Ornaments at Earl Legacy Park

All of your ornaments are finished and the tree is decorated.

Isn't it fun to surprise people!

Did you know that it is very hard to find a short yet full pine tree in the middle of the woods? Most of the sunlight goes to the big trees in the canopy above, so the little ones have to struggle to survive. We found lots of cute lopsided trees, a few that reminded us of the Charlie Brown Christmas special, and several that were nice but leaning over the very cold brook . . . then we came across this one right where two trails meet - perfect!

Make sure to take a short hike out to see it for yourself!

The trails are located at the corner of Wallace and New Boston roads in Bedford (the entrance is off of New Boston, next door to Riddle Brook Elementary School). Directions and trail maps are available at the Bedford Cross Country Ski Club site. Our tree is on the Brook Trail, and it is only about a quarter mile round trip. Although it is listed as "more difficult" on the map (which simply means that it is not completely flat), this is an fairly easy hike for even a 3 year old - the biggest hill is the one between the parking lot and the trail entrance. Park at the warming hut/skate park then follow the guard rail down to the back side of the soccer field. The entrance to the trails is almost directly behind where the soccer goal is during the summer.

BTW - Ignore all of the funny colored plastic and wood fences. They are designed to control snow during the ski season and really do serve a purpose, despite their odd appearance right now.

If you are cautious about being in the woods, feel free to stop by between 3:30 and 5:00 M, W, & F. My husband and the ski team that he coaches will be there for practice, and they will happily point you in the right direction.

Challenge - Collage & Mondrian

Piet

Mondrian

Would you like to learn more about Piet Mondrian?

Take a look at this fun timeline. You can move your cursor over the bar at the bottom to speed up or slow down the speed of play. I liked watching it in reverse. It is interesting to see how different his first works are from his later ones, like Broadway Boogie Woogie. While you are online try painting like Mondrian at the Mondrimat.

Want to create another collage? You could even try to make one behind your back using these instructions. Do it as a game, or make it even more challenging by trying to create straight lines like Mondrian.

It is Christmas time!

Do you need a gift for someone special? Try making these super easy tissue paper collage votive candle holders. You could use primary colors like Mondrian, or red and green for the holidays!

Our ornaments are going up on the tree tomorrow afternoon! Take a hike out to the trails at Earl Legacy park and see how they turned out. It will be so fun to surprise everyone.

Baby Onesies for Care Net

This has to be one of the cutest and most useful art projects I have ever seen. Nice job kids!

The staff at Care Net asked me to tell you just how appreciative they are of your work. They especially liked the reference to Psalm 139:14. Care Net stocks a few small rooms full of items to help out moms in need, and they are constantly getting requests for help. These onesies will be really helpful to the babies.

And to any of you who dropped off additional diapers, blankets, pacifiers, and other baby necessities, an extra thanks goes out to you.

I have attached the original documents below, so that you can print your work onto your own shirt if you would like. It is fairly easy if you follow these directions:

• Get some iron-on paper (available at Staples) - unfortunately this only works with ink-jet printers
• Click on the picture with your work on it or right click and open it in a new tab (It will look backwards now, but that will change once it is ironed onto your shirt)
• Enlarge the picture to suit your own preference and print it onto the special paper
• Trim as closely to the image as possible
• Follow the directions on the package to iron it onto your shirt

Psalm 139

¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

December - Mondrian

Hi everyone! The infant outfits look adorable with last month's artwork printed on them. I can't wait to show them to you next week before delivering them to the babies! CareNet Pregnancy Center in Manchester is such a great program. I know that they will have lots of opportunities to help others thanks to your efforts.

This month's featured artist is Piet Mondrian.

PIET MONDRIAN

(pronounced Peet MON-dree-ahn)

1872-1944

Dutch

In preparation for class please print out "Broadway Boogie Woogie" (1942-1943 Museum of Modern Art, New York) and place it where your child will see it often.

Click here for a printable version

Next week's activity will be to create a paper collage focusing on Mondrian's balance, and primary colors. We will be creating Christmas ornaments which will decorate a tree in the middle of the woods on the trails at Earl Legacy Park to surprise and delight visitors (note change in location).

This month's supply list was a bit confusing to type up because of the variety of skill levels in our group. Please feel free to contact me if you have any trouble figuring out what you need. Basically, we are going to be cutting and gluing at right angles. If you have many small children attending, you will probably want to do the cutting ahead of time, but if your children are older they can easily do this at the meeting.

You will need to bring the following supplies:

• Three 3"x3" squares of construction paper (1 each of red, yellow & blue) per person
• Three additional pieces (any size) of construction paper (1 each of red, yellow, & blue) per person
• Eight (1/2" - 1")x12" strips of black construction paper per person
• One 12"x12" sheet of white construction paper per person
• Q-tips - one per person
• Pencil (regular #2, not a drawing pencil) - one per person
• White glue
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Recommended: Paper towels &/or baby wipes

See you December 14th at 6:30!

Challenge - Oil Pastels & Van Gogh

Looking for some resources to extend your study of

Vincent Van Gogh?

Here are some fun ideas to spark your creativity:

• Van Gogh began painting sunflowers to decorate his friend, Gauguin's, room. Try taking a long look at his sunflower paintings (actually all of his paintings are available on this wonderful site) and then try this sunflower craft together, or more advanced students can use their pastel skills on this sunflower project.

• We have only just scratched the surface of the creative possibilities of pastels. One of their greatest features is their ability to layer and blend. Experiment by creating circles similar to Kandinsky.

• Listen to the song "Vincent" ("Starry, Starry Night") by Don McLean, which is based on Van Gogh and compare it to the true story of his life.

• Did you know that oil pastels started out as a high quality crayon? Professional quality oil pastels weren't created until Pablo Picasso advocated for them in 1947. Check out this brief history of oil pastels.

PS: Sorry for the delay everyone! It took a while, but luckily Google was able to restore my "deleted" account. It is amazingly unsettling to loose so much information in one fell swoop - email, calendar, links, journaling. Yikes! Well, all is better now.

See you next month!

November - Van Gogh

Our first artist study begins November 9th; are you getting excited yet? This month we are going to be looking at the work of:

Vincent Van Gogh

(pronounced Van GOE)

(1853-1890)

Dutch

To prepare your student, please print out "The Starry Night" (1889, Museum of Modern Art, New York) and place it where your child will see it often. Personally, we like to frame art and place it beside the children's bathroom mirror where they can look at it while brushing their teeth. This may seem a bit irreverent, but really, where else will they have time to simply gaze at a picture several times every single day? Other options include sliding it inside the front cover of the child's favorite school binder, or posting it on the refrigerator with magnets.

Click here for a printable version

This month's activity will be to create pastel drawings which will be printed onto onesies for infants in need. You will need to bring the following supplies:

• 9"x12" Black Construction Paper - At least two sheets per person
• Oil Pastels - Broken and peeled work best (please label before arriving)
• Glue (please label before arriving)
• Q-tips - One per person
• Pencil (regular #2, not a drawing pencil) - One per person
• Recommended: Baby wipes and paper towels (for wiping fingers)
• Recommended: Wear short sleeves or bring a smock to protect clothing

Reminder: This is not a drop-off group. Parents, please come prepared to enjoy working alongside your children.

If this is your first time joining us or if you have not yet paid your registration fee, please remember to bring a check for $10 made out to New Hope Christian Fellowship. This will cover the entire year.

See you on November 9th!

Mia's Challenge - Markers

Thanks to everyone who came to our meeting on Tuesday. What fun!

I heard that Mia was looking for some more activities to do related to our class. (Love that enthusiasm!)

Here are a few things you can all try at home:

* The Master artists were talented in looking at the world in a different way. We have this ability too. When you look carefully you will be able to see things that other people don't notice. Try creating your own illusion with your markers using this simple technique.

* Art helps us to look at things in a new and surprising way. When you look at your markers it seems as if each one has only one color in it. But did you know that there are actually many colors mixed together in there? Try this experiment with a coffee filter and water to separate the colors so that you can see them more clearly.

* There are lots of other creative projects that you can make with your markers. Read through this article from Family Fun for some inspiration.

I will be sending out information in a few weeks about the next artist we will be studying. In the mean time, enjoy visiting the local art stores to get your supplies. The deadline for ordering through us is October 22nd. Just pop me an e-mail if you need to be added to the list.

Happy crafting!

Supply List

We ask that families provide their own art supplies so that children will have the opportunity to experiment at home as well as in class. Necessary supplies are intentionally kept fairly minimal. While specific brands are listed, these are suggestions only. You will want decent quality products to allow your child the most success (avoid Roseart and generic brands), but you do not need these brands specifically, and you certainly do not need to purchase expensive products.

For the 2010/2011 session, each family will need:

Prang Original Tempera Paint 3/4 oz. - 6 color set
Reeves Soft Pastels - 12 color set
Pentel Oil Pastel - 16 color set (Make sure to get “non toxic”)
Prang Black Conical Marker, Cone tip - 1 per child
Art Street Construction Paper (assorted colors) - 12”x18”
Prang Ambrite Colored Paper Chalk - 12 color set
Prang Crayons - 8 color set
Dynasty Liner Brush (pointed narrow brush w/ long hair) - 1 per child
Elmers Glue - white
Q-tip cotton swabs
Scissors - 1 per child

You may also want:

Bag large enough to hold all of your supplies
12.5x18.5” cardboard folder to protect artwork - 1 per child
(create your own with an xl cereal box)
An apron, smock, or old shirt to protect nice clothes - 1 per child
Small package of baby wipes

***Please make sure that all supplies are clearly labeled with your family’s name. Address labels work well for this purpose.

Schedule / Calendar

October 12 - Program overview - Visual exercises & line analysis.
Children will be creating a blended washable marker project that they can use as the cover of their portfolio to hold their artwork for the year.

November 9 - Vincent Van Gogh - Oil pastels, drawing with texture
Community Service: Artwork will be printed onto onesies and given to infants in need through Care Net Pregnancy Center.

December 14 - Piet Mondrian - Mondarin’s balance, Paper Collage, shape, color,
line and value
Community Service: Artwork will be made into ornaments which will be displayed on the new Bedford town common.

January 11 - Mary Cassat - Pastel strokes, color & line, cut & mounted pastels
Community Service: Artwork will be printed onto gift tags which will be attached to new socks for elderly residents of the local long term care facility.

February 8 - Pablo Picasso - Black marker and Chalk Stain, cubist composition,
Community Service: Artwork will be use to decorate boxes which will be filled with treats for the workers at the local town offices

March 8 - Winslow Homer - Value scale, Cut paper and crayon seascapes using
black & white values
Community Service: Artwork will be used as the cover art for coloring books to be delivered to the local pediatric emergency room.

April 12 - Claude Monet - Tempera impressionistic color wheels & trees
Community Service: Artwork will be made into cards that students will mail to active-duty military personnel.

May 10 - Family celebration and art show.

Basic Program Information

Welcome to SKETCH!

We are a service oriented art program open to children of any age. In our pressure-free environment, children will experiment with many different art materials, become aware of basic formal art techniques, and learn to recognize and appreciate the work of master artists. Our highest goal, however, is not simply to teach art principles, but to show children that one of the greatest joys in creating art is sharing it with others. Each project is intentionally designed as a community support effort, and copies of the children’s artwork will be used to adorn new clothes for the needy, gifts for the sick, messages to our soldiers, and more.

“As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people” ~ Gal 6:10a

During the course of this class we will be looking at the work of VanGogh, Cassatt, Mondrian, Picasso, Monet, & Homer.  The instruction part of the class comes first, and will take 20 min or so, then the kids will break out their supplies. We will have a few hands on activities to fully demonstrate the artistic principle covered in our lesson (balance, texture, etc.), and then they will be turned loose to simply create.

We meet on the 2nd Tuesday of every month

from 6:30 - 8:00 PM*

at New Hope Christian Fellowship,

292 Route 101, Bedford, NH 03110

The cost for the 2010 program is $10 per family for the year, payable at time of registration. Checks may be written to “New Hope Christian Fellowship.”

Please be aware that this is not a drop-off group. We encourage parents to learn alongside their children. For the safety of the children, there will be no exceptions. The best way to encourage artistic experimentation is to model it yourself, so pull up a chair, grab a crayon, and join the fun.

We look forward to creating something special with you!