Category: Art

Eric Carle Art Class

We decided to make Eric Carle style art with the homeschool club today. To prepare, we asked each family to paint 5 pieces of tissue paper with tempera paint, using different textures and color combinations and bring the dry tissues to class. We followed the same techniques that Eric Carle taught during a Mr. Rogers episode. You can see the clip here. (Start at minute 16.)

I have to admit that I was a little worried how it would turn out. The individual tissue papers we made were not very attractive.

Once we got to class, we shared the painted tissue paper to make some wonderful collages.

Hannah’s fruit art was so cute I had to post it. She’s playing at our house so I’m claiming the right to share her beautiful art.

We had dozens of patterns from which we could choose. I came home with a sample of each so I can do my own artwork/therapy this weekend.

Anyone can do this. And it is beautiful and simple and very inexpensive.

Time for Paige

Believe it or not, my worst fear is that I am messing up my children’s lives by educating them at home (and other places). There is no homespun superiority complex being taught or felt at this home school. I run an over-achieving-so-no-one-will-question-us kind of home school.

Sometimes in my efforts to prove we’re providing a great education, I ask too much of my children. High school brought a new level of fear and worry for me and an accompanying workload for Paige that left her exhausted. She stopped doing many things that she loved. There was no reading for fun, no sewing, and no painting.

This semester we made sure Paige isn’t overbooked.  It’s good to see her doing the things that she loves again. She is a great student, but there is more to life than school.

Thank goodness.

Gingerbread 2010

We made graham cracker “gingerbread” houses with Grandma and Grandpa.

These colors are irresistible on Paige’s house. I like the decorative frosting curlicues, the tootsie roll mosaic on the front, and the flawless star she made from a gumdrop on her first try.

Daniel spent time on a wood pile, fence, sparkly snow, and a marshmallow snow house out back for a Boy Scout winter camp.

Timothy has very classic taste. It took a long time to place those sprinkles in a row on the roof. I love the  Lifesaver wreath.

Mark spent a very long time working on his house. He and Grandpa built a Ramada, a very tall “Dr. Seuss” Christmas tree, and scattered sprinkles… many sprinkles. I like the cereal windows and the “M” for Mark.

Our family is held together with royal icing traditions like this.

Nutcracker 2010

This weekend we spent with the Sanchez grandparents. We had many adventures, but the main event was Paige’s Nutcracker performance on Saturday night. She danced as the Dewdrop Fairy in Waltz of the Flowers (above).

She danced in the Snowflake number.

She was also a Chinese dancer.

She was lovely and she was strong. I can’t believe the stamina she showed in the Waltz of the Flowers. I’m so glad she had this opportunity.

To Do Today

Today I need to sew ribbons and elastic on these new pointe shoes. It’s a surprisingly difficult task. Shoes don’t fit well in a sewing machine and I usually sew the elastics 3 times because the shoes have to fit just right.

I love new ballet shoes. Aren’t they beautiful?

Paige’s costume for the Chinese dance just arrived and there is some altering for that, too.

Paige’s debut in the Nutcracker ballet is on December 11.

Robin Hood

For today’s post Daniel brings you a night at the movies.  This is a stop-motion animation video that he created.  He has produced about a dozen of these little clips so far, and they are delightful.

The sound on this video is quite low, so turn up your speakers/headphones.  Notice the details such as the staff and hat floating down the river, the bubbles, and Robin Hood almost falling backwards but catching himself.  Enjoy.

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