Remington Extension Activities

The ornaments that you made for the Bedford Library are beautiful. Make sure to take a moment to stop by and see them upstairs. If you look closely you may even see your work as you drive by. Directions are available at the library website.

I hope you will have time during your Christmas holiday to play with your art supplies. Here are a few ideas that relate to our study of Remington to get you started.

Create:

Remington loved horses. Try another collage project using the instructions at All Kids Network. At first glance this project looks as if it is just for the little ones, but I encourage everyone to give it a try. Making your paper horse look realistic can be a lot of fun when you begin adding details.

Get published:

Remington drew "Cowboys of Arizona Roused by a Scout" on the back of some wrapping paper and mailed it in to a New York magazine when he was young. It was printed on the cover of Harper's Weekly in 1882, and he eventually became one of the most famous illustrators in America.

Submit your own drawings for consideration in Highlights Magazine by following these instructions. Maybe you could become a famous illustrator too!

Study:

For older students - Remember how we discussed Remington's romantic desire to depict the West as a flawless landscape? Take a look at this CBS article to learn more. It is very interesting to recognize just how much Remington shaped our perception of the western frontier to this day.

Read:

Remington was an author in addition to his work as an illustrator. You can read several of his books for free online.

Crooked Trails

The Way of the Indian

Watch:

Study Remington's painting "The Scout" with the guidance of an articulate art commentator.

I hope you all enjoy celebrating the birth of our savior.

See you in January!

December - Remington

For the month of December we will be studying Frederic Remington, who is known for his realistic depictions of the old west. In preparation for class, please print the picture below and place it in a location that your children will see often.

Frederic Remington

(pronounced: Rem-ing-ton)

American

1861-1909

The Old Stagecoach of the Plains

c. 1901

Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, TX

for a printable image click here

Supplies to bring to class:

• One 9"x12" sheet of black construction paper
• One 9"x12" sheet of white or light brown construction paper
• 1-2 Tissues (without lotion) or paper towel
• Oil pastels
• Colored pencils
• Glue stick
• Scissors
• Any old pencil, a drawing pencil is not necessary

See you Tuesday, December 13th at 6:30!

Operation Christmas Child

The OCC boxes are packed and shipped off with your artwork inside. I know that the kids who receive them will be excited to see your work.

Thank you for being so generous!

Degas Extension Activities

Degas is an artist that can easily capture your imagination. If your kids are as fascinated as I am, follow their interest by trying a few of these activities.

Create:

Degas was well known for his creative use of his art supplies. To create an interesting contrast in texture he would crush his pastels, steam them, and then apply them like paint. To try this for yourself, watch this demonstration and then break out your supplies to try it yourself!

Simple step-by-step instructions for drawing your own dancer are available at Ms.Julie'sArtSchool. The images are fairly light, so you may need to zoom-in to view them well.

Go:

The Boston Museum of Fine Arts has FREE admission this Friday. They host a large collection of Degas' works, including his bronze sculpture of the Little 14 year old Dancer. *Parents, please be aware that many of Degas' images include the female form and there is currently an exhibition at MFA which intentionally focuses this particular point in the evolution of his work. To pre-view the collection before your visit, go to MFA.org

Watch:

Take a peek into Degas' personal sketchbook at PBS.org.

Read:

Degas and the Dance is a great book for children available through the Manchester Library System.

Consider:

Degas' is well known for being dissatisfied with his work. This is a great opportunity to discuss this quality in your family.

Perfectionism is a struggle for many children, especially as they compare their projects to the work of master artists. If we are being quite honest, many parents will admit to struggling with perfectionism too. As we approach the holidays it is easy to see this in our own lives as we reach crisis mode immediately before company arrives for the holiday, attempting to create a perfectly clean house in which to serve the perfect meal to a family who we expect to behave with perfect manners. (Certainly not an achievable reality in my home)

Striving to become better and achieve excellence is very different from perfectionism. Try taking this helpful self-test with your older children and discuss the Bible references on the last two pages as a family. Perfectionism is not a good thing, but working hard and striving to be better is a great goal. Knowing the difference is very important.

Crayons for Kids

Take a look at your completed Hokusai projects! Aren't they great!

The crayons were labeled and dropped off at the local food bank for distribution to many needy children in our area. Good work.

November - Degas

October snow, I NEVER would have thought it could be so destructive. I hope all of you are warm and safe, despite the chaos!

**Parents, there is a bit of preparation that will need to be done before class, so please make sure to read the instructions for creating grid lines at the bottom of the supply list.**

Our artist for the month of November is Degas. He is famous for his work with dancers, and I know many of you will recognize the picture below. Please print it out and place it in a location that your family will view often.

Edgar Degas

(Pronounced: Deh-GAS)

French

1834-1917

The Dancing Class

c.1873-1875

Musee d'Orsay, Paris

For a printable image, click here

Supplies to bring for this month's class:

• One 8 1/2 x 11" pale pastel sheet of construction paper or copy paper, your choice *MARKED WITH GRID LINES* (instructions below)
• One 9" x 12" sheet of black construction paper
• Two pieces of scrap paper
• 2 tissues (without lotion) per student
• Black crayon, preferably with a decent tip
• Colored chalk
• Pencil WITH an eraser
• Glue stick
• Optional: paper towels to clean dusty hands (I often suggest baby wipes for clean up, but the moisture will cause smears on this project so paper towels are a better choice)
• Optional: Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts for underprivileged children. If you choose to participate, you can find more information about how to fill your box at:Samaritan'sPurse.org

**As I mentioned before, there is a bit of prep work that might frustrate the youngest students, so rather than holding everyone up with a lesson in fractions, I am asking that parents help me out. Please have this prepared before class:

You will need scissors, a ruler, and a pencil in addition to the paper mentioned above in order to prepare your child's paper.

First, cut both the black and pastel paper to size.

Next you will need to mark grid lines on the pastel paper. Simply use a ruler to lightly mark the top and bottom of your pastel paper into fourths in each direction (at 2 1/8", 4 1/4", and 6 3/8" along the short sides, and at 2 3/4", 5 1/2", and 8 1/4" on the long sides), and then VERY LIGHTLY connect the dots with your pencil and ruler. We will need to erase these marks later, so please do not use pen, fold the paper, or bear down on the pencil.

You should have 16 equal rectangles when you are done. If you have trouble visualizing what I need the final grid to look like, just watch this video. The paper he folds results in exactly 16 equal rectangles (DO NOT FOLD your paper).

Please e-mail me if you have any questions.

See you Tuesday, November 8th at 6:30!

Shoeboxes and Ventriloquism, an odd combination

Just a quick note to those of you planning to fill a shoebox . . .

The Operation Christmas Child boxes arrived at the church this week. You are more than welcome to use your own shoebox, but if you would like for me to drop off a box (which includes instructions, a bookmark, and a letter that you can fill out for the recipient) then just pop me an e-mail and we can make arrangements to get it to you.

Sherylgoedecke @ yahoo.com

Hmmm... I can't think of a good transition from shoeboxes to ventriloquism, so I'm just going to jump topics awkwardly here.

Ready, set, JUMP

If you are looking for a fun event this weekend, feel free to join us for a free ventriloquist performance at New Hope Christian Fellowship. Brent Vernon (& Sam) will be here at 5:29 :o) on Sunday October 30th. The doors open at 5PM and refreshments will be served after the performance. www.facebook.com/BrentVernonOnFB

Hope to see you there!

Sheryl

Hokusai Extension Activities

These activities are not required for class, but I hope they will spark your curiosity and imagination.

Create:

Hokusai is famous for his colorful prints. To create your own fall themed stamp to use with your tempera paint, visit Happy Scribbles. Their instructions are simple and you probably have all of the supplies in your home

Watch:

The Smithsonian Channel has produced several videos about Hokusai including this one which shows exactly how wood-block printing was historically done. Did you know that SPIT was involved? I'm not sure how I feel about that.

Read:

Deborah Kogan Ray has written an excellent children's biography of Hokusai entitled "Hokusai: The Man Who Painted A Mountain." There are a couple of copies available through the Greater Manchester library system, so take a look!

Consider:

Remember when we discussed the names of God and we talked about the Lion and Lamb? I held out on some of the story because I wanted to give families time to discuss this a bit at home.

The name "Lion of Judah" isn't just about ferociousness, and "Lamb of God" isn't just about gentleness. The animals are the literal translations, and have symbolic meaning to our own ears, but there is more to the story. In Revelation 5:6 we learn that Jesus left as the sacrificial Lamb of God, but will return as the conquering Lion of Judah.

• We know that we as humans aren't perfect. We sin and we cannot be in God's presence because of that sin. We also know that in the end the "Lion of Judah"will exact final judgement, because he rules over all things.
• It is Jesus' sacrifice as the "Lamb of God" through his death on the cross that makes it possible for us to live eternally with him, because he has taken away the sins of the world and has overcome death.

I know...Deep stuff for the beginning of the year in an art class. If you are interested, you can read more about it here, and I am always available if you have any questions.

Planning Ahead:

Next month's outreach project is to create artwork for Operation Christmas Child.

Your children are more than welcome to bring in items to send, but this is not in any way mandatory. If you are interested in participating you can get more information on how to pack your shoebox through Samaritan's Purse.

Have fun!

October - Hokusai

Our first artist of the year is Katsushika Hokusai.

(For pronunciation help go to Forvo, which offers several different recordings)

Katsushika Hokusai

(pronounced Kat-soo-shee-ka Hok-sigh)

Japan

1760-1849

To prepare your student for class, please print out "Manual of Ink - Bamboo, Wu Chen" (1350, National Palace Museum, Taipei) below, and place it where your child will see it often.

Click here for a printable version.

Picture study can be a very natural part of your day. Personally, I use an inexpensive frame and place it beside the childrens' 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 an image several times every day. Other options include saving the image to your computer's screen saver, slipping it inside the front cover of the child's favorite school binder, hanging it on the refrigerator with magnets, or placing it on the dining room table where the entire family can see and discuss the artwork.

This month we are going to learn about asian brush technique. You do not need to bring every item listed in our supply list. To complete the project each child will only need:

• One 12x18 sheet of white construction paper
• One piece of scrap paper (for practice, anything will do)
• Several paper towels
• Round watercolor paintbrush (size 6-9)
• Fine paintbrush (size 2)
• A container to hold ink (I like to use small babyfood jars, but a tuna-fish can would also work well. Please do not bring a cup - they tip far too easily)
• Black tempera paint
• Glue stick
• Pencil
• (optional - smock or old tee-shirt)

The artwork that we create in class this month will be photographed and that image will be used to make gift tags which we will attach to crayons. The crayons will then be given out as gifts to children who visit the local food bank.

Parents, please remember that this is not a drop off group. Please come prepared to enjoy working alongside your children.

See you at 6:30 on October 11th!

What age are SKETCH students?

I have been getting quite a few e-mails with similar questions, so I posted a FAQ page.

The biggest question seems to be about age, so I'll do my best to explain how it works. Sketch is designed to be a program that families can attend together. The moms chat, the kids get messy, the babies chew on crayons, and the dads drink coffee and talk sports.

My goal in organizing it this way was to give families a break - we are pulled in a thousand directions at once and it is nice to work on something together for a change. Any age can attend. Honestly. Toddlers are welcome and teens are too. It sounds like a recipe for disaster, but because parents are right there beside their own kids, it has actually worked out quite successfully.

Lessons are presented in layers. Overview instruction is targeted toward the elementary students, but then additional instruction is offered 1:1 to the older and more experienced students as they work on their projects.

2011/2012 Registration

UPDATE - The 2011/2012 session of Sketch is now full. If you would like to notified of future openings please contact Sheryl at SherylGoedecke @ yahoo. com

We are looking forward to serving both you and our community as we explore the works of Hokusai, Degas, Remington, Matisse, O'Keeffe, Kahlo, and Wyeth.

The registration process is simple. Just right click on the images below and print the registration forms, then mail the form along with a check for $25 (per family, not per student) to New Hope Christian Fellowship. Registration is accepted on a 1st come, 1st served basis and remains open until our space is filled.

*NOTE* please send me an e-mail (sherylgoedecke @ yahoo.com) so that I will know to look for your check in the mail.

(If you are interested in joining mid-year, just e-mail me and I can let you know if space is available).

Please be aware that students are responsible for providing their own art supplies for class. Many of these are supplies that are very likely already in your home (crayons anyone?). Click here to view the full list for this year's class.

See you soon!

Registration delay

Gah!

I beg your forgiveness for the registration delay. I left for a long vacation with an updated calendar and registration form scheduled to post automatically ... but obviously I did something incorrectly as several of you have contacted me looking for information.

Thank you for your faithfulness to Sketch. I am home now and frantically working to recreate the missing posts. I will be back in contact as soon as possible.

Free Admission to local Art Museums

My family loves art museums, but the cost can be extraordinary. When you add in parking and lunch you often have yourself a very expensive day.

Determined to fix this problem, I looked around and came up with a list of local museums with free admission this summer. I hope this will help you to get out there and enjoy a museum or two with your family!

The full list is below, but I truly hope that you will

JOIN US

at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester on Saturday August 13th* for a FREE beach themed event specifically targeted to families. We will meet at 11:30AM for a guided gallery walk. Please let me know if you plan to attend so that I can inform the museum staff.

Free admission 2011:

July 1st - Museum of Fine Arts - Boston, MA*

July 8th - Worcester Art Museum - Worcester, MA

July 8th - Cape Cod Museum of Art - Dennis, MA

July 22nd - Norman Rockwell Museum - Stockbridge, MA*

August 5th - Institute of Contemporary Art - Boston, MA

Everyday - Hood Museum of Art - Hanover, NH

Select Sundays - Portsmouth Museum of Art - Portsmouth, NH

Everyday - Aidron Duckworth Museum - Meredith, NH

Everyday - Andres Institute of Art - Brookline, NH (outdoor sculpture walk)

Saturdays 10-12 - Currier Museum of Art - Manchester, NH

* I have noted with an asterisk the events that I am hoping to bring my family to. We would love it if you could join us, even if it is just for lunch at the museum cafe. Call or e-mail me and we can make plans.

A framework for next fall's Sketch program is already beginning to come together. I'll be in touch soon to let you know what you can expect.

Enjoy your summer!

Wrap-up Party

***Next week's session is going to require a bit more planning on mom's part so please read this as soon as possible!***

What a fun year we have had together!

Time for our wrap up of all the artists we have studied. Our next meeting will be focused on reviewing what we have learned and making a timeline so that the children can see how these artists influenced each other. This would be a great time to invite Dad or Grandma to see what your little ones have been up to.

The children will be given time to "present" their favorite piece of work to the group, so please allow them time at home to go through their creations. This does not need to be something that they made at Sketch - it can be any piece of art that they are proud of. (*I have a timid child, so I understand that this may be very intimidating to some children - this is not a requirement and children will not be pressured to do anything they are uncomfortable with.)

For this session you will need to bring:

• A SNACK to share (no need to stress - Oreos or apples count!)
• Your child's favorite ARTWORK
• One timeline for each child - I highly suggest that you print this on cardstock
• One copy of artist figures for each child (regular weight paper, color printing would be nice)
• One copy of artists' works for each child (regular weight paper, color printing would be nice)
• Tape
• Crayons
• Glue stick
• Scissors

See you Tuesday, May 10th at 6:30PM!

Monet Extension Activities

It is easy to get fully absorbed in the beautiful paintings by Monet. Thankfully, there are many online exhibits to lead you through his works. InterMonet will walk you through many collections. While you are at the site, don't miss Monet's brief autobiography; fascinating reading.

You may also want to look for Katie Meets the Impressionists by James Mayhew at your local library. This book beautifully draws children into the works of Monet and other impressionists through the fun tale of a little girl who quite literally climbs into the artists' work to gather flowers for her grandmother.

Monet's fascination with painting the same subject repeatedly makes his work fun to analyze. Take a look at the many variations of his Haystack series. Can your child determine what season and time of day it is based on the colors and shadows?

Monet's work is so beloved that you can easily spot reproductions in your daily life. Keep your eyes open and you will find more than just prints in the craft supply store. His paintings are often reproduced on umbrellas, tote bags, and more.

Try making a Monet inspired sponge painting using the instructions at KinderArt. Take your paints outside to get the best natural light for your subject, or try copying one of Monet's famous works.

There are lots of great coloring pages of Monet's work. Take a look at these:

Picnic

Parasol

Garden (lots of detail in this one)

We have used lots of different art supplies during the course of the year. Try doing the same coloring page in pastels, paints, and crayons. Compare your results. Which is your favorite? Which looks most like the work of Monet?

I am looking forward to seeing all of you at our art show next month where we will get to put all of these great artist in order while we create our timeline. Don't forget to bring in your favorite artwork to share.

April - Monet

This month we creating cards for soldiers serving far from home.

Parents, if your children are anything like mine, they like to be warned ahead of time when a routine changes. We are going to be doing things a big differently this week. This is the one time that I will ask the children if they would like to donate their original work to our community service project. The kids will be allowed to create several cards. They may choose to keep one, all, or none of their works. This is completely voluntary. We will still take photos of their work and any children who wish to take their original art home can write their message to the soldiers on blank cards that I will provide and I will add the photos of their artwork later.

Also, if your child struggles with handwriting but wants to write their own message, you may want to work with them ahead of time. They can bring in an index card or two with a simple message ("Come home soon" or "Thank you" would do nicely) and their signature to paste into their card.

We will be studying

Claude Monet

(pronounced moe-NAY)

French

1840-1926

In preparation for class on Tuesday, please print the image below and place it where your child will see it often.

On the Bank of the Seine, 1868, Art Institute of Chicago

For a printable image, click here.

You will need to bring the following supplies:

• One paper plate or paint pallet per person
• One 9x12 sheet of light construction paper per person
• Four or more cotton swabs per person
• Paper towels
• Baby wipes
• Tempera paint in red, yellow, and blue
• Paintbrush
• Crayons
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Optional: Index card(s) with pre-written message to a soldier

See you on April 12th at 6:30!

Library Bookmarks

Homer Extension Activities

Isn't it is amazing to think that such a talented artist lived right here in New England?

Winslow Homer's life was truly fascinating. Check your local library to see if you can borrow a copy of Winslow Homer: An American Original - it is an old but fun movie. My husband even enjoyed this one.

Sit with your child and look through several of Homer's works. Some are rather thought provoking. The Gulf Stream, which we discussed in class, shows a man in great danger. You may want to discuss Psalm 56:3-4 "When I am afraid I will trust in you. In God whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid."Remember our discussion of contrast? Take a look at these two works by Homer. They are very similar. Do you think that the use of contrast made a difference between Sailing the Catboat and Breezing Up? - How many other differences can you find?

Looking for a hands-on project? Try learning to draw like the school children of Winslow Homer's time. Or take on his favorite medium, watercolors! Don't forget to use your crayons this month. Crayola always has great ideas at their site.

The National Gallery of Art has created a fun printable document with lots of games and info about Winslow Homer. Get it at: www.nga.gov/kids/homerscoop.pdf

Did you know that Winslow Homer was buried only about an hour from here? If you happen to be near Cambridge this month, take a quick look at his gravesite in Mount Auburn Cemetery. (While you are there you might be interested in seeing the burial sites for Nathaniel Bowditch, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, among others.)

Don't forget to stop by your library this month to see your artwork on the new bookmarks that they will be giving away!