Art Show

Last Friday evening was our first "annual" art show for our homeschool co-op!  It was such a fun time seeing the kids excited to show off their artwork, meeting lots of husbands we haven't met, seeing families hang out together without the distractions of having to run off to teach a class.....
I took a lot of inspiration from this series of posts on hosting an art show from one of my favorite art blogs.   The new fellowship hall at our church was the perfect space, with room for snack tables, art tables and dividers to hang LOTS of art on!  We're thinking of making next year's show an entire "arts night," with performances by the kids, too!
Here are some pictures from the evening:

 This was a continuous roll of pictures that L's Kindergarten class has worked on for a few minutes each day for the entire semester.  The kids were so proud of their hard work, and it really made a neat display!

 Entrance to the show!

 Signs for our art table

I think the art table was the hit of the evening!  I laid out a few projects for inspiration, but most of the kids (and a few adults) just had a blast with the oil pastels and watercolors.  I set up my clothes-drying rack with a basket of clothes pins for the kids to hang up their work to dry.  Definitely a keeper! 

Van Gogh's Sunflowers

 I have been teaching an art class to the 3rd & 4th graders in our homeschool co-op this year, and these kids have produced some amazing stuff!  We are putting on an art show in two weeks for our families, and I can't wait to see everything set up!
Anyway, today, we learned about Van Gogh and tried to draw flowers like he did.  We used oil pastels, which may be my new favorite drawing medium.  I kind of took this tutorial and modified it for oil pastels. 

 D, age 9

 K, age 10

My example for the class

More Art!

 We have been trying to continue fitting in art lessons several times a week, since it seems to be a relaxing and peaceful time for all of us.  This week, I found a tutorial here that we tried out when friends were over, and each of these elephants turned out so nice! 

 D, age 9

 K, age 10

 L, age 5

 M, age 3

Mine

J-Term Art!

We've been loading up on art projects this January (except for this week with one sick girlie), so I wanted to share a few that we've enjoyed:

All have come from a new art website that a friend introduced me to.  we have all been greatly enjoying these lessons!

Sailboat Monotypes

D - age 8 1/2

K - age 10

Tint and Pattern Circles

L - age 5 1/2

 

K - age 10

D - age 8 1/2

M - age almost 3

M's leftover paint :)

Chinese Vase Art Project

K - age 10

 

L - age 5 1/2

D - age 8 1/2

M - age almost 3

Cardinals in Winter

L - age 5 1/2

M - age almost 3

K - age 10

D - age 8 1/2

We also got to spend 2 hours at a local pottery place with friends last Friday and create and glaze lots of neat stuff, so Ill post pictures when we get everything back after it's been fired! 

Can't wait to make more art next week! 

Mosaics

We have been working our way through A Child's History of Art and got to a chapter on the ancient peoples of the two-river region (Fertile Crescent area). Apparently, they first began working with mosaics and tiles, so we got to do our own little mosaic pieces.

self-portrait

a beach scene

pickup truck