Art Day 1

Amy, Betz, Emily, our neighbor girl, Winter, and I had our first of three days of Barry Stebbing's art instruction (How Great Thou Art) this morning. Wow! That guy has every detail figured out. We had a class of about 80, ages 5 and up.  It was amazing. And fast!!!  It was over before we knew it. The pace was so quick that we had no time to compare our own work to others' who were sitting at our table -- I think Mr. Stebbing planned that to help us all keep a good attitude. Comparison is the enemy of contentment, you know, and there's nothing like looking at someone else's talent to make you feel like you have none. We blended colored pencils, mixed paint, drew lines, shaded, played with perspectives and backgrounds, and learned about some of the classics.  All in 2 1/2 hours!

Tonight's homework (yes, homework!) was to draw and color an apple with colored pencil, a penciled self-portrait, an exercise in contrast, and a pen drawing of a scene from the Bible. It's a good thing I had already planned to take these days off school. Here are a couple of our homework assignments, minus Amy's. Amy has been busy editing photos, and she will have homework to do tonight! 

It will be fun to see what great arteests we are after three days!

Charlie Contrast singing in the shower

Betz's apple

Betz's self portrait

Peter and Andrew at work

Mom's apple

Emily's self portrait

Peter finds a coin in a fish's mouth

More artsy posts to come.

Amy's Cool Project

Always the artsy-crafty one in this family, Amy jumped with both feet into this fun and inexpensive photography project.  It looks finished, however the print peeled right off the backing a few hours after it was glued on.  We're in the process of rethinking this and coming up with an alternative fix.

But. Here's how you do it up to this point:

Take a nice b&w photo.  Save it on a flash drive and run down to your local Office Max.  Ask for a 3' x 4' engineer's print of your photo -- has to be black and white -- you can't get engineer's prints in color.  In less than five minutes you will see the big printer cranking out this awesome, huge photo.

Next, run across the highway to Wal*Mart for a little bottle of black craft paint and a can of Elmer's spray adhesive.

Stop next door at Home Depot and get a 4' x 8' piece of foam insulation.  Carefully wrangle it into (or onto) your vehicle, or do like we did -- ask an associate to cut it approximately in half for you so it will fit in your car.

When you get home, cut the foam the right size to back your print. An electric knife works nicely.

Paint the edges of the foam with black craft paint.

Take it all outside and spray the foam and the back of the print with the fixative, and let it dry for about a minute.  (We didn't do both sides, and we didn't let it dry long enough.)

With a helper, carefully line up one edge of the print with the edge of the insulation foam, and lay it down slowly, using a rolling pin to smooth out any air bubbles.

Make a hanger on the back side with wire and duct tape (who's going to see it??).   

Approximate cost:

print:     $8

insulation:      $10 (big enough for more than one project!)

paint:      $2

adhesive:      $4

Total, less than $24 for this big and wonderful faux-canvas for your living room wall.  You would pay big time to have a professional do it, but look how easy this is! 

(When we figure out how to get the print to stick, we'll let you know...)   :)

THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED HERE.

Kids Creating

Years ago we had a friend who "gauged" his TV, meaning, he filled it with shotgun shells.  Isn't that a grand idea?  I love it.  We have never had a television, but there are times when I would like to gauge the computer monitor. :)  Occasionally I find a girl or four with eyes glued to it for way too long, watching the early episodes of Little House on the Prairie, or some such thing, via DVD.  The less expensive and more reasonable alternative here would be to ban videos for a while. So I did it!  Mother No moved in!  And you know what immediately followed. TNDS, or, There's-Nothing-to-Do Syndrome, immediately hit the house. Some residents were hit harder than others, one in particular being the most despairing.

But look!  This is what happens when you turn the TV off: the girls' imaginations and their hands are now at work!  They are making things.  Betsy wanted to make a doll house out of popsicle sticks.  What started out as just a box with a peaked roof became a mansion!

Amy followed this tutorial to make an ear-bud case (or three) for herself, so that she would quit losing her ear-buds at the bottom of her travel bag, under the covers, or in the mess multitude of valuable things on her dresser. It slides easily on to the zipper of her jacket or bag, and she's set!  Is that cute or what?  You can make one yourself in about 20 minutes, or you can pay $12 for one on Etsy.  (I know what I would do!)

Alison has suddenly acquired a desire to learn how to draw, hence "Susie" here.  (This is a Hebrew play on words.  In Hebrew, a word approximately pronounced Susie (soosee) means "my horse".)

And when she couldn't get the music to an arrangement she liked, she decided to write it out from listening to a recording of it.  The left hand is missing because she doesn't need that part.  I love to listen to Amy and her play.  If I don't watch myself, I can already start tearing up at the thought of them leaving us in a few years for some unworthy young men.  :)

Emily is drawing, baking, and writing her own composition.

I have only heard one person mention LHOP lately, and it was the one hardest hit, the one who was convinced she would have NOTHING to do.  She is recovering, however slowly.  At the moment she is making grand plans for a tea party with some other little girls in the neighborhood.  Mother No Maybe is in charge right now, and she is making that particular child exercise some much-needed patience.  How about a few weeks after the holidays?  (Anyone have any ideas how we can give it a gospel theme?)

I am enjoying these good after-effects of the video ban.  Hmm.  Might have to extend that ban indefinitely!

In Which I Survive Another Craft

Emily was doing a Google search for kid-friendly crafts the other day.  (Let me interrupt myself here and say that a MOM-FRIENDLY craft would be one which does not involve the Mom. Ahem You know crafts make me want to run away!) 

We always have the same problem when we look for something to do or make, and that is that we never have the required equipment on hand.

"Mommy, do we have an empty toilet paper roll?"

"Nnno."

"How about... pipe cleaners?"

"No, sorry."

"Straws!"

"No, no straws, either."

... "How about an empty egg carton?"

"I could empty one... No..."

"Do we have any card stock?"

"No, sorry, you wasted it all used it all up on yesterday's crafting adventure."

"Tempera paint? Nails? Colored tissue paper? Bottle caps?

"No, no, no, and no."

And on the exchange goes.

Since I am trying to keep the family grocery bill to $50 $100 a week without doing super-extreme couponing (hahahahaha), I usually avoid adding things like balloons or felt or beads to my grocery list.  But this time I relented and bought some lentils (they're edible) and balloons (cheap) to this week's list, and here is the result:

Look at that happy face!  The project was these fun balls that Emily found on the Family Fun website.  They double as stress balls or bean bags (sort of -- they make a rather hard bean bag) or, as #2 daughter Amy suggests, a school-time educational supplement for active kiddos like herself.  (Just what we need.)  And they roll well.  But they don't bounce.  Alison suggests covering them with fabric and ModPodge, to hide the strong latex smell, which Amy thinks is one of the best things about these balls.  (These two girls couldn't be more different!)

It was not a 10 on the mom-friendly craft scale, especially since Emily wanted to do it RIGHT NOW, while I was making lunch. But it wasn't bad, since the process did not involve glue or paint.  And her crafting was contagious.  Pretty soon two or three sisters wanted to make their own.  I give it an 8.

If you're game for this, you'll need three 11" balloons and maybe 2/3 C lentils for each ball, plus a funnel.

Blow it up the balloon that is going to be the inside layer of your ball, then let the air out.  This is to stretch the latex a bit.  Stick the end of the funnel into the balloon neck and pour some lentils in. 

Now you are going to have to be creative and find a way to get more lentils in there.  Kind of squish the base of your balloon, then stretch the neck.  Gradually you will be able to get quite a few more in.

Cut the thick rubber part off the neck of the first balloon. Now cut the neck off a second balloon.  This color will show through when you are finished.

Pull the neck of the first balloon flat around the ball of lentils, and stretch the second balloon over and around the ball.  Obviously you want to cover the opening of the first ball.

Now do the same with the third balloon, only cut a bit farther down the neck than we did the one in the previous photo.  It will be the outside color.  Again, cover the opening of the balloon on the previous layer.

Ta da!

Forgive the horrid photo quality.  I did not hire the resident photo editor to fix these.  She charges me a spoonful of Nutella for editing, and that is just too high a price to pay for such frivolity!  More on that later...

And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. 

And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, 

where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: 

and the people fled from the Philistines.

But he stood in the midst of the ground, 

and defended it, 

and slew the Philistines: 

and the LORD wrought a great victory.

2 Samuel 23:11, 12

PS.  I'm  sure this is about the only thing lentils are good for.  I have tried to make them palatable several times and we still think they taste like dirt.  Too bad.  I hear they are good for you!

Painting with Rousseau

Okay, I take it back.  Paint is not evil. 

Elisabeth and Emily and I made a little cross-country trip to the city of Anoka on Saturday for a free class at the Rum River Art Center. I am really happy to have found this place!  The artist/instructor/curator offers homeschool and after-school programs, plus summer art camps and free classes for families.  Joining one other homeschooling mom and her two fact-loving children we used watercolor pencils to copy the style of Henri Rousseau.  Rousseau was a post-impressionist French painter whose most famous paintings depict jungle scenes. He painted all of his outdoor scenes indoors using a taxidermist's animals as his models, and he made up the foliage from his imagination or from the specimens at a nearby conservatory. Because his paintings are mostly flat and don't contain a lot of contour, his style is simple for children (and moms) to imitate.  Larry, our instructor, took us step-by-step through an imitation of a Rousseau bush baby.

 

In one hour we learned about artist Henri Rousseau, the smallest known primate on earth (the Sumatran bush baby), and how to effectively use water color pencils.  That Larry just sneaked all kinds of good education into that one hour.

We'll be back!

Art in the Kitchen

Paint is evil.  I cringe when Em begs me to get out the paints!  I hate the waste of good card stock or acrylic paints (but isn't this what they are for??), and the way our brushes are used to scrub the paint on, and the mess that is left after Em has supposedly "cleaned up" her materials. See what I mean?  This is "picked up".   Let's see, she did take care of the water cup...

However, I do love the way painting keeps Emily occupied for hours, and I like the exercise in creativity.  See what I mean about waste?  This seems senseless to me, but maybe she's another Mary Cassatt.  ??

I also like the way Emily's older sister, Elisabeth, seems unable to resist an art project when all the equipment is out!  Betsy got a nice set of watercolor pencils to play with for her birthday last year.  Pencils are wonderful!  No dripping, no waste of paint, easy control.  Color/draw with the pencils, then use a wet paintbrush to blend or soften lines.

I have seen several different sets of these nice watercolor pencils, but this Lyra brand has been the easiest to work with:

How do you handle art projects with the little ones in your house?

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Update:
Emily has been spying on my blog.
"Really?" she asks me. "Mommy, do you want me to quit painting?"  

"No," I tell her. "I don't want you to stop.  I'm the one with the problem."  I smile at her.

"Good.  Because I want to be a professional painter when I grow up!"

Divided in Two -- Plus Photo Update

There are very mixed feelings here, ranging from nervousness to confidence to sadness to excitement to sheer panic (those are just my own emotions, lol), as I am getting packed up to make a quick flight to my mom and dad's tomorrow.  Alone.  The girls share all my sentiments except for possibly the excitement.  My dear dad contracted pneumonia a few weeks ago, and when he fell while trying to get into bed, he either sustained or aggravated a compression fracture in his back.  He has spent the last two weeks convalescing in a rehab center and is now home.

My sweet husband said, "You need to go be with your mom and dad," and before I knew it, he had bought me an airline ticket.  My travels plans were perfectly timed by the Lord, since we didn't know when Dad would be released.  I will be gone nearly a week to help out at home, maybe do a house project with Mom, and just be there.  I can't remember being alone with my own parents since... before I was married.  A looong time ago.  My husband and I have not been apart for more than five days.  [Correction: He reminded me that we were apart for ten days not too terribly long ago.  "...and they seemed unto him (her) but a few days, for the love he (she) had to her (him)."  Just reverse the pronoun genders there.  That must have been the case with me.) :)  My girls and I have not been apart for more than two nights.  Not for a week.  I already know I am going to cry when I say goodbye to all of them tomorrow afternoon.  I have promised to call every night to say goodnight and to bless my girls.  I did the laundry, mopped the floors, changed the sheets, cleaned the bathroom, taped a note to the freezer stating its contents, and arranged for a substitute Sunday School teacher.

Emily has a Sadness Tummy Ache. I advised her to DO something other than lie down and feel sad.  Like what, Mom? Make something.  (What was I saying?? I am trying to pack and keep my head on straight, and I suggested she make something!  Guaranteed, whatever she comes up with will be something way beyond her ability.)

She decided to make something for her ailing Grampy.  An Emily doll.  This means I draw it and cut it out, draw around the edges so she knows where to stitch, and help her with the sewing machine.  She will stuff it.  I will sew the opening shut (maybe I can get her to do that) and use a marker to outline the face and arms.  She will color it.  And it will be her project that she did "all by herself" for her Grampy. :D One last exercise in Meek and Quiet Spirit before I go.  Finished product to come.

The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another. Genesis 31:49

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All done! No more tummy ache. ;)

The Month in Review -- June 2010

Bear with me here -- template under construction again!  If I finish it tonight we'll call it another accomplishment for the month of June.  This is more me.  More anonymity, less blue.  Not that like don't like blue at all, but I love red accents, and this blog just needs some red.  So wish me success. UPDATE: I have just discovered that my media library is full, and since I can't get anything to permanently delete, there will be no new, lovely-with-red-accents header photo.  For now.  I also found out that none of my widgets were saved.  So, back to the drawing board.  Ah, it's good for the soul, this exercise in longsuffering.

Well.  So much for my great plans to do Bedell Curriculum and math every day this summer!  I think when we finished school last month we also disconnected our brains.  Well, no matter.  Our hearts are still connected, and that is more important to me.  :D

Working backwards:

In June, Alison finished crocheting a table-topper for my mom.  My grandmother had several of these in different colors, and there is a lot of nostalgia in this for me.  It is double-crocheted in the round and the finished product is 60" in diameter.   Does this look like a product for Etsy?  I didn't see any round crocheted table-toppers there. Hmmm.  Mom rewarded Alie with a webcam, which has brought many hours of silly entertainment.

The girls played music for our local nursing home again last week. Do you see something different?

If you guessed it is Amy on the violin rather than the flute, you guessed correctly!  It thrills my ♥  to have four little strings players.  Later that week I saw a local ad for a German-made violin, two bows, and hard case.  The owner did not know what he had, and we snatched it up!  Amy has now graduated from a VSO to a real violin.  BONUS: One of the bows is actually a viola bow, and a very nice one!  That bow alone is worth way more than I paid for the whole outfit.  God is good.  Now we just need a viola. :D

This is Amy with the VSO, not the real violin.  The four girls are working on a Handel aria and it is just lovely. (Okay, I know I am biased, being their mother.  Any music they make together is beautiful to me!)

Alison is now giving lessons to three sisters and six other students.  Hopefully she will write a post soon about how teaching has helped her grow in many areas.  It has made a huge difference in her teen-hood!

Elisabeth and I turned this:

into this:

Elisabeth did quite a bit of the sewing.  Good for her!  I love JoAnn Fabrics's $1 pattern sales.  I wouldn't pay$15 for a pattern, especially not for something to play in!!  Many thanks to PlainJane, BookwormMN, and ALadyBug for the bonnet(s)!  Elisabeth, oh excuse me, Prudence here, and her brother, Andy the Cowboy, played covered wagons.  Below, Andy the Cowboy, eating his peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich.  Did they have PB&M in the old days?

A friend's yard sale produced a practically new Lands' End backpack for Alie.  (I ran over her new one with the vacuum cleaner and ripped the straps right off -- two years ago!)  Only one problem, it was monogrammed Andy.  She didn't want anyone to think she has a boyfriend named Andy.  So I fixed that:

A request from Emily for coloring pages resulted in these cowboy templates from MadeByJoel.

That guy has some neat creations! I love his light drawings.  Amy tried some, too.

Legos are still the world's best toy.  Something is usually in the creation process here.

Too much TV this month.

Even Dad got it on it. These girls sure do love their daddy! Here they are watching the Time Changer DVD. (Again.)

Last but not definitely not least, we headed up to our local mountains for a refreshing hike.  Ahem.  Some hiked.  I spent the entire afternoon alone,  reading and relaxing, watching the birds and squirrels, and experiencing the breeze and 70°!   Everyone have enough water?  Check.  Energy food?  Check.

After nearly five miles of hiking (someone didn't know that they were almost back where they started, and if only they had not turned around, but had just kept going...) this little person was whupped.

A wonderful way to end the day, and a good way to end the Month in Review.  July promises a big picnic and the start of a big family trip for these Diamonds in the Rough.

It's time to get supper!  We're hungry!This is where I normally insert a fitting Bible verse, but I'll have to do that later!