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!

January - Wassily Kandinsky

Welcome back to Sketch! I am so excited for Friday's class.

A few housekeeping details: When you arrive, please have your registration form and payment ready. You will need these as you enter the door.

 For those of you joining us for the first time, our church is part of an office building. As strange as it sounds, please do not enter through the front door. It is locked at night. The easiest way to enter the building is to park in the side lot and enter through that door. You will see a banner that says "New Hope Christian Fellowship." You can find driving directions on our class site.

Each month I will be sending you an image to study prior to class. This will help your child to become familiar with the artist, and will give them time to really appreciate the different techniques that are used. Please place it where your child will see it often. Personally, I like to purchase copies of each month's 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, posting it on the refrigerator with magnets, or using it as the screen saver on your computer.

This month we are going to be looking at the work of:

Wassily Kandinsky

(1866-1944)
Russian

 Okay, first things first. Yes, his name really is Wassily, and it truly is a kinda' silly name. Makes me giggle every time. It is pronounced [vas-sil-lee] in the American version of Russian, and that is about as good as you will hear from me, no matter how hard I try. If you'd like to hear it pronounced properly, you can listen here.

To prepare your student for this month's class, please place "Improvisation 31" (which is commonly referred to as "Sea Battle")  in a location where your child will see if often.

Click here for an enlarged version.

This month we will be making small "random acts of kindness" cards using our pastels, that you will be able to surprise friends and even strangers with.  You will need to bring the following supplies to class:

• Prang water paints, 8 color set - 1 per student
• Grumbacher round watercolor brush (size 6 to 9) - 1 per student
• Pentel oil pastels - 16 color set (Make sure to get “non toxic”) - can be shared
• Tru Ray Acid Free Construction Paper 
• 1 piece of white 12”x18” paper per student.  AT HOME, please lightly mark your paper into six equal rectangles with a pencil - Use a ruler and pencil to lightly draw a horizontal line to halve the paper.  Then make 2 vertical lines, creating 6 equal sized boxes.   See image below.
• Scotch 3M clear glue stick - can be shared
• Several paper towels
• Small container (baby food jar size) for water - 1 per student
• An everyday pencil - 1 per student

Note - As a result of your feedback, I have updated the course supply list with links to the products I suggest.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

See you on Friday, January 18th at 6:30!

2013 Registration

Sketch is Back!!!

I am so excited to announce that art classes will begin again in January 2013.  I truly am looking forward to sharing another year with you.

We will be meeting from 6:30 - 8:00 PM on the 3rd Friday of each month.  During this session of SKETCH we will be exploring the works of Kandinsky, Escher, Seurat, and Michelangelo, and we will have a lot of fun helping others at the same time.

The registration process is simple. Just e-mail me to let me know to reserve your spot, then right click on the images below and print the registration forms.  Bring the form along with a one time fee of $15 (per family, not per student) to New Hope Christian Fellowship at the time of your first class. Registration is accepted on a 1st come, 1st served basis and remains open until our space is filled.  Returning students will be have 1 week advance notice of registration before I advertise the class to others.

*NOTE* it is very important that you e-mail me as soon as possible.  This is the only way that I will know to expect you.

Hmm... I just noticed that the form says $25 per family - know that that is wrong.  The fee is $15 per family this year.  I will try to get back and change it as soon as possible.

(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 are probably already in your home. Click here to view the full list for this year's class.

See you soon!

2012 Wrap up Party

*** Our next session of SKETCH is open to guests. ***

This is a great time to invite family and friends 

to see what your child has accomplished this past year!

It is time to celebrate and we have a special guest to help us. Chalk artist Katty Avedisian will be joining us this Tuesday to share her storytelling and art. There is a special surprise in her work ... I can't wait for you to see it!

We will also be quickly reviewing all of the artists that we have studied this past year and taking a look at each of the completed community service projects. You will be amazed to see just how much we have been able to do.

In addition, the children will be given time to casually present their favorite piece of work to the group, so please allow them time at home to go through their creations and choose JUST ONE to share. (I understand that being in front of the group may be very intimidating to some children - presenting is not a requirement, but please have your child bring their art with them even if they do not plan to speak)

For this session you will need to bring:

• One completed piece of ARTWORK for each child
• Optional: A SNACK to share (no need to stress - Oreos or apples count!) 

This is going to be a fun night.  See you Tuesday, May 8th at 6:30PM!

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!

Andrew Wyeth Extension Activities

Don't forget to join us to plant flowers this Tuesday evening!

Here are the details:

Tuesday 4-17-12 6:30PM

Earl Legacy Park in Bedford

200 New Boston Road

Corner of Wallace and New Boston by Riddlebrook School

directions available here

Bring your own shovel/trowel if you have one!

Did you know:

Andrew Wyeth was a homeschool student from the age of 8 until he turned 18. He tells about his education history in this short interview with the Center for Talent Development.

Meet the Artist:

The great thing about 20th century artists is that we have many records of their lives as well as their work. Take a look at this short video of Andrew Wyeth at work.

Try it yourself:

Andrew Wyeth is known for his ability to create intense emotion through his choice of interesting backgrounds. Try cutting out a small portrait from either a photograph or magazine and placing it on different backgrounds. Plain white, a jungle scene from a magazine, or a photograph of your own backyard will offer drastically different results.

See it in Person:

Andrew Wyeth spent many summers only a few hours from here. If you are traveling to Maine soon, swing by the Farnsworth Art Museum Wyeth Center in Rockland. In addition to seeing quite a few paintings by Andrew Wyeth and his famous family, you will also have the opportunity to tour the Olson house, setting for Wyeth's famous painting Christina's World.

April - Andrew Wyeth

Are you ready to study a realistic painter again? After the abstract shapes of Matisse and the surreal qualities of Kahlo's work, this artist is going to be a big change.

Andrew Wyeth comes from a long line of famous artists, and his work is easy to find. Take some time this week to study the painting below. There is a story that goes along with this painting, and I'll share it with you on Tuesday. See if your family can make up their own stories. You might even be right!

Christina's World

1948

The Museum of Modern Art

New York, NY

We are going to be making pins this week. I hope you will all be able to join us to plant some flowers at 6:30 Tuesday April 17th. I will have directions available on Tuesday. There is plenty of room to play, so bring some comfortable shoes and join the fun!

To make your pin you will need:

• One 9x12" sheet of white construction paper
• One 9x12" sheet of construction paper (any color) to cut for a stencil
• Colored pencils
• Crayons
• Scissors
• Pencil (any kind)
• optional - masking tape to hold your stencil in place

See you this Tuesday, April 10th at 6:30 for class!