Category: Series

Days of November: Family

11/23/2016

Generations Upon Generations

Netherlands Born
Across the oceans did roam
Canada landed.

A Family of Ten
Farmed the land.
Cattle, Pigs, Horses too.
Grain, corn, hay.
All worked hard.
In Home and out.

Netherlands Born
Across the oceans did roam
Canada landed.

Family of six.
Only one left the nest.
Met one of the ten.
A family created.

Canada Born.
Canada stayed.

A Family of eight.
Six youngsters who
On a land well-farmed.
Dairy Cows roamed,
The crops were planted.

The children had goats,
and rabbits and horses.
Chickens abound,
The delight of a daughter.

A daughter she roamed.
A pastor she met.
A home they did make.
A family did take.

Rabbits and mice,
are the crops of this home.
Preaching and teaching
are the ways of the life.

Generations upon Generations.
This is the way that we live.
Family.

Art Series: Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists

11/17/2016

My dear Miss Carol, from Home Sweet Life, has come to my rescue...isn't it great? She sent me an art book post on the very day I've come down with Pneumonia. Isn't that all God at work? Anyways, you will need to read this post she has guest posted for me. All the about the World's Greatest Artists, in particular Monet.

My love of art began at an early age. My father was an artist who chose to work as an illustrator for technical books to make sure his family was provided for. I've never particularly liked the term starving artist, and apparently, neither did my Dad. On the weekends my parents would often take us to the Art Museum, or some equally interesting and inexpensive place. Or my Dad would work with my brother and me on improving our art skills. Having grown up with art being a necessary and vital part of everyday life, I knew I wanted to pass the love of quality art on to our daughters. However, there was one drawback. As I had grown up I had learned more about the personal lives, and sometimes failings, of the several of the World's great artists. I knew I needed a tempered approach to introduce our young girls to art, while still shielding them from some of the personal choices the artists had made.

When Annette mentioned that she was looking for guest posts for her Art Book Series, I knew it was time to head back to the children's section at our local library and share with you about some gems I had found there when they were still little. Today our girls are 16 & 18.

My favorite series of books to use for artist study with the girls when they were little were Mike Venezia's Getting to Know the World's Great Artists books. While I knew some families would purchase a year-long calendar and study the 12 paintings with their children, I needed a method to study more than the 12-14 artists we would cover in the amount of time before the girls graduated.

When our girls were still pretty little, and my Dad was still alive, he and my Mom gave the girls the book Philippe in Monet's Garden by Lisa Carmack. In the story, Philippe is a Parisian frog who is being hunted by local chefs who want to serve his frog legs for dinner. In the story Philippe finds safety in Monet's garden and the reader is introduced to Monet's impressionistic style. After reading the book to the girls several times, I went to the children's section at the library to find more about Monet. For my little girls who were about 4 and 6 at the time, Venezia's book from the Juvenile Biography section was just about right. It is a 22 page picture book, that gives an overview of several of Monet's paintings, interspersed with Venezia's cartoons that help explain Monet's life.

Venezia has a large list of 40 artists in this series. Ones like: Warhol, Velazquez, Kahlo, Goya, Hopper, Wood, Pollock, Renoir, Vermeer, Rockwell, Cassatt, and Rembrandt which are all written for your 5-10 year old to enjoy. Venezia also had biographies about American Presidents ... but that is for another post!

Because I know the availability of books can change over the years, I looked around to see what other good books I could find at our library that you might want to consider that were about Monet. I found Monet's Impressions, copyright 2009 by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and The Impressionists by David Spence. Monet's Impressions is a picture book found in the non-fiction section (759.4 Monet) that pairs Monet's paintings with phrases taken from his personal letters. The phrases are short and the artwork is - well -stunning! It is Monet after all! Spencer's book (759.05 Spence) covers Monet, Renoir, Degas, and Cézanne. The section on Monet is about 25 pages and covers his works, methods, family and friends. This book, which would probably best fit ages 10 and up also has a two-page spread about the paints available to Monet during his lifetime and background on how they were made.

If your local library does not have copies of Mike Venezia's greta books, many of them can be found used on amazon.

I hope you'll have a wonderful time exploring the works of great artists with your children!

Carol is a wife of more than 20 years, Mama to two teenaged daughters, and avid gardener. She blogs at Home Sweet Life where her family shares its unique experience-based educational life, Road Trip ideas, book reviews, and encouragement for healthy families. Carol spends time volunteering as a local 4-H Leader, and at Conner Prairie in Fishers, IN. You can often find Carol outdoors with her family, and her camera. One of their favorite family pastimes includes long hikes in the woods where she photographs the wildlife they see.

Days of November: Reading

11/17/2016

On the Instagram challenge this word is supposed to post on the 18th, but that's a Five Minute Friday day and I didn't want the confusion so I am posting a day early.   :)

Reading... Things I love.

1. "MOM, is it okay if I read longer tonight, it's at a really exciting part".
2. "Mom, can you come read with me?"
3. Books. Any size or shape and MOST genres.
4. Reviewing books.
5. Listening to books as a family. Currently listening to "Keeper of the Lost Cities" by Shannon Messenger.
5. Actually READING books. Currently I am reading a book about Jack London, a book about how to make zen drawings, and several books with my son. I am also reading two other books that currently I can't recall the names of.
6. Buying books that I can then read. Currently I have a book by Mercedes Lackey in my "want to buy list" through Amazon. It's in the cart, just awaiting the splurge funds.
7. The Lord's Protection.   Since I will pick up most any book and read it, and after reading a scary book that sticks with me to this day, I asked the Lord to keep me from doing that again.   To that end, books that I shouldn't read feel sticky/slimy and just make me want to wipe my hands off. Highly effective. Catches me off guard sometimes and one time I fought it as it was a book by one of my favourite authors. Suffice it to say... that's another book that left me with the heebie-jeebies to this day. I no longer fight the impulse.

So go on, grab a book but before you leave, tell me what books you are reading lately?   it's always good to find new authors you know?

Days of November: Create

11/15/2016

Create.... as soon as I saw this word I was brought to mind of my art class that I am teaching.

We are studying Art from the Master's. We are using Get into Art Places and Draw, Print Paint Like the Great Artists. Reviews will be forth-coming on both of these books.

Watching this group of children create art is SO MUCH FUN. Seriously.

I teach them about Cubism and then issue a challenge. I set forth the challenge as written in the book and provide them lots of examples of cubism and then say "GO". and you know what... they eagerly go and it all comes out differently.

Check it out.

Don't you just love how art comes through in different formats?

I do at least. I hated when I was in school being taught a way to do art and EVERYONE had to do exactly the same piece of work. I can understand that it's easiest to do it that way in a large classroom, but doing things differently allows for children to inspire each other, to dare to be different, or to follow a friends thought patterns.

Create! It's a fun part of life and shows how we can be the same, and yet rather different from each other. It's a good thing eh?

Art Book Series: Art Play

11/10/2016

You know what happens when I look at this book Art Play by Marion Deuchars? I see FUN with 6-8 year olds. Doing art, exploring different ideas, seeing what others are doing, learning and growing and experimenting. This is indeed a neat book to review.

So not only did I learn new terminology (like what in the world is gouache paint), but I had fun looking at different way to blend colours, ways to make the same piece of art work different, how much fun ink blots could be and SO MUCH MORE.

This is seriously, a really neat book. :)

Divided into seven different areas:

Within the 224 pages of this book, you will find numerous ways to explore art with your child. Using your fingerprint, paper people, drawing, repeating patterns, engaging your mind and body as you explore new ways to do art, or even rediscover old ways.

Don't you think it would be fun to get a group of children of different ages working together, letting an 11 year old inspire a 6 year old to think broader, to see more possibilities? To let the uninhibited 7 year old show a 12 year a new way to mix colours? Seriously... it would be GREAT!!!

So many things to think about with lots of opportunities to not only learn about doing art but different ways you can do it yourself.

Oh...the possibilities are endless.

Take the time today.. Do some art with your children.
It can be fun! It is DEFINITELY play

The way this book is written it is meant to be used, to set yourself or your child loose it in. That is the intention of the book.

But I see this book and I just see the possibilities of having fun with a group of children. Learning and growing. It would be so easy to replicate the pages to create a classroom experience for your class. To use the pages as a springboard for discovery.

Won't you add it to your library today?

Art Play
Author: Marion Deuchars

Laurence King Publishing
Book size: 8.45 x 11.41 ·
224 pages
Ages 7-11

Reviewed for : Raincoast Books

Affiliate Links are used in this post as a way to help you find your own copy should you be inspired to get one. :) Doesn't hurt your bottom line, and helps support this blog.
I thank you.

Amazon.ca : Art Play Amazon.com: Art Play

Days of November: Outside

11/10/2016

Do you ever have a day when you just can't stay inside to rest and relax? Where the weather is just so lovely you need to get out of doors and drag your family along with you?

I had such a day this past Sunday. I gathered up the boys and off we went to the Pinery Provincial Park (which, should you ever have the chance, you should go visit).

But be that as it may. We had an EXCELLENT time there. We wandered a couple of the trails and spent some time at the beach.

I had fun taking my fungi pictures. :)

The boys had fun learning to skip stones at the beach

We enjoyed the trails.

So much to see and do. The park was fair quiet this afternoon, we hardly saw anyone. The dragonflies were a delight as we thought they had all died out already.

It was SO good for us to be out as a family in the great OUTDOORS.

Days of November: Colour

11/6/2016

Colour is the word of the day.

Colour Seen

With wondering eyes
A boy, he sees
international traveller
The colour of the trees.

Before his eyes
the change they make.
He's delighted and curious.

Its so fun to see.

And before I know it
with wondering eyes
a woman, she sees.
homegrown citizen
the colour of the trees.

The colours delight
And memories they make
even if they cause one
to pick up a rake.

Art Series: Fantastic Collections

11/2/2016

You know how I like colouring books? Well.. today I have a book that intrigued both of my fellows... one 50 year old and one 11 year old. It's called Fantastic Collections by Steve McDonald.

Fantastic Collections is exactly that...A book all about collections...and they are indeed intriguing. Collections of guitars, cars, ornaments, pencils, keys and medals. Just the type of things that intrigue the fellows in my life. I found toy guns and books and fishing lures.

I also found pages that intrigued me: Pots and pans, seeds, kaleidescopes, robots and bottles. Plates of food, cups and bowls and butterflies.

Collections that you haven't even thought of yet. :)

Isn't it just intriguing? My lad has told me that next vacation we take, if we have a rainy day, he's going to colour in the dragonfly collection, cause "Look at all those pinned dragonflies mom! Someone was busy!" Good thing he has a dragonfly book to turn to for inspiration eh?

Fantastic Collections: A coloring books for amazing things real and imagined.
Illustrator: Steve McDonald
Pages: 60
Publisher: Chronicle Books

Reviewed for: Raincoast Books

Canadian Readers: Fantastic Collections: A Coloring Book of Amazing Things Real and Imagined American readers: Fantastic Collections: A Coloring Book of Amazing Things Real and Imagined (Fantastic Cities)

31 Days: Only

10/31/2016

For some reason when I try to think of something to write for this word only.. this tune keeps running through my head.. "If only the lonely, ba ba ba badada..."

I have to admit, I find this tune rather distracting....

But it does make me think about something.
Marriage changes people.
Before marriage I liked to listen to pop and country music... That was my style of music, that a variety of praise and worship music.

Then I got married...to a man who DESPISES country music and only tolerates pop.   We found some common ground in jazz, and I discovered big band music which makes my husband smile.

BUT the biggest change is this.. HE LOVES rock music.   Adores it.   So what does he play as often as he can? Rock music.

Guess who is SLOWLY starting to like rock music?   You got it right.. me.   The other day he even caught bopping to some tune that 3 years ago I would have barely tolerated.... He likes me bopping to his music... again... it makes him smile.

We need smiles.

So what can I say?   "if only the lonely ba ba ba dadada...."

Hop on over to here and here to find more 31 day writers. :) Oh and Lisa from Canadian Homeschooler is doing a Canada series. See the rest of my series here.

31 Days: Date

10/29/2016

Can you believe that there is only three days left of the write 31 days challenge? Wow.. it's has been a total blast. Mind...some words were hard, but most just flowed off my fingertips.

Today's word is Date.

This challenge over the month as been like having a date with a whole new word everyday. It's been so much fun seeing where my whimsy will take me.

I've written more poetry than I expected.

I've been more introspective than I thought I would be.

But mostly it's been a fun exercise that I am fairly certain I will try again next year. What do you think.... should I make it a date? :)