Awesome Art

My youngest seems to be a budding artist and especially loves getting creative with clay. She's been taking weekly art classes at SPARK Family Enrichment Center for a few months, and it's so much fun to see what projects she comes home with each week. The theme for the past six weeks has been Animals Around the World, and this is her cat sculpture from the final week.

We Filled Our Buckets Today!!!

Just a little back story before I dive into this post . . . we started school this week. Finally. Our initial goal of starting right after July 4th was put on the back burner when I got a great deal on baseball camp and signed Noah up for two more weeks. Then, during that time, we found ourselves unexpectedly hosting a student from Spain until early August, so we pushed back our start date yet again. Which brings us to this week.

My goal in taking off only the month of June was to avoid a repeat of last year, when we had a very challenging first week as we struggled to get back into our groove after three whole months of summer vacation. I now know that two whole months off is not a bit easier to recover from.This week has been a total roller coaster - a nice start on Monday, a total dive into a terrible Tuesday and back up to (so far, at least) the high point that was today.

Today was like the cover of "Perfect Homeschool" magazine . . . the picture I chose from the catalog when I ordered up this whole homeschooling adventure. At one point, the kids were both working happily and independently on handwriting, while I prepped for math with classical violin music playing in the background. Yes, really. They flew through their math assignments, and we actually had time to play card games and chess plus do an impromptu art project before heading out to music lessons. It was the kind of day that I should have videotaped to play back to myself on days like yesterday!

Our morning began with a thunderstorm, which meant that Ava's riding lesson was canceled. Selfishly, I was glad to have the extra time since the kids music lessons (normally on Mondays) had been moved to Wednesday this week. But instead of getting an early start, I let them play for a bit to get myself (and the classroom) a bit more organized.

When I was finally ready, I decided to mix up our schedule a bit. Rather than jumping into the heavy stuff first to "get it out of the way", we instead began with our new yoga/meditation routine - the one part of our week that's gone consistently well. (In case you missed it, I blogged about my new vision for incorporating these into our day a few weeks ago.)

We started by reading one of our favorite books, Have You Filled a Bucket Today, followed by a few minutes of yoga and a guided children's meditation. Afterwards, the kids wanted to talk a little about the meditation (the one we did today was about making friends with your emotions) and about the book. Their enthusiasm sparked the idea for a bucket-filling art project, which is pictured at the top of this post.

Spontaneity has never been one of my strong suits, but since our theme for this school year is "fun", it's a skill I need to develop and put into my repertoire. The kids loved both the spontaneous art project and the unplanned pillow fight that followed, and it really set the tone for a great day of learning!

Save 40% on Atelier Art at the Homeschool Buyer's Co-op

The Homeschool Buyer's Co-op just announced a special new group buy for Atelier Art curriculum. With a variety of levels, these DVD-based visual art lesson are designed for students from 4-16. Each level includes a total of 18 lessons broken down into three modules (A, B and C).

I actually purchased the first module (A) of the Atelier level one curriculum at my very first homeschool convention several years ago. I'm just going from memory here, but we probably did it when Noah was four. At the time, I remember being very impressed with the curriculum but I never found a good way to pull off the lessons with a toddler that needed constant attention, and I think I just let it fall by the wayside.

This year, I'd been considering trying an art curriculum again and after pulling out our binder (to check the level number for this blog post), I am sold on it once again - mainly from looking at the art that Noah produced while using it (pictured above). Considering his age at the time, I was pretty much blown away looking at them again after several years.

What I remember liking about this program is that it introduces them to works of art by famous artists, then teaches the specific techniques used to create each. I'm not at all artsy, so this is one area where I need some step-by-step lessons. My plan is to redo the lessons I have this summer (it will be the first time for Ava and a refresher for Noah), then purchase the complete Level 2 set to start in the fall.

If you're not yet a member of the Homeschool Buyer's Co-op, it is free to join and they will keep you in the loop about all the great group buys they do. The way the deal works is that the more people buy, the greater the discount so it starts at 15% (1-25 people) and can get as high as 40% (151 or more people). You can "opt in" to buy the product when the discount reaches whatever level corresponds with the highest price you'd be willing to pay. If you decide to join, please considering doing so using my referral code (65626).

Field Trip Friday - Children's Art Center of Winter Park

You've probably seen me blog about it before, but the Art Adventures classes at the Orlando Museum of Art are among our absolute favorites - due in no small part to the teacher, Catherine Cross. She always does an amazing job of introducing children to a wide variety of art forms, tools and techniques, all in a fun, engaging manner.

When my kids were young, I remember hearing someone say that a craft is where all the completed projects are supposed to look the same - but art is where all the completed projects should look different. This has really stuck with me through the years, and so many of the art classes we've tried have fallen more in the "craft" category. However, I know that whenever my kids are with Mrs. Cross, they are truly learning about the concepts and techniques of art.

While OMA offers Art Adventures and a homeschool class each once a month, Mrs. Cross is now teaching additional classes out of the Children's Art Center of Winter Park, an organization she founded in 2005. With over 30 years of art programming experience for both children and adults, she is now offering preschool, after school and homeschool classes at the Winter Park Presbyterian Church.


The homeschool classes will take place on certain Fridays from 1-3PM, and pre-registration is required. The cost is $15 per class, which covers all materials and a snack. Here are the dates and topics for the spring: 

March 18 - Creating with Clay - Greece and Egypt

April 15 - Painting with Watercolor - Winslow Homer

April 29 - Creating with Clay - Ancient Americas

May 6 - Color Mixing with Acrylic and painting on canvas

May 13 - Art and the Environment - Collages

All students will have the opportunity to participate in a special art exhibit for families in May. For additional information, contact Catherine Cross at 336-508-2407 or ccross336@aol.com

Field Trip Friday - Upcoming Events at OMA

My kids love being on the go as much as I do. If we all had our way, every day would be a field trip! We’ll be home more this year, but every Friday, I’ll be sharing a field trip that we’ve done or have planned, along with how we tied it in to our studies at home.   We're headed out for a fun field trip day ourselves, so I'm being super-lazy and copying this right from an e-mail. Check out all the fun youth and family Halloween events inspired by the art of Edward Gorey coming up this month at the Orlando Museum of Art! Daddy-O: Picasso Pumpkins  October 16 / 1:30-2:30pm Calling all dads! If you have been looking for a fun way to spend some quality time with your kids, this is it! Celebrate autumn with the class designed for kids and their dads, uncles, grandpas and big brothers to come and enjoy decorating a unique pumpkin without messy carving. Park Maitland Art teacher Nick Wozniak will help you make a silly or spooky masterpiece that will make you smile or scream this fall! One pumpkin per person. $ 12 for adults with 1 child, $10 for OMA members; $3 per additonal child. Pre-registration required. Call 407 896 4231 ext. 262. Gorey Goblins and more...An Adventure into the Dark Side with Pen and Ink October 23 / 12-4pm This drawing workshop with Catherine Cross, for adults and youth over 10, will focus on exciting projects for the Halloween season! Skulls, bats, tombstones...all things Gorey will be our inspiration for black and gloomy as we view the original pen and ink drawings of Edward Gorey. In the studio participants will review and practice pen and ink techniques to create art from the dark side for place cards, decorations, greeting cards, "Gorey" art and more. Supplies provided. Cost is $65, $50 for OMA members. Pre-registration is required by October 20. Call 407 896 4231 ext. 262. Not-so-Gorey Stories  October 24 / 1:30-2pm Come and hear storyteller Bill Cordell delight children (and those who need a nightlight) with delightfully spooky stories during this half-hour program. Free with Admission, Brooker Gallery.  Call 407 896 4231 ext. 262. Fun Family Halloween Event at the OMA October 31 / 12-4pm See UCF Visual Art and Theater Department students engage in a visual dialogue with an improv showing of hats and masks inspired by Edward Gorey's The Gashlycrumb Tinies and other imaginative, offbeat Gorey stories. Sweet Tomatoes will be providing complimentary refreshments from 1-3pm. OMA admission is $8 for adults and always free for OMA members. Children under 12 in costume will be admitted for free with a paying adult. From 12-2pm, all ages are invited to design and create a Halloween mask using a variety of materials for $3, $2 for OMA members.

Please call 407 896 4231 X258 for more information on these programs, or visit www.omart.org.

Field Trip Friday - New Homeschool Art Classes at OMA

My kids love being on the go as much as I do. If we all had our way, every day would be a field trip! We’ll be home more this year, but every Friday, I’ll be sharing a field trip that we’ve done or have planned, along with how we tied it in to our studies at home.

While browsing the Orlando Museum of Art website, I noticed that they now offer a once-a-month homeschooling class with our favorite teacher, Mrs. Cross. The classes will take place on Friday afternoons from 1-3PM, and the cost is $20/class. 

September 24 - Drawing with Pen and Ink (plus sharpies and microns) - Edward Gorey

October 22 – Printmaking

November 5 - Painting Exploration - Canvas and Watercolor

I'm going to get some details when we're there for Art Adventures next week - specifically to see if there's a minimum age and if parents stay or drop off. Either way, it sounds like something my two would love!

Wild Idea Wednesday - (Vita)Mixing Up Some Art

Need some new ideas for keeping learning fun? I’ll be sharing our favorites each week on Wednesday. To be honest, the thought of committing myself to having one great idea every week is stress-inducing, so I’m going to put it out there in advance that I will probably borrow heavily from all my wise mama friends.

Somehow, the start of the school year has me ready for new routines and that includes new recipes. I've been in a cooking rut for a while, so I've been re-reading favorite cookbooks for inspiration. Who knew I would find a fun school idea that involved my Vitamix???

While looking for recipes, I discovered two recipes in the kids section - one for play dough and one for finger paint. It was a tough choice, but the kids voted to try finger paint first. I was hoping to get to it today, but the cars lapbook - hot off the press - won out. Hopefully we'll get to try it later this week. 

Finger Paint 

½ cup (120 ml) cornstarch

3 tablespoons sugar

2 cups (480 ml) cold water

Food coloring

Place the first three ingredients into the container. Secure lid. Select VARIABLE speed #1. Turn on machine and quickly increase speed to #10; then to HIGH. Run machine for 4 to 5 minutes or until thickened. Divide into 4 equal portions and mix in food coloring by hand. Store in 4 small jars.

Play Dough 

2 cups (480 ml) all-purpose flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

½ cup (120ml) salt

2 tbs. oil

2 cups (480 ml) water

Food coloring

Place all ingredients in the container. Secure lid. Select VARIABLE speed #1. Turn on the machine and quickly increase speed to #10; then to HIGH. Run machine for 4 or 5 minutes or until the blades spin free. Remove dough quickly as it thickens fast.

My plan is to let them each do some of the measuring then experiment with mixing different colors to make the paint. When it's all ready, I'll tape up some paper in the shower and turn them loose to create their masterpieces!

Oops - Corrected Info for 2010 Young People's Concert

Oops! Major goof on the info I posted for the Orlando Phil's Young People's Concert on Field Trip Friday. My info was 100% accurate . . . for 2009. Thanks to my friend Wendy for catching my mistake. Info on the 2010 event is above and online. As of Friday, tickets to both October dates are still available.

Field Trip Friday - Young People's Concert at Orlando Philharmonic

Wow! I know the Young People's Concerts at the Orlando Philharmonic were popular, but I when I checked the website today, I was stunned to see that both the September and October dates have already sold out. I'll certainly be snapping up some tickets for the November show while they're still available.

Last year was my first attending this event, although Noah had actually been the year before with my mom. This year's program, The Nature of Music, is designed to introduce students to how composers utilize the different elements of music to convey ideas, images and emotions. A teacher's guide, program notes and suggestions for active listening experiences can be downloaded from their website; we used these tools last year, and they definitely added to our experience and the kids' appreciation of the music.

The concerts take place at the Bob Carr Performing Art Center in Orlando, and tickets - buy them now! - cost $5/person.

Lapbook Preview - Crazy About Cars

It's nearing 2AM, and the cars lapbook did not get finished. It's great to have a goal . . . but not as great to make myself crazy trying to achieve it. So I'm calling it a night and will finish tomorrow - only one more mini-book to go, so I really am close!

It's turning out really cute, and I know that Noah will love it! I'm very pleased with the diversity of the content, which so far covers science, history, geography, math and a little art or language arts.

As soon as I mock up my sample, I'll make the PDF available to download - right now, all I have to share is the sneak preview "The 8 Fastest Cars in the World" mini-book. Do you know what they are???

"Crazy About Cars" Unit Study & Lapbook

Today I'm finding myself with a few hours to dive into creating a new lapbook template - but since I have three lapbooks planned for fall, I wasn't quite sure where to start. I've finally decided to begin with "Crazy About Cars".

Our unit and the accompanying lapbook will cover:

- History of Cars
- Cars Around the World
- Types of Cars
- How Cars Work
- Alternative Fuel Sources

Noah has a particular interest in fast cars and alternative fuel sources and keeps telling me he's going to build a "300-mile-an-hour car" that runs on water. Sounds like a great idea to me, so to get him started we're going to build model solar and fuel cell cars.

After getting completely overwhelmed on Amazon the other night, I decided to purchase two books to complement our study: Car by DK Eyewitness Books and How Cars Work. Of course, we'll also raid the library and clean them out on car books for a while!

Perhaps my most exciting find on Amazon was a great way to tie in some art projects. I found a great-looking book that teaches kids (and adults!) how to draw cars, and I know that Noah will love it . . . but probably not as much as he'll love the Sports Car Designersoftware that allows you to design racing, sports or concept cars!

Noah has been asking for a visit to the Ferrari dealership (he can see it from the highway whenever we head downtown) to ask them questions and "pick out his car", so we'll probably plan that trip during our first week of school. Jim is also going to find some car shows for them to attend together; we'll turn him loose with his camera to see what he finds interesting and I'll show him how to edit in Photoshop when he's done . . . I'm envisioning some type of Shutterfly book resulting from this, but I'll see what he has in mind.

Of course, I'll be sharing the lapbook template and any other resources I create once they are ready to go. Also, this is my first Amazon-linked post, so if you're reading, let me know how it looks. I post a lot of resources anyway, so I thought it was cool to be able to preview the images and provide the links!

Well, here I go . . . I have a feeling I'm about to learn more than I ever imagined about cars. Have you ever thought about how well-rounded a person you'll be after homeschooling your children???

Snap! Offers Opportunities for Student Photographers

Well after getting both my kids worked up about these great workshops, I realized that they're all taking place on days we can't go. But I wanted to share just in case there are other budding little photographers in the area.

From the Snap! Orlando website:

Snap! is a 4-day photography celebration showcasing the work of renowned international and national photographers, as well as images from emerging local talent. The event and its programs are designed to inspire and galvanize a community of art enthusiasts, from novice to seasoned collector, around a shared passion for the photographic medium. Spanning a dozen art galleries, cafés, boutiques, and pop-up exhibition spaces in the Downtown Orlando area, Snap! will exhibit the visionary work of more than 30 artists. The event will also include: artist appearances; photography workshops and seminars; VIP parties; community art projects; performance art, and cross-over events.

Youth activities include a Youth Photography Contest (deadline May 5th), Youth Workshops (May 15th & 16th) and Youth Art Exhibit and Reception (May 23).

March Art Adventures at OMA

We always love Art Adventures at the Orlando Museum of Art, and today's class was no exception. As usual, we began with some time in the gallery, and the kids looked for different types of lines and colors in one specific piece of art.

Since the work featured buffaloes, today's class was called "Where the Buffaloes Roam". Back in the studio, the project involved creating dioramas with natural elements and (if the kids wanted) sculpting buffaloes out of clay to put inside. The kids went to town gluing in bark, leaves, sticks, moss, stones, dirt and sand.

Noah created a really cool campfire scene, complete with a tree, clouds and the sun. Ava covered her background with sand and dirt, glued on some leaves and bark and spent the rest of the time with her clay - rolling it and decorating it with dots and patterns. I love that these classes always have specific themes and guidelines but that the kids are given the freedom to make what they want - with the idea being that each piece of art should be different rather than all looking the same.

After dragging the kids from the studio (they always want to stay and do "just a little more"), we enjoyed some more time in the gallery before heading out. As always, we will look forward to next month's class!

Youth Celebration of the Arts

Debary's Gateway Center for the Arts will be hosting the Youth Celebration of the Arts this weekend with events planned for both Saturday, March 13th and Sunday, March 14th. I'd been hoping to find more details on their website, but this is all they have posted:

March 13 - 9:30 AM to 4:00PM
Hands on art and performance of Volusia County public school students
$2 donation to park

March 14 - 1:30PM to 4:30 PM
Will feature private dance and theater school students
General admission: $5

We attended with the kids last year, and they had a great time creating all kinds of works of art. Of course, the bounce house and Gateway's great playground were also a hit.

2010 Young Composer's Workshop

From the folks at the Orlando Philharmonic who put on the wonderful Young Person's Concerts . . . Do you know a young musician interested in writing music?

In a FREE workshop on Saturday, March 13th young musicians will have a unique opportunity to learn from nationally acclaimed composers how to write music for orchestra or chamber ensemble. The young musicians will then have until August 1 to create an optional composition. The top three pieces in each category, chamber ensemble or full orchestra, will be selected to be played by the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra in concert at the Bob Carr auditorium on October 10.

The Orlando Philharmonic is the only orchestra in the nation that embraces this opportunity to provide talented students between the ages of 13-18 with public recognition, performance, and prize money. Students must be USA residents.

The FREE full-day composition workshop will be held on Saturday, March 13th at the UCF Center for the Emerging Media, 500 West Livingston Street, Orlando. The workshop is open to all young composers and young musicians interested in learning how to write music. Workshop attendees are not required to enter compositions in the contest and participation in the workshop is not mandatory. However, all interested music students are encouraged to attend.

Lectures and presentations will be given by nationally acclaimed composers, and instrument demonstrations will be given by top orchestra musicians. Students who have written music may bring their compositions for feedback.

YCC winners will receive the following:
• $1,000 cash prizes awarded for each of the top three orchestra compositions
• $500 cash prizes awarded for each of the top three ensemble compositions
• These six winning compositions will be played in full by the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra in concert at the Bob Carr auditorium on October 10, 2010.
• During the concert, comments and analysis will be provided by conductor, Chris Wilkins, OPO musicians, and a panel of professional composers.
• Winners will receive a professional recording of the performance.

For additional information and complete list of guidelines, contact Anna Goldsmith or visit the event website.

2010 ArtsFest

All Arts . . . All Week . . . All Free. United Arts presents ArtsFest - an annual event showcasing local arts and culture to the Central Florida community for free. ArtsFest 2010 will take place February 5th through 14th at venues all around town. For certain events, tickets are limited and will be available starting February 2nd at 10AM on a first-come, first-served basis. Full schedule of events is available on their website.

Discovering the Gift of Art

This month's Art Adventures class at the Orlando Museum of Art focused on the "gift of art". Class began in the gallery where the kids explored different works of art - textiles, jewelry, etc. - that would typically have been given as a gift.

Back in the studio, they were turned loose with paint, fiber, sequins and jewels to create their own gifts of art. Mine were thrilled to decorate wooden treasure boxes and paint a few masterpieces to give to family this holiday season. As always - I had to drag them from the studio when class was over and bring extra supplies so they could continue at home.

The Art of Illustration - Part 2

Our wonderful series on children's book illustrators continued this week with a co-op on author / illustrator Maurice Sendak, best known for the children's book Where the Wild Things Are. After enjoying some stories, the kids put pen to paper to create their own "wild things". In Sendak style, they outlined their subjects in black ink, then filled them in with color and used lines to create texture in their backgrounds.

Halloween Puppet Extravaganza at Gateway Center for the Arts

Looking for a fun Halloween activity? Then check out the Puppet Extravaganza being presented over the next two weekends at Gateway Center for the Arts. All ages will enjoy this 1 1/2 hour Halloween-themed adventure featuring 30" marionettes, hand puppets and humans . . . all interacting with the audience.

My mom volunteers at Gateway - which is a new art center right off 17-92 in DeBary - and has been watching the show come together for the past few months. From what she's told me, it sounds like it will be lots of fun. She and Noah will be attending this weekend!

Show Times are as follows:
October 23...7 pm
October 24...2 pm/7 pm
October 30...7 pm
October 31...2 pm

Ticket prices are $8 for adults and $5 for kids 4 and up with children under four being free. Tickets are available by calling 386-668-5553 or visiting their website.

Gateway also offers a variety of classes for both kids and adults, included classes specifically geared towards homeschoolers. Information on classes, which include art, music, drama and dance, can be found on their website or by calling the center.

Meet Award-Winning Children's Book Illustrator Jerry Pinkney at OMA

And speaking of Jerry Pinkney (for anyone who read my last blog post), he will be at the Orlando Museum of Art on Saturday, October 24th to talk about and sign copies of his new picture book, The Lion & the Mouse. What a great event for those who have seen the exhibit! Here is the schedule:

Artist Presentation
1pm, OMA SunTrust Auditorium

Artist Book Signing
1:30pm, books available for sale in the OMA Museum Shop

Both events are free courtesy of Little Brown Books for Young Readers.