living books

  • Van Gogh Resources

    Van Gogh Artist Study Resources Vincent Van Gogh Lesson Ideas Sunflowers Starry Night Almond Tree in Blossom Blossoming Almond Tree I chose the three paintings above for the purpose of learning to draw trees this spring as they begin to blossom. Books We Read Here’s the last art/nature project of the Van Gogh month.  After…

  • Van Gogh’s Sunflowers

    After reading Camille and the Sunflowers, I had the kids try their hand at recreating Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” using an idea from Deep Space Sparkle. They turned out GREAT!! The directions in a nutshell: Use a pencil to draw a vase, table line and the flowers. Go over all or most pencil lines with a…

  • Renoir

    Pierre August Renoir Artist Study Resources Picking Flowers Websites To Visit Biography for Kids Renoir Gallery *Warning: Preview these as Renoir painted many nudes! Books To Read We have LOVED Renoir!  In this week’s lesson, the children chose Renoir’s painting below (Oarsmen at Chatou) to try to replicate. Mahayla’s Caleb’s

  • December Reading

    Great December Reading   Oh, and have you met God?  Apparently Eli has!  Every time he gets his busy little fingers on a Santa ornament he says, “God.”  (Very reverently, I might add.)  His innocent little eyes looking up at us with complete seriousness that he is holding God right in his chubby little hands. …

  • Monet and More

    This week’s Fine Arts Tuesday finished our study of Monet.  I’ve love his work and could probably spend many more weeks with him as our focus, but it’s time to move on. We’ve been finding and hearing lots of frogs around the farm lately, so a picture study using three of Monet’s “Waterlillies” paintings seemed…

  • Fine Arts Tuesday Week 2

    Tuesdays are such a sweet treat!  Nature study, artist study, art projects, composer study, tea time and an afternoon club are making for full and fun days. Last week’s nature study turned out to be working cattle in the barn with dad.  I had planned on a nice walk to observe trees and their lines, but…

  • Renaissance Study

    Our final unit study of the year turned out to be a great one – even if it was on the lighter side of book learning.  We had just finished an intensive study of the Middle Ages, which naturally covers a lot of Renaissance history.  So, the main purpose of this study was to tie…

  • Artist Study – Durer

    I love Discovering Great Artists!  I’ve used it in our home and in a co-op art class.  This lesson came from the book. Albrecht Durer did paintings, watercolors, drawing and woodcuts.  We tried our hand at woodblock printing, which was one of Durer’s specialties.  You take wood blocks and hammer metal objects into the wood to make impressions. …