Notes From a Small Town

Drawing Inspiration

When Ronan was first born, I had hoped that he would like to draw. Because I like to draw. I had assumed that since I liked it, then my kid would too, right?

And, so I was wrong. He never liked crayons or scribbling or coloring or anything with paper and a writing instrument. But, blocks and duplos and screws and other mechanical-like gadgets - these were made for him and would occupy him for hours. Hours.

So, I accepted the fact that my oldest son got the engineer-genes from his granddads (yes, both of them) and I dove into duplos and wood blocks and legos. (I love legos!) Which means that I generally avoided all mention of drawing classes. But, then I started to think that I was typecasting him...just because it is not his strength or first love, doesn't mean he shouldn't give it a chance...if he wants.

And, he did.

A few weeks ago, a drawing class came our way. His first inclination was no. But, then he heard that the topic was underwater creatures (a fish, a shrimp) and he decided to give it a chance. And, he really likes it. We've all been drawing a little more at home lately.

addition and sewing

I love that as part of my homeschool "curriculum" for Ronan, I can include both addition and sewing and they both are equally loved by this child. These activities were on the schedule for the week and he chose when and where to do them.

Addition with Objects (red is the preferred color that AMS Montessorians choose for addition work):

The second time he did this work (on Saturday, no less), he turned to me and said, "Mom, this is boring. I already know this stuff." Ha ha. And, he's right, sort of. Adding numbers to make ten or less is a simple concept for him, But, I told him that once he could look at one of those problems and know the answer, then he would be truly finished with it. (He's done it with the plus 1 problems). However, it was a good thing for him to hear the words: addition and plus and equals. So, after he decided he had mastered addition, he went to work some more on his embroidery work.

Earlier in the week, I had introduced him to the concept of an embroidery hoop -- complete with a requested car drawing. He finished it within an hour and only got stuck a few times. (Of course, I did tie a knot so the thread wouldn't slip out and we did talk about making knots - a work for another day, I think).

And, while I am completely impressed with his skills and interest in this project, it was his next initiative that I think is the most important. Immediately after finishing the car, he wanted to do another one (or make a small pillow). I asked him what he wanted next - maybe a tractor or a fire engine? I would find a line drawing and set it up for him the next day. Well, in the morning, I awoke to him presenting me with his very own drawing of a semi-truck. And, with only some minor alterations, his next project was born.

So far, we are both liking this homeschool thing.

Spring!

It's a bit late for a post about Spring, but because "Spring" is such a beautiful time in Florida, we usually spend all of our time outside. Thus, very little computer or TV time. We have to soak up all of the nice weather before it gets too hot. (Like the last couple of days...in the 90s!)

Painting. A very nice activity that was recently introduced to Calum. Outside. And, smoothie pops. Also, an outside activity. I do have a few cleanliness rules.

Ronan was very excited to be able to paint since he usually only has a chance to do so while Calum is taking a nap. But, this time, they both shared the watercolor set and Calum "helped" Ronan with his picture. They both really enjoyed it and I enjoyed the time spent sitting in the chair nearby. This will definitely be a repeat activity - assuming Calum has sinced learned that we do not drink the cup of water near the paints.

We've also been spending a lot of time watching our garden grow. In February, our plants bloomed and we have been eating salads daily.

(late February)

(early April)

The gorgeous bluish-purple bushes are red cabbage.(In the top of the above picture). They needed more light than they were getting with a winter sun, but they are really taking off now. But, our lettuce is bolting. However, we have just planted a few other "plots" with summer veggies. Bring on the tomatoes, okra and eggplant. (Hopefully).

WIth the nicer weather, the kids are on the back porch much more often. One afternoon while Calum was napping and I was hanging out on the porch with Ronan, he drew this picture. He started with the ant hill and the ants going below. Then, he decided he needed to draw the ground (so we would know the ants were below the ground) and he added the grass for effect. Finally, there needed to be more ants (I think to symbolize the large amounts in our backyard) and those are the dots everywhere. I was thoroughly impressed.

 

inside

As we are in Florida, our winter attire is, uh, slim, at best. (It's difficult to find coats that are actually for cold weather). Add in a couple of sick kids and a sickness-adverse mama - it just means that we need to be properly attired to venture outside. So, on those days when we've been waiting until it reaches the 60-degree mark, we've found a lot of love for our indoor work.

 

At Ronan's request, we've been painting. Actually, he's been painting. I've been running interference for a very active 10-month-old.  His current painting medium is acrylic paint and printed out pictures of fish, alligators, crocodiles and snakes. (It might have something to do with the fact that he gets to "interrupt" Daddy's work to request more print outs).

I've been finding a little more time in the evenings to snuggle on the couch...and knit. (Listening to a guitar-practicing husband isn't too bad either).

 

That jumble of yarns is a sweater I am making using the intarsia method. That's right. I said sweater. As in a sweater for Ronan - which may or may not get finished in time for him to wear this cool season. (It's part of a class and I am not so good at finishing my homework on time). But, I'm having a blast and learning more about knitting than I thought possible.

Lots of indoor fun to be had, indeed.

watercolor painting

Last year, when I began reading about the Waldorf philosophy of education, I was intrigued by the emphasis on art and handiwork. During my Montessori training (and subsequent teaching) there seemed to be a lot of lip service paid to art. It was something to be admired, but it was not at the forefront of a Montessori classroom. Many of the activities were craft projects - created to express art - but separate from real life.

So, I was drawn to the idea of creating and crafting with children- while they assisted or not. During the past year, I worked on craft projects while Ronan "helped" or worked on his own project - or went on playing by himself. He saw me crafting on a regular basis. And, while my regular crafting has slowed down to a trickle, I've been more aware of making sure he has some art-based projects to call his own. (With a little help, of course...)

As I am new to wet watercolor painting, I enjoyed that this book described some "typical" types of paintings (by age) and emphasized the process and feel of the art. I especially liked that Ronan was included in all aspects of this set-up: he wet his paper with the sponge and helped to mix the paints. It's always more fun for me when I get to paint my own picture while simultaneously watching the deep concentration that the paintbrush brings out in my son.

lines

As our morning walks have become more prevalent, we've begun to linger outside for just a little bit longer.

A little bit longer to enjoy the fresh air...

A little bit longer to watch the everyday morning activities as they happen,

A little bit longer to enjoy the trees - something all three of us appreciate.

And, on these walks, we often see that "summer" is nearing to an end as the babies are starting to get bigger each time we see them - and the air is staying cooler for just a little bit longer - every morning. We've started our indoor seedlings in preparation for the Florida growing season and my baby has started to roll over every time we place him on his belly.

School is back in session and the parks are quieter, but we are still learning all the time. I've been enjoying this book and we've started with the elements: lines.

We're working on generalities, so lines have been found in art, on the ground, in nature. Not surprisingly, this also ties in nicely with a Montessori activity: walking the line. Typically, this is a group activity, but it's a nice way to focus an active three-year-old and work on some gross motor skills. And, well, it's lots of fun too.

 

inside art

What does one do when the weather alternates between extreme heat and torrential downpour - and - you've already been to the library that morning...

lots of inside art. Ronan's art, Mom's art, a crying Calum kind of art (those are my uneven squiggles, in case you are interested). I "worked" on lines - straight, crossed -  while Ronan discovered that a sponge can cover way more area than a simple paintbrush. And, I was fortunate enough that we didn't get anything near the laundry basket that was also sharing our space. Nice.

Sidewalk chalk festival

We were able to get outside on Saturday afternoon for a lovely stroll down Main Street to check out the first annual chalk festival. (This was especially nice after the morning of baby-fever cleaning that happened at the house).

 
While I expected to be amazed at the creations, I was quite astonished at the concentration by both the artists, and my budding observer.

At each drawing, he would stop and crouch down and watch the artist draw or smudge and blend the chalks. The pictures that were created were amazing - manatees, frogs, and people with detailed facial expressions - too beautiful to do justice through photos.

It was a wonderful way to spend a Saturday afternoon, especially when we topped it off with some ice cream. Of course, it may have helped that earlier in the day we had our own sidewalk chalk festival.

(Bugs - drawn by Daddy, assisted by Ronan)

A chameleon (drawn by Daddy) with hair (drawn by Ronan)

Art Appreciation: Three-year-old style

(I made a color copy of The Yellow House from the book, Vincent's Colors)

These books have been displayed on the top of the "work" shelf for the past month or so. I briefly introduced them and we read them once or twice before Ronan lost interest. But, I left them out on the shelf, mostly due to a lack of knowing what else to do with them.

Last week, we were in Michael's searching for some craft supplies and we walked past the pre-printed pictures. Ronan stopped me and shouted, "Hey, it's like the book." After some discussion, I realized he was pointing to a print of Starry Night.

Hmm. So, you just need to expose them to the art...and they will notice.

Have a great weekend!

Update: I forgot to mention that I have two really cool projects to show off on Monday, but I have to wait until a certain 1-year-old's birthday party has taken place (tomorrow).

Milk Paint for kids

We've been experimenting with paint around here lately.

A lot.

It's as if I've been reading lots of art books for preschoolers...

such as, First Art by Maryanne Kohl.

She has a great recipe for milk paint. We've been experimenting with different types all week. This batch was made with Wilton's icing colors set. I happened to be at Michael's and this was the only type of food coloring they had. At first, it didn't seem to blend very well, perhaps, due to the small amount of oil in the dye kit?

But, a week later, after being stored in the refrigerator, the paint was nice and thick and the colors blended nicely. The consistency was quite thin when I first mixed it, but after sitting for a week, it's quite thick.

Well, since I didn't want to limit my options, I picked up some food coloring at the grocery store - McCormick's. You know, the traditional stuff that has discolored small children's teeth at birthday parties since they invented red dye #5. This stuff blended quite nicely and although it is still quite thin, I've put it in the refrigerator to give it the same test.

So, on to her recipe:

Homemade Milk Paint
This makes enough for 3 half-filled small baby food jars (those are Earthbound's tiniest jars). Her original recipe calls for double the amount, but for a few paint sessions, you could get six colors out this recipe.

1/4 cup powdered milk
1 tsp cornstarch
small jar for mixing
whisk
1/4 warm water
food coloring

Mix powdered milk and cornstarch together in a jar. Add warm water and which until completely dissolved. (This may take a few minutes, but is worth the effort).

Pour the milk into individual baby food jars and then add food coloring.

Some things that I've learned:

1. a jar works better than a bowl to combine the water and milk. Unless it is a very deep bowl.

2. use a whisk. A child-sized whisk works exceptionally well. (I think ours is from an IKEA set).

3. to make red paint, you need to use A LOT of food coloring. (a bit scary when you think of the dyes in Tylenol).

4. this will stain clothing. (Especially when you start to write your blog posting thinking your husband is keeping an eye on the 3-year-old and your husband still thinks you are watching him. And, then you realize that your 3-year-old is experimenting with pouring the paint onto the paper and it spills onto his pants because, of course, we had him take off his shirt).

5. cut-up egg cartons (ours are cardboard) work very well to mix paint or pour out small bits so the colors are not mixed. And, they offer a great lesson in color-mixing and experimentation too.