Art: It's Not All Glitter and Glue

I"m joining up today with some other lovely home-school moms and Lisa Marie at The Canadian Homeschooler . We are talking about art and homeschooling.

Let me see a show of hands. How many of you sit back in resignation and say "FORGET IT! I CAN"T do art with my kids!" You don't need to have an Arts degree, nor does your name have to be Georgia O'Keefe...really... you just need open mind and an imagination.

I'm not an artist. I'm a mom who wants my children to explore their creative side, and use their imagination. I love when we can sit down and do art; art of any kind. I can honestly say, it's one of the times we are on common ground and don't butt heads nor test each others' patience.

I don't have a structured curriculum for art. I never did, even when the kids were younger. The library and the internet is and was my friend for art.

Let's  begin with tiny steps, shall we? The easiest way to incorporate art into your day is seasonal art. Christmas, Valentine's, Saint Patrick's Day, Easter, Summer...these are great themes to find inspiration. Pinterest and other blogs have wonderful ideas. And guess what? Not all crafts have glitter and glue. The latest trend is coloring books. We LOVE them! See how easy peasy art can be?

Another inspiration for art is nature. Start small like leaf prints or sketching your surroundings. Keep a simple journal.  It's art! Really!!

Your local library is another great resource for art. Check to see if there are classes to learn a technique or if they have a local artist display. For example, our small library here is offering Wednesday afternoon classes this spring for Beginner Art Journaling. You KNOW my girls will be in those classes and I might join them too! ;)

I've already mentioned that the internet is a great resource for art too. Over the years, depending on what the children have felt like doing, I've used many lesson resources. Lately, we have found our three perennial favorites. These are my "go to" art resources. Here in no particular order are the top three right now for us.

* Hodge Podge Mom Tricia offers free pastel lessons. Her motto? You ARE an artist.
* Flourish Alicia offers for a nominal fee, mixed media workshops. My girls love the seasonal themes she offers. A big bang for your buck in my opinion.
* The Art of Ed. This site has lesson plans that you can browse through. Depending on the age, and what you're in the mood for, it is a great place to find art inspiration and more formal projects.

Art does not have to be a daunting task in your house. Sometimes a simple coloring page can spark the imagination of your child. Start small. You'll begin to see a world open up for you and your child; whether it be participating in a class, looking at an art book full of paintings, painting pine cones or even just throwing some glitter and glue on some paper. The key? HAVE FUN!!

                                 " Art is the last form of magic that exists" (Unknown)