Thankful to Mel who blogged about a great online program for "Art" called Art Venture which you can sign up for a year $99 for a homeschooling family.
I am not naturally into art, not by interest or ability. Yet I recognise both an interest and desire to explore in the areas of art by one sassy child. Desiring to present before my children what interests them in an educational and explorative way I knew awhile ago that I needed something both for her and for me.
I tried You Tube, but I found the tutorials were for people who knew how to hold a paintbrush, who knew you need certain paper for certain art paints/pencils/charcoal and what oil pastels were (hint: they are NOT crayons!).
Kirsty presents her lessons in video format which goes for around 5 minutes each and can be played over and over again.
The children and I appreciate the step-by-step lesson in drawing and painting.
There are over 60 video lessons in varying difficulties and in different subject areas including tips.
The website is safe and content child-friendly, something Youtube lacks greatly.
Just as my science loving kid asks to watch his science DVDs my art loving kid asks to do Art.
We sit around a table and pump out painting after painting.
Now I've heard some disagreements of teaching children a particular 'way' of drawing or painting, but here's my experience... I was never taught to draw, the few items I am able to 'draw' are because I have seen someone else draw them first. As an adult I am a little irritated by the fact I was never taught or had the opportunity to do 'art' like this. I don't know the different painting mediums or that you need certain paper to go with certain paints/pencils/etc. My eyes are being opened to this world called Art for the first time and it has only taken 30 years.
Children, when given the opportunity to explore their creativity will develop a style of their own once they've discovered what they like, what they enjoy and what they are good at.
This is worth it. For me! I am learning just as much if not more than the children... and I like it like that.
5 Things I am Thankful for:
1. Fellow Home Schooling Bloggers who share their walk, their journey and their resources.
2. Art Venture.. It makes teaching Art so easy. In fact I don't teach it Kirsty does.
3. Interests of others being shared by the family together
4. Learning what oil pastels are and how to use them
5. Having my eyes opened to the area of Art, and seeing Art in the illustrations that we read to the children.
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