat into a public fountain and watch the reactions? Or leave a penny on colorful paper and see if someone picks it up? Teachers could adapt some of the ideas for the classroom, like making encouraging locker tags or leaving funny speech bubbles inside favorite books. Scout leaders will find new ideas here as well.

Good fun, even for those who do not consider themselves artists.