Pages

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

New! Addressing!

I love getting a hand written letter in the mail - something that seems very rare in this age of emails and quick notes on Facebook. Wouldn't you agree that there's so much more expression in a letter written by hand? Combine that with beautiful handwriting (another dying art!) and a simple letter becomes a treasure

Like most things, first impressions are important. So I've been brushing up on writing addresses with my pens. I'm really excited to send out Christmas cards this year!

If you're interested in having me address envelopes for your next party or Christmas cards, contact me. I'd love to work with you!

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Sharpie Sunday

Playing around with the idea of a series inspired by Song of Solomon, studies from my sketchbook.




Thursday, November 21, 2013

Good Morning!

It's a bright sunny day here on the east coast. Here's some sunshine for you in case you're stuck under some heavy  November clouds.


Maybe you noticed a new button at the top of the blog? Click on the "shop" button and you'll be whisked over to my Etsy shop, where you can get some sunshine for yourself or a friend.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Sharpie Sunday (revived)

The four kids and I are down with nasty colds this weekend. I let them sleep in and made egg nog waffles for everyone. A little love makes waking up with stuffy noses and sore throats just a little bit more tolerable. Sickness in the house means passing the time with lots of board games. While the kids played a rousing round of The Farming Game, I doodled a bit and came up with this. I guess I'm breaking my rules about not starting Christmas before Thanksgiving Day!


Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Art History with kids

We're doing a survey of Art History in our homeschool - today's lesson featured Greek art. For me, it was a challenge to condense hundreds of years of stylistic development into a 30 min lesson, but I think we covered the main points. The biggest hurdle was finding examples of art to show the kids that weren't nudes. With maturity, I think study of such artwork is legit given a proper understanding of the artist's worldview, but for the 7-13 yr olds I think it's wise to discuss that humanist view before exposing them to it. Every lesson we talk about the artist(s)' view of God, and their view of Man as shown through their work. This makes interpreting and responding to the art easier to do....unlike the modern response of "how does it make you feel."

But I digress...... a big part of our study today was the black-figure and red-figure kraters and amphora. The kids saw the development from the Geometric period up through the much more developed high point of Greek culture. We laughed at the "apple core figures" and marveled at the details that went into portraying the drapery on later pieces.

And then we made our own amphora - using a scratchboard technique. This was a simple project, using only paper and crayons. A heavy layer of red/orange was put down, then the kids colored solid black over that. They could easily "scratch" away their designs using a toothpick. I think the results are great!


Some decided to create their own mythological scenes.

Others were inspired by the geometric figures and designs (with a Lego snake thrown in for good measure)

It's so much fun to see the different ways kids approach a project - some slowly and carefully, others with great vivacity. Each personality really shines through. 

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Tweaks

Some big announcements are coming in a few days! I can't wait to tell you!

In the meantime, you'll notice a few changes happening with the blog. Be patient while I work out the bugs and make everything just cozy for my guests.

What makes a blog a place you want to come back to? Feel free to leave a comment.