Artist Study: Fra Angelico

Just a bunch of links y'all.

I have NO time for a thoughtful post. I'm just quick stashing these in case they need to be found later.
Of course, if it ends up like other stashes, I won't remember that I stashed them at all and forget to even look here...

Anyway.

I used these links this last week in our intro to Fra Angelico studies. Yes, we're still in Term 1 and just starting artist study. Never mind that technically, the first term was supposed to be done before Christmas break...

F.l.e.x.i.b.i.l.i.t.y is the name of the game around here.

Massacre of the Innocents, Fra Angelico

It had been a few minutes after passing out the prints so they could get an overall sense of the artist's style of work, when my seven year old spoke up about her painting. She said in a completely nonchalant way, "Mom, mine looks like it's about bunch of people trying to kill babies. Could I have a different one?"

It was funny.
You know, funny in a not funny way. Kinda.
Nevermind.

:)



Helpful Links:

for mom.
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/fang/hd_fang.htm

for kids.
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/art/frangelico.htm

about a fresco.
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/arts/fresco.htm
http://artsmarts4kids.blogspot.com/2007/10/fresco-project.html

a story.
http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=keysor&book=artists5&story=ange


This one might be my favorite:


Transfiguration of Christ, Fra Angelico

do you want an (awesome) ART calendar?!

i just happen to be giving one away. like i do every year. because i love this calendar.

this year, unlike other years, unlike ever before in my life come to think of it, i actually got to go to NYC and SEE the art! in the museum. where it lives. yep, we got to spend two whole days at the Metropolitan Museum of Art! it was definitely top o' the list of places we wanted to visit and it did not disappoint.

ahhh. so much fun.

now to be considered in this drawing, you don't have to be a regular reader of this blog, you don't even have to really do anything in return. you just have to want one. simply enter a comment on any post here at fisher academy's blog BEFORE midnight on 1/1/2015. that way, i'll know you're interested.

i'll do the drawing on new years' day.

oh, and if you're dying to get one of these and wanna increase your chances, new likes on our facebook page during december, will get an extra entry. because that just makes for more fun for some people. :)

OR if you just can't wait and want to be SURE to get one. buy yours now, by clicking HERE.




we love turning the pages of this art calendar every day. it's a page-a-day, so there's a unique piece of art or history for each day of the year. sometimes it's ancient weapons or armor, sometimes it's a painting. it's fun! it comes in handy for discussions about art study, for book of centuries illustrations, and even copywork (my young kids use it to copy the date!).

how might you use yours?

wanna check out past ART calendar giveaways? 

maybe just for old times sake... :)

2013

2012

2011

The girls with their handy-dandy audio devices at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Artist Study: Ruisdael

Jacob van Ruisdal.

Van Ruisdael lived from 1628-1682 and is often considered the greatest Dutch landscape painter. His father was a frame maker and artist, Isaak de Goyer, who later called himself Ruisdael. Jacob was the nephew of the noted painter Salomon Ruisdael, who also had a son named Jacob! I know, confusing, right? Well, it was a long time ago. In the book I read, the author spent a whole chapter on the whole family name thing. Seems  there is some doubt as to who painted all the paintings. One thing that adds to the mystery is, only some of the paintings attributed to our Ruisdael are actually signed by him. Either way, until we know more, we'll trust that the people who know, do in fact know what they're talking about, and we'll study the paintings as-is by Ruisdael... somebody or other.

But without a doubt, all the paintings are fabulous. Add to the interest for us, we've read this book (see link below), AND we have good friends from the Netherlands (also Holland, and there IS a difference)! who recently kindly sent us a package from there! I could say a lot about how we adored their yummy sweet stuff, but will refrain from speaking about the salty-licorice... ;)




View of Haarlem with Bleaching Grounds by Ruisdael.


A text describing bleaching grounds...

And just for fun, here's a map of old Haarlem before the war with the Spanish... with city walls, moat and bleaching grounds inside the city walls.

    The picture below is comparable to Ruisdael's.  I wonder if this is the same shown from the same vantage point he used!



helpful links:
learner.org on Bleaching Grounds
wiki on Haarlem
Great Artist Series book, includes bio on Ruisdael.
Artist Study @ Fisher Academy
Artist Study: What we do

Artist Study: Caravaggio

Some thoughts about Caravaggio...

The way he portrays light is awesome.  In art terms it's called chiaroscuro.  Everything appears to be in shadows, and he portrays bright light to accentuate the part of the painting that he wants to highlight.  I REALLY like this.  However, he has some rather morbid themes and graphic portrayals of death in several of his paintings and some nudity as well (so be careful when browsing online galleries).  I think these themes and even his dark paintings actually demonstrate his somewhat violent temperament.  Click here to read a kid-friendly biography, and another biography here.

"Caravaggio had a noteworthy ability to express in one scene of unsurpassed vividness the passing of a crucial moment."  ~Wikipedia: Caravaggio

Read about Caravaggio in recent times! 
Here's an article about a stolen and then damaged work of art that was purportedly of Caravaggio.
Read here about one of Caravaggio's works that was found after having been lost for 200 years!


Caravaggio's paintings are in the Baroque style.  Here's how National Arts Center (Canada) explain Baroque:

"Baroque art emerged in Europe around 1600 as a reaction against the intricacies of the Mannerist style that had dominated the Late Renaissance. Baroque art was more direct, more realistic and certainly more emotionally intense than Mannerism. The word “baroque” is derived from the Portuguese and Spanish barroco or French baroque, both referring to a rough or imperfect pearl. This movement was characterized by drama and grandeur."

Did you know that Baroque is a label not only for art, but for music as well?  Want some ideas how to integrate studies of both Baroque music and art?  Click here.

Here are some comparisons between two VERY famous Baroque period artists:

• Comparison of Caravaggio and Rembrandt
• The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston - Lesson Plan comparing Stomer and Caravaggio
• Another comparison of Caravaggio and Rembrandt

Art Lesson Plans and Activities using Chiaroscuro:


Chiaroscuro Portrait Lesson
Mosaic and Chiaroscuro
The Power of Light and Dark
Mr. Potato Head's a Lesson in Chiaroscuro

See the use of chiaroscuro in photography here! (PDF)

AO Artist Study Selections

Here's a free printable - a (PDF) booklet with the
AO selections as well as a few extras we'll be looking at this term. 

CM Blog Carnival! Hooray!

I don't know anyone who wouldn't love a CM carnival!  Well, besides my uncle Ron, and maybe my father-in-law's friends... well okay, maybe I'd better say, I know a LOT of people who LOVE a good CM carnival, so how 'bout let's have one!!





There are SO many sights at a carnival like this one, the ferris wheel of habit training (it goes round and round...), the nature study exhibit (perhaps the most popular!), the popcorn stand (or shall we say biscuits and tea?), the artist and composer tent, karaoke hymns, the hands-on booth ... you name it!  You know what you came for!  So, I'm totally curious, what's your favorite part of the carnival?  Please leave me a comment!

Now, I figure that from the carousel we'll each be able to spy out the different sights as we go around... you gals have gone and posted SO much this time around, and I have the feeling this is going to be so FUN you're surely not gonna wanna stop!  So, seeing as the carousel is about to start, find your favorite animal, climb aboard and let's get this show on the road!  :)

Make sure that at each place you stop, if you enjoy what you've read, leave a kind note...  it's the best kind of fun to be among friends :)









*Nancy gives us a chart for looking at training the will  "...20 adults met to discuss our reading of Charlotte Mason's Towards a Philosophy of Education, Chapter 8, "The Way of the Will"... " Of course, everyone wants something practical, something to apply right away, something to use..." So head on over to her place and get the chart!  The Way of the Will Chart posted at Sage Parnassus.

*Scripture memorization in big chunks... "I'm sure we've tried memorizing things before but with this year being our first year using Charlotte Mason methods, we're memorizing scripture."  Be inspired!  Contessa presents Scripture In Pictures

*Nebby questions the good of testing...  "a kind of mental exercise, like lifting weights for the mind. The time limits imposed by a testing environment force the student to concentrate and to perhaps be more systematic and diligent in their thought processes..."  Testing in Homeschool

*Deborah Jean relishes in memories of early CM days...helping us mothers of yet young ones relax in CM methods :)..."It's no wonder I fell in love with Charlotte Mason's gentle learning approach for the elementary ages." ...  Busy Hands, BUSY WORK or both? 








*Shirley Ann talks about the beauty of Artist study as passed down from one generation to the next, and showcases some blooming beauties and how they relate to taking off in reading.  Hello Vincent. AND Spring Blooms and Late Bloomers

*Mama Squirrel presents a reflective post on Listening. You'll definitely want to head over and read this: Don't talk over the music posted at Dewey's Treehouse.

"...for of the evils of modern education few are worse than this - 

that the perpetual cackle of his elders leaves the poor child not a moment of time, 

nor an inch of space, wherein to wonder - and grow."

*Robin has found a relatively painless way to learn new birdsong!  Hilarious.  Creative Nature Study: How to Let Bird Song Wake You Up - Crack the Egg


*Pamela talks about nature study for city-dwellers... "So, one of the things I am always super grateful for when we spend any amount of time in a big city is finding the little refuges where nature has a little bit of space to do her thing, and so do we. Thank goodness people in the past had the foresight to set aside some land for parks before the sprawl of civilization took it all over."   Check out her post here: Trees in the City 

*Melissa's starting and customizing their book of centuries  "...starting at Creation and learning the truth of history from the Bible is one of the greatest gifts I can give my children. From the beginning of time, God's love for us is evident and that continues to be the common thread throughout the course of time.." Book of Centuries...givin' it a go! 







*Becky's CM basics, Living Books, Narration, Art, Composer, Poetry.
"Lots of homeschool parents look into the Charlotte Mason method and get overwhelmed.  Here are 5 easy ways to make the CM method part of your busy day..." 5 Ways to Add a Little Charlotte Mason to Your Routine

*Jeanne talks about how all of life is a classroom, a must read. "How different things are from those first heady days when I was first learning about homeschooling. The book work set me up to succeed, but it was the actual doing that made me a homeschooling mum, not the reading about it."  Learning about learning posted at A peaceful day.

*Nadene talks about motivation!  Very good tips.  All of us have some of those months days, grab some good ideas to turn things around!  Turning those frowns upside down ? Motivation! posted at Practical Pages.

*Penny makes Artist studies a matter of everyday conversation...
Excellent (and easy) idea!  Making an art placemat

*Phyllis shows First Reading Lesson in Pictures!  Nice and easy :)
All Things Beautiful: First Reading Lesson Charlotte Mason Style









*Phyllis does nature walks... just right.  She reminds us of how Charlotte advised was the best way for spending time outside. All Things Beautiful: Taking a Nature Walk

*Anna encourages us not to be afraid to offer our children wholesome foods. CM talks about the importance of balanced nutrition in Vol. one.  For Pure Pleasure: Assume the Best

*Jennifer has talked about her Book of Centuries project and it looks GREAT!  She also made some VERY nice timeline book pages/BOC for purchase. Now Complete! Jewish Book of Centuries (Charlotte Mason style) 

*Laura Grace Weldon is a writer mom pondering education at the grass roots level  :)  Asking questions: Mom Knows Nothing


*Jimmie gives us a CM summary post... perfect for those just starting out to get a handle on some of the basics: Implementing Charlotte Mason Basics posted at Jimmie's Collage.


*Tricia shows us an EXCELLENT idea incorporating, art, cooking, multi-generational learning... and pretty photos :) Pastels Tutorial: Hot Chocolate

*Rachel presents a hands-on feet-on activity for a picture book: Fun Learning Activities for Preschoolers and Kids » Blog Archive » Purple Toes: The Book & Activity


*Makita hopes to show some progress on Copywork, one of those constants... cheer her on at: Copywork Revisited!

*Lynn gives us some images of autumn in Signs of Autumn.

*Need handicraft ideas? Susan has one! Stitching Life: Maple Leaf Handicraft.







*amy in peru shows one way to teach map drills. Hey!  that's me!  You're in the right place!  ;)  Map Skills: What we do posted at Fisher Academy International ~ Teaching Home.

*amy in peru inspires us how to make Nature Study a high priority: Nature Study: One of the Constants here at Fisher Academy International ~ Teaching Home.

HAHAHAH!  It's such fun to talk about myself in the third person :)

OOh... and one last post:

*Richele shares more nature study nitty-gritty facts! More Mechanics of Nature Study!

Alright, time's up!  After the carousel has come to a complete stop, please step off and exit straight to the beach, for some good peace and quiet!  Though I love a good carnival as much as the next mom, I do enjoy the peaceful putting into practice part the best ;)  I hope you've found something you enjoyed! 

It's been so much fun, let's do this every month...

no wait, how 'bout every two weeks! ;)

See you around next time friends... 

So, what's YOUR favorite ride at the CM blog carnival?  

Is there something in particular you usually come to see?

education... a masterpiece.

a CM education is like an Impressionist painting… Up close all the living books might seem a little messy like looking at a lot of individual brush strokes… but leave it to the children and keep on painting… adding more and more strokes (books and ideas and experiences). When the painting is done, they’ll stand back having had relationship with the world around them, making connections between what they’ve read and real life experience… and from that point of view, they’ll be left gazing at a most amazing masterful education…

Artist Study: Monet {part four}

This week we did something different and fun for artist study.   Since we've read up quite a bit now on Monet and have a pretty good overall sense of his works (apart from seeing them in person of course!), we decided to have another hands-on lesson.  I think I will call it manual narration...


What we did:
Each person chose their favorite print from our Monet selections.  They were allowed to look, memorizing it, as long as they needed, but once they were ready, they were to turn it over and sketch as well as they could from memory.

Once finished with everything they could remember, they could look back again at their print and fill in the details.  They did a REALLY good job!  I think that one key to success on this is that I joined them in the effort.  I was the first one to set out on the project and the last one to finish.
It was too much fun to pass up!

I took the idea from here :)
"Sometimes we study [the print], and then I ask them to pose as the picture (not doable with landscapes!) sometimes after looking at it intently, I ask them to sketch it, roughly, for me, explaining the main idea is not to duplicate it perfectly but to give the idea of where things are in the painting."  ~Wendi AO Picture Study Page


Helpful Links:
Some of my favorite information I've run across lately online in regard to Picture Study are:
Richele's Art Appreciation - Picture Talks at her blog, Barefoot Voyage
and Picture Talks by Miss K. R. Hammond of the P.N.E.U.
I posted on how we make our prints for artist study HERE.


My artist study posts: Monet
{part one}
{part two}
{part three}

Artist Study: Monet {part three}

Here's what we're doing today...  

The hands-on part of artist study got put off until Saturday. again.  :)  Maybe it's becoming a habit?!  Well, it's okay.  Saturday school is fine as long as you don't know it's school.  Oh and just so you know, I make no promises about doing this much artist study for every artist!  ;)  I really like Monet...



We're going to notice how Monet captured light through his beautiful portrayal of shadows and reflections.  Then we're going to try and imitate it.  Lots o' fun!  Just wait 'til you see our masterpieces!

We're looking at the following groups of prints for shadow:
Notice how the shadows are not just black or grey but different shades of color...


Shading lessons by a homeschooler!
Lesson 1 and Lesson 2

Then we're looking at these three pieces to study how Monet did  reflection:
We'll also talk about what happens to the reflection when the water is moving.
 

An reflective activity on Monet's use of reflection: Reflections in Water

Helpful Links:
Our Artist Study Pages
Monet {part one}
Monet {part two}

Inspiration from: All Things Beautiful

Artist Study: Monet {part two}

Wednesdays are Artist Study day... but this week it got put off until Friday (catch-up day) and accidentally even spilled over into Saturday.  Here's what we did:

• Read Child's History of Art, Hillyer - 'The Most Important Person'
• We'd already looked through this gallery and noticed that the print looks different in thumbnail view as opposed to full view.  So we talked about how Impressionism is different in that it isn't striving for detail so much as the over all impression of light and color.
• Then we decided to paint! Normally we don't paint during artist study, we just study the works.  With Impressionism and its special appeal, I wanted them to get a feel for it themselves.  We picked up the inspiration to wet our brushes here - Phyllis' kids' artist study on Monet here. 

A very helpful quote for imitating the impressionists:

"When you paint, try to forget what objects you have before you, a tree, a house, a field or whatever. Instead think, 'Here is a little square of blue, here is an oblong of pink, here is a streak of yellow,' and paint it just as it looks."

Claude Monet

 How are these for Charlotte Mason principles... :)

No one is an artist unless he carries his picture in his head before painting it
and is sure of his method and composition.

Claude Monet

It's on the strength of observation and reflection that one finds a way. So we must dig and delve unceasingly.

Claude Monet

On the LOVE of art:

A work of art that did not begin in emotion is not art.
Paul Cezanne

Colour is my day-long obsession, joy and torment.
Claude Monet

More helpful links:

My other post, Artist Study: Monet {part one}

Here's a project called Mini Monets by Dick Blick Art supplies with a video!  Looks awesome. We watched this halfway through before it decided to start over from the beginning...twice! (our connection is slow, so I had not the patience to wait for it the third time... urgh)

and this book: Picture This, Activities and Adventures in Impressionism by Raimondo

Artist Study: Monet {part one}

Monet is my favorite.  He's french.  I have a french friend.  Perhaps one day I'll go to France.  Perhaps one day I'll speak French.  Perhaps.

Until then I'll admire his art.  Especially these pieces:

One of my favorites:


I guess they're all my favorites.  :)

I love how he paints the same thing but in different lights... ahh.  so beautiful.

Here's a page that shows some of the different views of the Japanese bridge.

This one is Javen's favorite:

The following selections are chosen by the AmblesideOnline Advisory:

2009-2010 TERM 3
Claude Monet (1840-1926) French Impressionist (Biography or here)

1. Terrace at St. Adresse, 1866, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
2. Women in the Garden, 1866, Musee d'Orsay, Paris
3. Jean Monet on His Hobby Horse, 1872, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
4. Woman with a Parasol: Madame Monet and Her Son, 1875, National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. (see slso here)
5. Tulip Fields in Holland, 1886, Musee d'Orsay, Paris
6. The Waterlily Pond, 1899, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey (more here)

(The above is copied from the AO site under this term's Art Study) 

Our Artist Study:

I've posted HERE on how we do Artist Study.  I'm learning all the time.  How do you do it?  I'm all over any helpful hints you might have!!


A few interesting links:

This term we are SO spoiled because Jimmie has done all the work for us with her lovely squidoo lens on Monet.  Jimmie is a wonderful lady with an eclectic approach (primarily CM) to her one child homeschool in China.  I really don't have anything at all to add as far as teaching resources.  Thanks Jimmie!

Thumb through the complete works of Monet.  I love this site to get a real feel and quick overall look at the complete collection of his works.  You can see them as thumbnails, click for larger view (easiest if you set the option to see 96 pictures per page). (www.claudemonetgallery.org)

If you happen to be traveling to France anytime soon :) (heheh)  There are a couple interesting links for you.  You'll want to buy this book (you'll probably want to buy it anyway after you read the reviews) and you'll also want to plan your guided tour to Monet's garden at Giverny.

Timeline of painting at Giverny, from Monet's moving to the property until now.

Activities:

Cool coloring sheet for making Monet reproductions. (www.funnycoloring.com)  Here's the real painting to use as a coloring guide.

Hands-on Art project HERE.  (www.kids-educational-activities.suite101.com)

Our thoughts: 

Javen: "What I've noticed about Monet is that in all his paintings there is almost always shrubbery.  If there isn't shrubbery then there's sky.  Sometimes there's shrubbery and sky."

Getting ready for Easter...

"The great Easter truth is not that we are to live newly after death - that is not the great thing - but that... we are to, and may, live nobly now because we are to live forever."

-- Phillips Brooks

Because I live, you also will live. 

-- Jesus

What an opportunity we as Christian parents have to pay special attention to the cornerstone of our faith, the Resurrection!  I'm really thrilled, and would have posted this earlier if I'd had the chance.  But anyone who is interested still has time to check out the following links and download a couple hymns and worship songs to share with your family.  This year, during this upcoming week between Palm Sunday (tomorrow) and Easter Sunday, we will be doing Holy Week Devotions for the Family by Mikko Gibson.  I also picked up her FREE Lenten Tree and Activities Book, which has a lot of super easy ideas to implement over Lent (which is almost over this year).  I'm really quite pleased to have something to focus our hearts on our Savior this month especially while we are somewhat distracted lately by traveling.  Enjoy the Life we have in Christ!

Art:

Biblical-Art.com lists art work by biblical theme and text.
Here are the pages with artwork on the Passion, the Resurrection and Ascension.
The links on Olga's list are similar.

A few of my favorite pieces of  art...
Gethsemane - Barocci (culture.gouv.fr)
Christ in the Hall of Caiphas - Benjamin West (www.mfa.org) 

The Crucifixion - Geertgen tot Sint Jans (nationalgalleries.org)
Ascension (shown above) - William Blake (william-blake.org)

Ascension - Benjamin West (bjumg.org)

The Ascension - Rembrandt (rembrandtpainting.net)

Helpful links:

Click HERE- for AO Easter Hymn suggestions - I appreciate this concise list, because it includes mostly hymns I am already familiar with...

Didn't find the one you were looking for?  Find an extensive list of Easter hymns at NetHymnal.com/CyberHymnal.org - includes midis and lyrics. 

I'm really excited about this British site I just found!  Family Worship has several worship songs with an Easter theme, and they include the mp3 with sheet music for free download.  I also printed off the script to several dramas that I plan to use with the kids at home.  Apparently, they also give away a free song everyday?  cool.  I love free.

Hungry for more?  You will find a HUGE list of Christian Easter resources, including the Bible's stories, children sermons, music and poetry on king's kids stuff.

And just for fun, a link that I would NEVER recommend using in real-life for Easter event planning... major fluff and twaddle if I ever saw it!!  Just so you know what I WILL NOT be using as a reference... heheh.

Artist Study: John Singer Sargent

This term's artist is...

John Singer Sargent

A painting depicting nature study...

...living books

(image courtesy of picturing america)

...and MORE nature study :)

(Click the images to see them larger)

I've already posted about how we do Artist Study... so this is not a how-to post.  This is just me getting excited as we are looking at a new term's artist!  :)  I've listed some activities we plan to enjoy over the next term.  Please refer to this post if you are looking for an Artist Study Tutorial, or for links to grab your own copies of this term's selections.

Can you believe we JUST missed his birthday?  It was January 12, 1856!

Activity: Which is the imposter?! 

Compare two versions of the same painting... Look at one print for 3 min. Try to memorize it. When the 3 minutes are up, look at the other print and point out as many differences as you can.  Look at the two pictures side by side.  Why do you think there are differences?  Read here to find out the real reason why there are two different paintings.

1. First look at this one:

• Oyster Gatherers of Cancale - John Singer Sargent's Virtual Gallery

2. Compare it to this version:

• Fishing for Oysters at Cancale - CGFA

Look up the artist in the index of A Child's History of Art, and read the corresponding chapter, which is usually pretty brief.  This case is no exception, there are all of three paragraphs... but we found out some details about Sargent which led to an interesting activity:

"When the Boston Public Library was built, Sargent was asked to decorate the walls on the third floor.  He painted religious pictures for these walls."  - VM Hillyer, A Child's History of Art, chapter 30

Activity:  Take a tour of Sargent's paintings at the Boston Public Library -

Take the tour by following this link, then right click the different links along the left side bar to open in new tabs or windows.

Activity: Look at this painting by Sargent, while listening to a short commentary on it HERE

Activity: Print this pdf file from picturingamerica.neh.gov and do the activities on Sargent's The Portrait of a Boy

Activity: Drive to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston - oh, this is on my list of someday must-see places!  They have lots of exhibits that perhaps you could double up on (Ancient Egypt, Albrecht Dürer, Harry Callahan).  They also have a cool family activity program, see details here.

Hands-on Activities - Since John Singer Sargent was famous for his portrait pictures, several of the following links are along that line:

Coloring Page - Portrait of Madame X

Imitating the Masters

Cut paper portraits
Portrait Pictures - Use John Singer Sargent's painting of Theodore Roosevelt instead of suggested art.

A list of a whole bunch of portrait activities on Primary School

Links:

Squidoo on the man - John Singer Sargent

Here's an Online Gallery (I only saw one thumbnail picture with the back of a lady in the buff... please be careful!)  Here's a link to his complete works... parents will want to select specific paintings only.

*(please don't let your kids alone with any of these links, I didn't preview every single thing on these pages!)

General art study links:

Online games at the J. Paul Getty Museum website

More Online games at National Gallery of Art kids site - Interactive art that you can make online

How do you FEEL about it?! - Use the term artist's prints on this activity.

Resources for the Classroom also at Getty Museum website.

Step One and Step Two for advanced art study, by Dr. Robert Belton in Art History, A Preliminary Handbook (this would be GREAT for HEO level)

Art Speak - Eyes on Art Activity

Artist Study: Our method

Seeing as I knew NOTHING of art (except for boxes of colored pencils, fat crayola markers, crayons and the like that can be found in every crook and cranny of our house at any given moment), I didn't pick up on this subject until several years into using Ambleside Online.

But I am SO glad we've decided to give it a whirl and have now really started to get the hang of it. The kids enjoy it very much (surprise, surprise), as do I.

Here's what we do. It's a smattering of things I've picked up from here and there, and let me tell you it WORKS for us... hopefully, you will find a little something that will work for you too.
Steps 1 - 3, I get done on a Homeschoolplanning Day at some point long before I need them, as soon as the links are available. I usually do this as part of my planning at the beginning of the year.

Preparation:

1. I download the prints from one of the following places:

• AO Prints - All the AO recommended works for the term's artist in one handy pdf file
• AO_HEO_PictureStudy 8 1/2 x 11- ALL the AO recommended works for all the years, plus extras for the term's artist available in individual pdf files - also has images for timeline figures.
• AO_HEO_PictureStudy 4 x 6 - Same as above, just different size.
• AO Art Schedule page with links to the works on different sites, to download to your computer in jpg file, differing sizes.

(I had to have jpg files in order to get prints at a photo developing place here in Peru... I don't know what the file type requirements are for Kinkos, Office Max and the like. Check with your local photo printer or copy store - ask if they can print on photo paper from pdf, or if it has to be jpg.)

2. I take the files on a zip/thumb/USB drive to the printers and order the files to be printed as 4x6 photos. You can e-mail them to some places, I know of.

3. I write the information I will need on the back of the photos with a photo marking pencil (water soluble pencil) - Artist Name, Year of work, Name of work. This is very handy as I cannot remember who we're studying sometimes from week to week... ;) I'm telling you, I'm that bad!

Weekly Study:

1. I keep the prints accessible, and occasionally they pull them out, or sometimes I do when I notice them and feel like perusing my favorites. I let the kids look at the prints whenever they want to.
2. On Wednesdays, we officially have scheduled Artist Study from 12-12:30 just before lunch. During this time I set out the prints on the table.
3. Week one: If I have any bio info on the artist or the period they fall into or the style of art (boy I'm grasping for the right terms here... I don't know art, yet.) I read it to them... I use A Child's History of Art, or Lives of the Artists - both can be downloaded for free at those links. They can look at the prints while I'm reading. I only read small sections (15 min, or a page or two, depending on the total size of the reading. I kind of mentally divide it up so that I'll have more to read on subsequent weeks.) They then narrate these back.
4. Week two: We do picture study. A) Either I or one of the boys will choose which print they'd like to look at. B) I let them look at the print for about 2 minutes in order to notice as many details that they can memorize in their minds' eye about the painting. C) I take the picture and look at it as one narrates back to me what he remembers about the painting. At the end the other boy tells what he noticed that might be different from what the other said and anything he can add that hasn't been mentioned. Oh they both love this! They are both so competitive, even if I don't allow for any competition, they still try to outdo each other in subtle ways. That's it!
5. Week three and four: We just rotate between the above two steps until the term ends, or we run out of bio info, then we revert to just picture study each week.
   
6. As this is one of those 'icing on the cake' studies I do NOT stress if it doesn't happen every week. The kids like it, so it has been happening more often than not... they remind me. Often they would choose this instead of playing.
7. I have coloring sheets of some of the artist's works that I use as sort of a reward for good behavior kind of activity. If we've run out of bio info, or maybe just for variety, or one of those rare days I feel no stress about mess, I pull out a coloring sheet and they can use whatever medium they want... of course our artistic material box at the moment boasts only of colored pencils, crayons, watercolor paint box, felt tip markers, and water color pencils that we don't know exactly how to use yet... but hey, we're not complaining. I am rarely brave enough for temperas (like once a year rarely if you catch my drift).

Someday Ideas:

1. I think my kids would enjoy attempting their own replicas of the artist's works. Someday we'll branch out to this. We're moving slowly towards the hands-on expression part. We are just beginning to express our artistic talents with our nature journals... one step at a time.
   
2. I would REALLY like to take them to some art museums in the States. Someday.
3. I'd also like to have my favorite prints printed in 8x11, framed and then displayed somewhere in our house... if I had anything on my walls at all, it would be nice! (I have moved AGAIN since I wrote this... but it still reflects my current status!)
4. Of course if we lived in the US, I'd be at the library (every day all day... oh wait, I'd need to go home for meals...) checking out those books that are like coffee table quality... with the really big prints! Oh, sad. No. I will not give in to the temptation to complain...
   

So, there you have it.
Hopefully, you've picked up an idea or two to add to your family's Artist Study.

Please add any unique ideas that you do in the comments section. I always like to hear about what works for you.

Amy



Related Posts:

A Child's History of Art - Hillyer
Artist Study: Caspar David Friedrich
Artist Study: Van Gogh
Artist Study: Links

Artist Study: Van Gogh

The AO advisory team has chosen Van Gogh for this term's artist.
If you'd like to have access to pdf files for printing off your own copies go to: AO Art Prints

please visit vangoghgallery.com
That's my FAVORITE Van Gogh: (I also have it as the background on My Desktop)

I'm sure glad that we are using this curriculum, and this is one of the biggest reasons why! I love the exposure we're getting to some of the world's greatest artists. Not just to study them, but we are learning more appreciation for art in general... our own artistic talents, those of all kinds of people around us, as well as the classics. I love how it expands our world.

Most people have heard of Van Gogh, but I wonder how many people could identify his art? I can confidently say that I could not, previous to our AO artist study experience.

When we do artist study, we don't really worry too much about what period we're studying, or what type of art it is. We are appreciating art. Maybe it should be more appropriately termed picture study. When possible, we study something of the artist's life, but without a library, that is sometimes impossible. We do have Hillyer's A Child's History of Art (do you want it for free too? Go here), so we try to read that during our Artist Study time every other week (we have it scheduled for Wednesdays). Sometimes though, we go online, as we don't have a lot to work with here.

There is an incredible online photomosaic of the same painting above HERE.

And here, you can put it together in an puzzle! How cool is that?!

Links to some awesome coloring sheets to make your own version of a few of Van Gogh's paintings:
Starry Night
Starry Night
Self-Portrait
The Night Cafe
The Chair and the Pipe
Sunflowers

Here are the links to the paintings we're studying this term:
1. The Starry Night, 1889, Museum of Modern Art, New York City
2. The Chair and the Pipe, 1888, National Gallery in London, England
3. The Night Cafe, 1888, Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, Connecticut
4. Self Portrait as an Artist, 1888, Paris, Arles, St. Remy, Auvers-sur-Oise
OR Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
OR Los Angeles County Museum of Art's LACMA West (maybe part of a traveling exhibit?).
5. The Vase with Sunflowers, 1888, Paris, Arles, St. Remy, Auvers-sur-Oise
6. Bedroom at Arles, 1889, Musee d'Orsay in Paris, France

Fun. fun. fun.

Amy

A Child's History of Art - Hillyer

Okay, I NEED the book "A Child's History of Art."

You know, in the same way I NEED every other book. :)

But I really know nothing of studying art. I'm just learning, and really don't know where to begin to teach my kids... well, okay I could start out where I start researching any subject known to man - google.com. I actually have already done that... but I love books best! And this seems like a subject you should read from a book about, not off the computer screen.

That said, I've been all over the internet looking for this book cheaper than $30. Everything I can find is either that expensive, in bad shape and really old, or more expensive, in bad shape and really old. So, I finally found a copy for $15! woohoo! Trouble is there was no description other than Child's History of Art, and there are several books with the same title but with different subtitles meaning they are actually only a part of the book (CHOW: Architecture & CHOW: Painting, for example). So, I went searching to figure out why this copy of the book was only $15 when I kept finding books that were upwards of $70!

Well, when I was searching I found it! There's a copy free online! Jackpot!

Now, why didn't anyone tell me this before I spent all this time searching?!


Without further ado... please go here and print yourself a copy too!
***Apparently, this book has been removed from archive.org.  
I'm thinking it's probably because of copyright issues...  I'm sorry about that.***



A Child's History of the World by V.M. Hillyer


I just made my own day! :)

Amy

PS. You can buy the book for around $25 at amazon.com or alibris.com
There is also a full course based on the text (includes the text) offered by Calvert School HERE.

Artist Study: Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840)

Our Artist Study for this term is, Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840).

Our favorites of the selections from his work are:

The Wanderer Above the Mists

and


Woman at the Window

Here's a page with more of his works and a link to his biography on wiki.

We're REALLY enjoying Artist study this term because we're finally actually doing it! In previous terms and years I'd print off the AO selections of the artist's different works but we rarely did anything formal, just took them out once in awhile. But this time it's on the schedule.
I took the files to the photo store and they printed them off as 4x6 photos. I'm going to get 8x10s of the ones above and maybe get them framed and find a permanent place in the house for them.

This is one of the subjects that adds a lighter element to our day and the kids probably enjoy it almost as much as I do ;)

In my imagination, I think the woman is waiting for her Wanderer to find her. The man is searching the world over for his Woman who will always wait in the window for him :)

Amy

Artist Study: Copywork method

Masters Copywork

1. Get a sheet of thin tracing paper.
2. Place it on top of the print of the chosen artist's selection.
3. Use a light pencil to trace as much of the painting as you can.
4. Use whatever art materials you have available: watercolors, colored pencils, and chalks work the best.
5. Try to make yours look as much like the original as you can.

or

1. Look carefully at the print of the chosen artist selection.
2. Draw freehand the main subject and things that stand out from the picture.
3. Finish with whatever art materials you have on hand.

Artist Study Links

Here is where I'm storing all my links for artist study as recommended at AmblesideOnline.org. I'll be back here to post just as soon as I find another interesting one :)

So without further ado, here's the first one!

A site where you can print off coloring pages of some of the famous artists at colormeonline.com
Affordable Picture Study by Sheila Carroll
Links for getting images of the artists' works to print:

• AO Prints - All the AO recommended works for the term's artist in one handy pdf file
• AO_HEO_PictureStudy 8 1/2 x 11- ALL the AO recommended works for all the years, plus extras for the term's artist available in individual pdf files - also has images for timeline figures.
• AO_HEO_PictureStudy 4 x 6 - Same as above, just different size.
• AO Art Schedule page with links to the works on different sites, to download to your computer in jpg file, differing sizes.

Online (free) Books with bio information on many artists:

A Child's History of Art, V.M. Hillyer and Lives of the Italian Artists, Giorgio Vasari


Fisher Academy's Artist Study posts:
Artist Study: Caspar David Friedrich
Artist Study: Van Gogh