February - O'Keeffe

Our artist for the month of February is Georgia O'Keeffe. Her beautiful abstract studies of flowers and other natural items captivate our imaginations by drawing us into minute details.

Georgia O'Keeffe

(pronounced oh-KEEF)

American

1887-1986

Red Canna, 1924

University of Arizona Museum of Art

for a printable version click here

The materials you will need for this months lesson are:

• One 12"x12" piece of white construction paper
• Paper towels - usually these are optional, but they are essential this week.
• A box of Payons or other watercolor crayons (watercolor colored pencils would be an okay substitute if absolutely necessary)
• Watercolor brush - If possible, avoid the plastic brushes that come in boxes of watercolors. Instead children will have more control using a round brush approx. size 6
• Small baby-food jar or tuna-fish can to hold water (choose something shallow please)
• A Black crayon - regular wax version, not a watercolor crayon
• Pencil (any writing pencil will do, you do not need drawing pencils)
• Glue stick

See you Tuesday, February 7th at 6:30!

Matisse Extension Activities

We sure created a lot of tiny paper scraps! Thanks for all the help cleaning up.

Take a look at your beautiful work:

The Cub Scouts of Troop 5 have agreed to assist us with the assembly of our pillowcases for cancer patients, and I can't wait to share the results with you. The kids of ConKerr are really going to enjoy their gifts.

Here are a few activities to keep you busy until we meet again.

Read:

You might enjoy Henri Matisse: Drawing with Scissors, a fun collection of notes between a teacher and student studying Matisse. I also really liked Matisse the King of Color, a picture book with excellent biographical information.

Play Online:

Matisse for Kids is a fun interactive website. Matisse's dog, Raoudi, is your guide as you learn about the artist, his techniques, and his works. Collect items for your portfolio and create your own work of art.

Create:

Try making your own your own Matisse inspired wearable collage using the instructions from Plastr Craft. Note: you do not need to have this specific product in order to make the pins. Painted cardboard or bits of colored clay could easily be used instead.

Consider:

Remember the funny story about Matisse bringing his artwork to the bedrooms of his sick friends? Well, many (many, many) studies have been done to determine whether he was right. Does art does help us to heal? Some researchers believe so. You can read a bit more here about the pain reducing effects of art.

There is another kind of healing to consider too:

Psalm 103:2-5

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits--who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Blessings,

January - Matisse

Sometimes it is difficult to think about the fact that kids get sick. Our project this month is to help some kids with cancer by making pillowcases for them. It is a tangible way to reach out and try to make their day (and night) a tiny bit better. If you know of any specific child in need who would appreciate one of our pillowcases, please let me know.

To prepare for this month's class please print out the picture below and place it in a location where you child will see it often.

Henri Matisse

(pronounced Mah-TEECE)

French

1869-1954

Beasts of the Sea

1951

National Gallery of Art, Washington DC

For a printable image click here

Each child will be creating a collage, so the measurements on the "small brightly colored paper" pieces do not need to be precise. This a great opportunity to clean out your scrap paper stash.

Supplies to bring to class:

• Large brightly colored paper - 1 sheet 12 x 18 in bright pink, turquoise, white or black
• Small brightly colored paper - 2 or more sheets approximately 4 x 6 in bright yellow, orange, red or violet, or a combination of these colors - use what you have
• Green paper - 1 sheet, 9 x 12
• Blue paper - 1 sheet, 9 x 12
• Scissors - 1 pair for each student
• Pencil - any pencil will do, this does not need to be a fancy drawing pencil
• Glue Stick - 1 for each student

See you Tuesday, January 10th at 6:30!

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.