Sunday, June 12, 2011

Summer Art Project Plans

Art

I've long considered myself a creative-type person, one with lots of ideas swirling around in my head, and lots of clutter in my house. [Creative types tend to accumulate clutter -- everything looks useful, so why throw it away! ::sigh::]

However, the truth of my past ten years has been that, combined with an accumulated sense of being buried in my clutter, I just avoid art in my home school like the plague! Why? ...Because I don't want a mess! I don't want to have to clean up the project, let alone any unexpected spills...

The net effect is that I feel I have neglected art this year in my home school.  So I have made plans to do art during the summer.  This will not only fulfill my intentions of covering "Art", but will also give my little guy art to enter this summer at the County Fair.  I would love to plan a project a day for two months, but I know that won't happen. I'll start with some potential plans, and we'll go from there. So, here are some of my plans:

1. Ceramic Mosaic - I originally saw an art idea about a ceramic wall mural. It wasn't exactly what I was looking for, so I looked again using different search terms and came up with a ceramic art project that looks close to what I am trying to accomplish. There was a real good "how to" at this link. There was a pretty idea for a garden stepping stone as well. I also really liked the clay-tablet method of mural described on the Deep Space Sparkle blog. I wonder if I can think of a way to make the mosaic out of small clay squares...

2.  Koi Fish Art - For the Koi Fish Art Lesson you want to start with a sheet of paper either 8-1/2" X 11" or 9" X 12 ". Using chalk pastels, have the artist draw either one or two koi, using the sample illustrations from the Deep Space Sparkle lesson page. The student will then paint in the fish using either water color, tempera, or acrylic paint. Let dry, then mount to mat board.

3. Chalk Bird Art Project - The Chalk Bird Art Project starts with  letting the student see some black and white bird photos (I wouldn't mind color, either). Then, using a standard sheet of art paper, the artist draws a black outline picture using black oil pastel. Then the student uses chalk pastels to color in. It is helpful to have a sheet of paper to set on the artwork for the child to rest the drawing hand on so the oil pastel doesn't smear. After coloring in, a fixative needs to be applied to keep the pastel from smearing.

4.  Abstract Acrylic Painting Project - This is one I think we can do, that I found on a website called Art Made Easy.   It's a link to a page called My Cool Homeschool for Abstract Fun. I found searching about Abstract Painting to be very helpful, because I wasn't sure what that fair catelog entry was asking for. It can be anything from art where you blow the paint with a straw, to splatter painting, painting with the wheels of a car driven through paint... Lots of possibilities...

5.  Calligraphy Art Project - I was looking for lessons on calligraphy so we could maybe do a project for the fair.  I found one five-day caligraphy lesson page here, but it didn't give real concrete ideas of what to caligraphy...  But it gave some suggested links which I followed.  The first link led to Calligraphy Lessons On-Line, which may give more calligraphy information than the average homeschooler would ever want... So I finally found some samples of framed calligraphy art here.  That looks achievable. I'm just not sure if it would still be considered calligraphy if it were like a painting of a geisha girl (to the right on the link), or only if it is the words. I think only the words. Like one could do a trio of faith, hope and love...

6.  Acryllic Painting - Building - There was a promising lesson plan on this at How do I Paint With Acryllic Paints (E-How)

7. How to paint Portraits in acryllicon e-How - this is excellent! A video series! She instructs you to paint this one on canvas, so I did a little more research and learned you are supposed to prepare your canvas. I had no idea! So there is something called Gesso that you paint the canvas with before you do your painting. Then Jacklyn LaFlamme teaches you about different types of brushes. If your child is interested in painting, follow through this woman's series. She is a professional artist, and these videos are well done.

8.  Charcoal Drawing Project - I really loved this reverse charcoal technique. Look low on the page to where it talks about starting with a simple subject to draw, like an egg.

Well, that's a start anyway. Think I'll post this entry and do another list next week. Hope you try some of my ideas. Let me know how they turn out! I'll try to post pictures too.

8 comments :

  1. Diana,

    Wow! You have some awesome ideas for art for the summertime. I hope you get them done. I would love to see what you do get to do. Please post pictures, if you can.

    God bless,

    Rebecca G.

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  2. Will do! I am often planning way beyond my capacity, but my son is motivated to have lots of fair entries, so we'll see.

    Thanks for commenting!

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  3. I love this:
    I've long considered myself a creative-type person, one with lots of ideas swirling around in my head, and lots of clutter in my house. [Creative types tend to accumulate clutter -- everything looks useful, so why throw it away! ::sigh::]

    I thought I was going to be a new follower, but see that I am already following on GFC. :D I must have found you prior to the new Crew year. That means I must think you are really cool. :D
    http://homeschoolblogger.com/hillarym

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  4. Well, so far we've not done very well. Son did some origami and has gotten completely wrapped up in origami. I've been taking too much time in my school planning, exercise, and housework and not doing art. Still. Also, our 4-H club has met at my house weekly to work on Club entry projects.

    I need to get back to art. At least I've had him reading an hour a day, which was another goal I had at the beginning of summer...

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  5. We seldom get to art in school either. There are only so many hours a day, but you are right. Summer is perfect for this. These look like great helps. Thanks!

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  6. We go in phases with art. At present, my daughter thinks it an essential part of the day! Thank you for these ideas.

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  7. My daughter loves art, and some of these links and ideas look perfect for her. Thanks!

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  8. Thanks for stopping by Throwback Thursday Blog-Style!
    I love doing crafts with my girls, though I also tend to shy away from the messy ones. I do love the sound of these lovely ideas you collected to share here. I am definitely going to have to check into these.
    It was interesting to read that creative types accumulate clutter. I will have to explain that to my husband. It makes sense though. I hate throwing something out and then realizing a few weeks later that it would have been the perfect thing for a project we are working on.

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