craftymama Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 For art we do art projects. And lots of them. Paper mache, painting, stamping, drawing, building things out of boxes and paper and whatever, making cards, clay, take photography walks, etc. Am I missing what art should be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serendipitous journey Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 (edited) I agree with the pp. It sounds like a rich art environment to me! You are doing much more than we are, so many things I would like to be doing! Things that are not on your list include explicit drawing instruction, artist/art study, and nature sketchbooks. That is an informational statement. Not a suggestion list! How old is your child/are your children? Have you been homeschooling long? ETA: "what art should be" will have many answers. You clearly have a crafting orientation, and it sounds like there is plenty of open-ended process as well. I sometimes think of art objects as being crafts -- which can be made by children, or by artisans -- that have some sort of use or purpose; and also fine arts, which are objects "removed from the sphere of usefulness", or rather objects whose utility is fundamentally aesthetic. And then there is the history of art & craft, sometimes taught as largely Western (at least in the US); sometimes focusing on crafts, multi-culturalism and folk arts; and often defined as inclusively as possible. Are you more interested in finding out if what you are doing is plenty (it is!) or if there are important ways your arts could be enriched? Edited March 2, 2012 by serendipitous journey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftymama Posted March 2, 2012 Author Share Posted March 2, 2012 I agree with the pp. It sounds like a rich art environment to me! You are doing much more than we are, so many things I would like to be doing! Things that are not on your list include explicit drawing instruction, artist/art study, and nature sketchbooks. That is an informational statement. Not a suggestion list! How old is your child/are your children? Have you been homeschooling long? My son is 6. We started officially in September. It helps that I love art and projects. And thank you. I think we'll add a nature sketchbook to our list next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serendipitous journey Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 My son is 6. We started officially in September. It helps that I love art and projects. And thank you. I think we'll add a nature sketchbook to our list next year. ... I just edited my above a bit before I saw this ... oooh, my Button is 6 but has been resisting crafts, and now he's willing but I'm not really prepped. I may live vicariously through y'all for a bit! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftymama Posted March 2, 2012 Author Share Posted March 2, 2012 I think art should be fun and inspire creativity and imagination not make him understand and/or mimic the great artists. I guess I was just wondering if that ideal is "enough." I'll do art appreciation later, but right now I want him to believe a purple dragon with green wings and a red ears is beautiful. That imagining a house built in the clouds is wonderful. That creating for the sake of doing it is a fabulous gift. And that it doesn't matter what other people think of what he draws, paints, etc. as long as he's happy with it. And quite frankly, I want to see the world through his eyes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serendipitous journey Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 I think art should be fun and inspire creativity and imagination not make him understand and/or mimic the great artists. I guess I was just wondering if that ideal is "enough." I'll do art appreciation later, but right now I want him to believe a purple dragon with green wings and a red ears is beautiful. That imagining a house built in the clouds is wonderful. That creating for the sake of doing it is a fabulous gift. And that it doesn't matter what other people think of what he draws, paints, etc. as long as he's happy with it. And quite frankly, I want to see the world through his eyes. This seems lovely. I agree about not imposing outside ideas on the little ones. Button has come up with some amazing interpretations of the world, and he has a strong sense of design that I'd never have noticed if we'd been copying the masters. He did like some of the Child-size Masterpiece work we did; but I don't think he ever connected that with what he produces. You might enjoy looking at The Art of Teaching Art to Children (not that you need it) -- I really identify with her philosophy and hope to implement some of her methods next year, maybe starting this summer. But this is b/c we are not already on a roll. -- a similar philosophy for writing is Wishes, Lies and Dreams (about writing poetry) -- I was delighted to find a writing book that really made sense to me as teaching an art. -- if you have any favorite resources, and have time to post them, I'd be so happy to know what they are! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 I think that sounds great! An artist study at SOME point would be nice, learning more about master artists and such, or art appreciation, but certainly not necessary at 6 or anytime soon! Right now I'd just continue to let him have fun with whatever art projects hold his interest, in whatever creative manner he wants to! I think you've got the right idea. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicAnn Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 It sounds great! I would plan some art appreciation as you have time or an artist study, but more as a supplement than anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.