Homeschooling One - Art

As I homeschooled my son, I came to realize there was much more to the label "Art" than I had previously thought. Using the Ambleside Online curriculum, much of the "Art" that we covered was more Art History, in the form of artist study and studying an artist's specific works.

This suited me just fine, because as an older mom, I no longer enjoyed cleaning up messes after art projects were completed.

However, it became clear that the student likes to do hands-on stuff, too! So sometimes he got to do that at Home Depot workshops. Sometimes art projects took place as part of 4-H.

and sometimes we worked on art curriculum where he was learning specific things such as primary/secondary colors, shading and depth, etc. Often he just tackled projects because the County Fair was coming and he wanted to have art projects to enter.

One of the girls in our 4-H Club was taking art classes and learning wonderful techniques. I wanted to sign my son up for classes, but he didn't want anything to do with it. He did not want group classes, and he did not want to be taught or be required to do a certain type of project at a certain time. He wanted to continue his art "free style".

As he got older, the line became fuzzy between "art" and "craft". He no longer does paintings, seldom does drawings (although occasionally he comes up with an amazing drawing). 

Now, though, he is a craftsman of whips made out of paracord -- bullwhips, snakewhips, and I don't know all the names of the types of whips he makes. He got a blue ribbon and a champion ribbon on the bullwhip he entered at the county fair.

He has started his own business selling his whips on line (Eagle Whips on Instagram). And he loves making them!

So what I learned about art while home schooling my lonely only is to let the student lead. I don't expect him to have a career in Art when he picks his career, so what does it matter if he ever learns how to draw a picture with depth, or create a landscape with pastels, or that red paint mixed with blue makes purple? My goal as the teacher, in addition to directing my son in ways that he can learn about art, should be to introduce art in ways that help him love the art! And my son was able to pursue what interested him and then specialize in what he loved. And that is why we home school!

Magic Stix Washable Markers - A TOS Homeschool Crew Review

I was tickled to learn I'd been selected to be a part of the review of a new product for The Pencil Grip, Inc.

I was delighted to receive their  24 pack of their Magic Stix Washable Markers.

I've been fortunate to review for The Pencil Grip, Inc. before. Their products have never disappointed me. That said, I've gotta tell you that I really like this set!

My package arrived, and I opened it up.

I was drawn immediately to one shade of blue, which became my favorite. Even with all the other choices, this blue has remained my favorite color throughout the review period (and has not dried up or gotten used up)!

I had thought, when I offered to do this review, that I might like Magic Stix for doing a type of note-taking at church, where you mind-map and illustrate the sermon. I immediately saw, however, that the marker tips do not make this an ideal marker for that kind of application.

Since this calendar year started, I've been pulled to doodle on the new calendar book I have for 2018. This turned out to be a wonderful type of marker for this type of activity. I had a lot of fun with this! The markers do bleed through the page a little bit, so I waited until February to doodle on a page that would bleed through on the January calendar. So much fun! Look at all the bright colors!

For my doodle I stuck with the lighter shades available in the 24-pack of Magic Stix. There is one dark purple spot, but I could tell immediately that I didn't like dark colors for this page. 

I do love the 24 color varieties, though! There are three shades of yellow, two shades of brown, black, various shades of every primary and secondary color and those in between (and gray!). I brainstormed about pictures to use the darker colors, too. I can see forests and log cabins, mountains and landscapes, buildings and automobiles! For my next picture, though, I have more of an abstract to share:

I don't even think the photo does this picture justice! In real life, these colors just pop and leap off the page! 

These colors are so nice to work with. The size is comfortable in the hand. These markers are washable. This is a great feature. When my #2 child was a pre-schooler, she just loved to use markers... all over her body! Face, hands, belly, legs! Washable markers were a must-have! Marker days resulted in bathtub play, and sad were the days when the baby body still had marker showing even after a good scrub.

These markers don't dry out quickly! I can't tell you how many times we pulled out the markers only to find a marker lid not put on tightly (or at all) after the last use. I didn't test it, but these markers are guaranteed not to dry out even if left open for seven days! These markers are also non-toxic, which is also important, since some little kidlets seem to like to stick markers in their mouths.

So if you are in the market for a nice set of markers, I strongly recommend you try the 24 pack of their Magic Stix Washable Markers. Magic Stix also come in a 12 pack. You might even get to try them for free. The Pencil Grip has offered the reviewers to pick one reader for a give-away of one 24 pack of Magic Stix Washable Markers. If you are chosen, The Pencil Grip, Inc. will send you a 24 pack for your very own! 

I will post about this giveaway in my next blog post, so please come back! 

Other members of the Homeschool Review Crew also reviewed Magic Stix. To read more reviews, please click the button below.

Thin Stix Creativity Pack - A TOS Homeschool Crew Review

We love the Thin Stix and I was excited when I learned we would receive Thin Stix Creativity Pack from The Pencil Grip, Inc. to review!

The package arrived quickly, and we were not disappointed!

Look at all those great colors! The 24-pack comes with the 12 colors in the Kwik Stix 12-pack

and also includes 6 metalic colors

and 6 neon colors!

When separated in these photos, it seems easy to tell which colors are which, but when in use the colors get rearranged, and it becomes a little difficult to tell which are which. 

As we used the Thin Stix it became an adventure, finishing each picture and tipping it to see the metalic colors shimmer, or seeing the neon colors pop out against the original colors!

We did some abstract, some nature...

My son found it relaxing to attempt a mountain scene with mountains reflecting in the lake. 

These Thin Stix are great fun, and a great way to do no-mess kids' art! For mom they can be a refreshing break, either to let the kids do a no-mess art project, or for mom to sit down and do art with the kids. 

Thin Stix are tempera paint in a stick, and they dry in 90-seconds! They are non-toxic, so safe for your littles who long to be part of your home school activities. They can be used on paper, cardboard, wood... use your imagination! They can be used for pictures, which is what we did, or for borders, or even picture frame embellishment! There are so many possibilities! I love this set so much more than only having a Thin Stix 6-Pack of Classic Colors!

I do miss being able to read a label stating the color... I thought one was brown, only to end up with a purple tree trunk... And these fun paint sticks are not as precise as painting with a paint brush, so they can challenge the patience of a perfectionist child. It was a growing opportunity in our home as we enjoyed using the Thin Stix while learning their capabilities and their limitations. We are really enjoying them! 

Thin Stix are available at BJ membership stores, but you might be able to get a free set. Some of the Review Crew are going to do a Thin Stix giveaway! To have a chance at a free Thin Stix Creativity Pack you'll need to click the button below, go to other reviews, and find folks who are conduction giveaways. You can enter separately in each different blog's giveaway, so you can have a lot of opportunities to win, so give it a try!

You can find Kwik Stix on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepencilgrip/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thepencilgrip @thepencilgrip
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thepencilgrip/

Thin Stix - A TOS Homeschool Crew Review

In mid-April I learned I would be reviewing a product for The Pencil Grip, Inc.

Their new product, which I've been able to try out, is Thin Stix 6pk of Classic Colors.

I was interested in trying out Thin Stix because I previously got to try out I had already tried out Kwik Stix 12 pack. I liked the idea of trying out a thinner version.

The Thin Stix 6-Pack comes with green, blue, red, yellow, black and brown.

Initially I thought I'd use Thin Stix for adult coloring books. When they arrived, though, I could see they really aren't thin enough for that type of use, so I brain stormed to figure out how I would use them.
I had some white lunch bags in the cabinet, and for fun my son used Thin Stix and had some fun decorating.

I remembered some projects in an art curriculum I reviewed recently, so I went back to the website and looked at possible projects. I settled on a winter cabin scene that looked like I could manage it with the colors available in the Thin Stix six pack. The instructions for the project called for two shades of blue (I only have one), pink (I have red), orange-yellow (I have yellow), and white (which I don't have). I completed the project using the colors I have and allowed the paper color to remain to look like the white snow. I think it turned out very nicely.

I created some orange effect by shading yellow, red, then yellow. I tried blending with my finger, like pastels, but that didn't work well so I left it layered.

Thin Stix is also available in a 12-pack, which has the colors I wanted for my winter cabin (two blues, pink, white), so it would have been perfect! Also available are:

• Kwik Stix 24-Count assorted (12 classic colors, 6 neon and 6 metalix);
• Kwik Stix Creativity Pack (3 classic colors and 3 tubes of glitter);
• Kwik Stix Doodle Pack (6 count classic colors with a 20 foot roll of paper);
• Kwik Stix 6- or 12-Count of Classic Colors;
• Kwik Stix 96-count classic class-pack (8 count of each color, 12 colors);
• Kwik Stix 6-count of neon colors; and
• Kwik Stix 6-count of metalic colors.

My son is older (soon starting his senior year). He's not much into art or doodling, but thought Thin Stix were a nice diversion.  In my opinion this product is a best fit for grammar age children, with room to flex from pre-school to adult. It is a neat item for art work, giving a tempera paint outcome with and easy to handle, crayon-type delivery.

All these features add up to a winner product. Even with an older child, I don't mind adding these to my art supply bin to pull out occasionally when someone just wants to doodle or do some art.

I really think you will like Thin Stix for your budding artists, so I hope you will consider giving them a try. They are not only available through Amazon.com but are also now sold at Toys-R-Us.

You can follow Thin Stix and Kwik Stix on social media:

• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/thepencilgrip/     Tag: @thepencilgrip   
• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/thepencilgrip     Tag:@thepencilgrip   
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/KwikStixPaint/boards/            Tag: @KwikStixPaint/boards   

Other members of the Homeschool Review Crew also reviewed Thin Stix, and some are having Thin Stix Giveaways! To see other product reviews, please click the button below.