I think one of my favorite things about homeschooling in our new state vs. the old one is that in our new state art is a required subject. I LOVE that!!! And of course the kids are thrilled about this too! In our old state I would still teach art because this subject was very important to me, but with the exception of our oldest we didn’t dive into it as deeply as we always wanted.
Part of this is because in Missouri I never had time for extra’s, it seems so much of our time there was devoted to just meeting the requirements and work/surviving (life was different there for us). Here it’s a better story though, and we do have more time for things like art. It’s been so much fun to incorporate more arts and crafts into our homeschool!
Our oldest child is a natural artist and has always sought out art on his own after regular school hours, so he’s light years ahead of the rest of us when it comes to art. So far he’s researched and taught himself how to use Photoshop Elements using this Wacom, and is currently learning Blender.
A couple years ago I did purchase some Artistic Pursuits books for him to work through independently, (you also can find them in the Homeschool Section of my Amazon Store HERE). The first book in the series he has was on pencil drawings, and it took his skills to new heights! Here’s some samples of what he’s learned on his own.
(He’s got a thing for dinosaurs)
This year in our My Fathers World Curriculum we are working through God And The History of Art with all the kids (find it in my Amazon Store). My kids and I find the history part very interesting, but they think the activities so far are boring because they are so basic. One of the first things they learned about was Joni Eareckson Tada, and the kids first assignment was to make a butterfly drawing like Joni would, with their teeth! The purpose was to show how anyone can draw. If you don’t know who Joni is, she’s an artist who was paralyzed from the neck down at an early age, and she taught herself to become and amazing artist using her teeth.
If you are looking for a quick and easy but non messy way to begin introducing art, check out the Usborne Art Activity Flash Cards HERE.
Another lovely way to introduce the masters are Picture Study Portfolios by Simply Charlotte Mason. We always have one of these out on display in our homeschool. Warning; these could be addictive….
In addition to all this we have been taking around one or two afternoons a month to learn about watercolor art, which is something I’ve always wanted to do!
Here’s a roundup of the watercolor video’s and teachers on YouTube we’ve like most!
Hey! Are you planning your next homeschool year or next semester? Be sure to read my post 25 Tips For How To Plan A Homeschool Year. And are you going to be schooling with a new baby or toddler? Be sure to read my post, How To Homeschool With A Baby
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