By Heather Sanders.
Last week, in my follow-up post on our summer journaling project, Emelie let me share a few pages from her journal.
We enjoyed reading all the responses, took notes on the tips, and bookmarked recommendations.
Some of the commenters mentioned wanting to encourage creativity in their own children, and it reminded me of a book I purchased several months ago, Marion Deuchars’ “Let’s Make Some Great Art!”
Initially purchased to review with the intention of developing a co-op art class with Deuchars’ ideas, “Let’s Make Some Great Art!” turned out to be an amazing book “…packed with stimulating ideas to spark your creative imagination.”
The book kicks off with a visual list of basic art materials needed, so you and your child are ready to “Rip up some colored paper to make a face.” or have all the supplies you need to “Turn…people into…ALIENS!”
“Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot, others transform a yellow spot into the sun.” – Pablo Picasso
The foundation of the book is the work of twelve well-known artists, including Leonardo Da Vinci, Pablo Picasso, Van Gogh, Matisse, Alexander Calder, Jackson Pollock, Mondrian, and my personal lifelong favorite, Paul Klee.
The artist’s pages lead off with a brief introduction and an explanation of the style of art they were most famous for, followed by suggestions for creating one’s own work inspired by the artist.
I was not familiar with artist Bridget Riley until opening this book. Riley uses “strong geometric shapes in both black and white and color to produce amazing sensations of movement and illusion.”
Admittedly, the crazy squiggles that represent her art tend to give me a bit of vertigo.
While the art instruction targets children ages eight and up, Deuchars intended this book “for artists of all ages”.
Some of the activities are more difficult than others, but Deuchars’ laid-back, fun-loving approach allows parents, teachers or children to flip through and select age and skill appropriate projects.
The book’s emphasis is expressing one’s self through art and it does an incredible job of prompting creativity in the midst of teaching moments. For instance, this African Mask project tells us “Some of Picasso’s Art was influenced by African Art which helped create Cubism.”
Found in the doodles scribbled on a pad by the telephone, a mixed media collage journal , and even a page gridded with triangles and begging to come alive with an artist’s touch, modern art is everywhere.
Let’s Make Some Great Art invites you to draw upside down,
draw with an eraser,
and even draw sleeping creatures at night.
The point?
The back cover says it all…
“Let’s get drawing, painting, cutting, and sticking. Let’s make some great art!”
What do you use to teach about artists or artistic styles in your homeschool or homeschool co-op?
OMSH/Heather L. Sanders is “Momma” to three kids, Emelie, Meredith and Kenny. When not homeschooling, or writing about homeschooling, Heather is busy designing websites or going on dates with her husband Jeff, the love of her life.
Thinking of Home Schooling? Read mine and 24 other homeschooling families’ stories shared in the new book, You Can Do It Too!