Art in the Home Classroom

I mentioned a week or so ago about visiting cafemom.com.  One of the homeschool groups asked to share about art.  This is what I shared.

We currently do not use an art curriculum or classes. My daughter is 6, and we are doing grade 2.5. We are finishing up some 2nd grade things and going on into some 3rd grade stuff.

I'm really big on subject integration, so here are just a few examples of how I've done art in the past year or so.

•Studying Egypt, China, etc. Went to the museum and looked at actual Egyptian and Chinese art. She can spot a Chinese dragon a mile away!

•Library doing an activity on Jackson Pollack. She still brings me pictures that are similar in form to Pollack's and says, "Here. I made a Jackson Pollack for you!"

•Anatomy. Read and studied some on Leonardo DaVinci. She thinks it's cool when she sees the Vetruvian Man different places.

•She was doing a study on lions, so we had a "How-to-draw" book and practiced drawing lions.

•Of course, there is always the holiday arts and crafts stuff to do, too.

Well, there's a few.

I think the biggest challenge in how I do art right now is making sure I find ways to bring art into the subjects and then doing it. It's actually easy to come up with all kinds of ideas. It's harder to make yourself do them!

I would like to eventually get her some more art for art-sake and basics exposure and practice. I don't think it's going to happen this year.

Well, one of the other ladies shared a resource which I want to share with you.

Confessions of a Homeschooler has great resources including many printables HERE.  One of them is "The World's Greatest Artist, Vol. 1" which includes lesson plans for many artists including Van Gogh, Monet, O'Keefe, Da Vinci and more.  The lessons go along the books series "Getting to know the World's Greatest Artist" by Mike Venezia.  The way she's worked it together with the books is awesome!

Also, some other art freebies have come my way.

Sharon Jeffus of Visual Manna has some her art book available for free only through Labor Day, so you'll need to download quickly.

Indians in Art
Chiaroscuro
Math & Science

Sharon is also going to be starting some new online art class, so you might check that out on her site as well!

So, no excuses fellow home educators.  Let's get some art into our educating.