Chagall Glass-work display

Our artwork is on display at the Bedford Public Library!  Stop by to take a look.  Hours and directions available here.

Klee Inspired Postage Stamps

Our stamps were given to friends living at a local elder-care facility.  There were lots of smiles and "I remember when my kids..." stories shared.  Thank you for brightening their day!
  

Apples for Neighbors

Rembrandt Inspired Seed Packets

The garden club was thrilled to receive your personalized seed packets.
Beautifully done kids!

Complete project instructions available here.

Miro Stickers for Emergency Vet Office

It is always sad when a pet gets hurt.  I'm sure that the children who have to spend time waiting at the emergency vetrinarian office will appreciate having your stickers to distract them.

Complete project instructions available here.

Eric Carle Lesson Extension Activities

The felt board that you made for the Bedford library is going to be so much fun for the kids to play with.  Thanks for your hard work!  

Complete project instructions available here.

Read:

“With many of my books I attempt to bridge the gap between the home and school. To me home represents, or should represent; warmth, security, toys, holding hands, being held. School is a strange and new place for a child. Will it be a happy place? There are new people, a teacher, classmates—will they be friendly?" 

There are lots of books that we can look at to see Eric Carle's artwork, but I wanted to point out a few that offer more insight into his life.  Eric Carle has written a fantastic series of autobiographical stories in two books entitled Flora and Tiger and My Apron.  They are written directly to children in a way that is both playful and informative.  I can’t say enough how much my family enjoyed these books.  {These books are affiliate links.  Should you click through I may get a small portion of any purchases that you make.  Thanks for your support.}

Create:

Coloring pages are always fun, but if you want a bit more of a challenge, try creating your own tissue paper collage.  This PDF offers instructions that are fairly easy to follow.  

Visit:

Eric Carle and his wife have created a fantastic museum dedicated to illustrators of children’s books.  It is a lot of fun!  Even if you can’t get there in person, it is more than worthwhile to take a look at their website.

Consider:

Want to find out how Very Hungry Caterpillar, the Bible, and throw-up all tie together?  Pop by the Fantastic Five to find out.

Klimt Inspired Emergency Room Display

Take a look at your fantastic Klimt-inspired metal work.  Isn't it fun!

The staff at the emergency room was thrilled to receive it, and asked me to share their thanks with all of you.

It will be on display for the next two months, but I will make sure to get your pieces back to you before our closing session.  Great job kids!

Complete project instructions available here.

A Chihuly Christmas

The town gazebo is looking a lot more festive thanks to the collaborative sculpture created by the kids of SKETCH.  Nice work!

Lautrec OCC Boxes

Your gifts for needy children are all packed up and on their way.  I wonder which country they are destined for.  Don't forget that you can track your Operation Christmas Child box (if you paid for shipping online) at Samaritan'sPurse.org

Bears for sick children

I just wanted to share a quick photo of one of the bears that your artwork images were added to for last month's community service project.  These will soon be heading out to hospitals around the state.  I know that the kids will appreciate them!

Kandinsky Extension Activities

Wassily Kandinsky's abstract art was fun to explore together.  Take a look at the great Random Acts of Kindness cards that we made.  Aren't they wonderful?  It will be fun to hand them out next month.  Start thinking about some ways to use them!

Compared to many of the other famous artists we have studied, there aren't a whole lot of Kandinsky  resources available for kids.  If this subject has captured your child's interest here is where I would start:

Read:

Kandinsky 1866-1944 A Revolution in Painting by Hajo Duchting
Color Your Own Abstract Art Masterpieces a Dover Art coloring book
What's the Big Idea?: Activities and Adventures in Abstract Art by Joyce Raimondo

Explore the Web:

Making Art Fun has a few fun Kandinsky resources including a word-search and coloring page.  (Parents, there are advertisements on this page, and one in particular looked like a game when I last was there.  I would preview it before allowing the kids on this site.)

Watch:

Want to see Kandinsky in action?  Check out this old silent movie from 1926.

Create:

Ready to make some more art?  Try using your oil pastels to write your name in an abstract style.  K-6 has some fun instructions.  Remember, pastels are not crayons.  Peel off the paper and use them sideways sometimes, and don't forget to blend the colors together!

You can also take a look at some of the other oil pastel ideas we have used over the years.

Have fun!

Earl Legacy Park - flower planting

What a fun time we had working together!

I was amazed at the diligence of the kids, and at the beauty of their efforts.  The rock border for the flower bed was a great addition.   Fabulous job!

Animal Rescue League towel donations

The artwork that the children created this month was used to benefit the Animal Rescue League.  We placed several posters and boxes around town to collect towels for the pets, and the response by the community was fabulous.  There are going to be some warm, clean, and comfy animals in town.

If you have time, stop by their Bedford location (just down the street from the church).  They love visitors, and you might just find your next best friend.

Gifts for Soldiers

Everyone loves cookies!  Our soldiers are going to be thrilled to receive yummy treats wrapped in the beautiful artwork that was created this month.

Pillowcases for ConKerr Cancer

The thought of children dealing with life threatening illnesses is tragic.  This month the children's artwork was used to create pillowcases for kids who are suffering from cancer.  Take a look at the ConKerr website to learn more about how the pillowcases will be distributed.

A special thanks to the Tiger Cub Scouts of pack 5 who helped with assembling the fabric.   

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!