Check out this link... it's pretty amazing!!! I've watched it several times! : )
We studied VanGogh back in January! I wish I had known about this little video then!!!
The kids will love it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHl4iDsF4po&feature=related
See you in April!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Artfully Me and the Month of March
We have been busy at the *Artfully Me* studio this month with Classes for the Masses! Adults...Couples...Tweens...and Kids... have all had fun being creative!!!
It has been a real treat to teach the kiddos about Monet and his garden at Giverny. I think the "Creative Kids" and I are ready to buy our tickets to France to see Monet's garden for ourselves!!!
We recreated the lily pond with the Japanese foot bridge painting that Monet painted many times himself. We used watercolor paint, salt, pastels and tempera paint all in this 1 painting and used brushes, sponges and q-tips to create the different effects. Our study about Monet and his garden was largely based on reflection. We created a "mirror" water lily pond to show the kids how everything around the mirror pond reflected in it... trees, sky, the bridge, flowers...
To finish our study on relection we worked on drawing what we saw when we looked into a hand mirror! *OURSELVES* The kids worked hard and one class even managed to find a little time at the end of class to make *April Fools* glasses.
Tween class worked on a "Favorite Song Collage". We had a lot of fun putting these together. This group of girls even helped me decorate a stool I use in the studio. We have big plans for other ways we can spruce up the studio!
Adults have been painting scenes from Italy most of the month... Sunflowers... A Tuscan Castle... Fields of Gold... and an Italian village scene! We are going to be taking 2 weeks off for spring break and starting back up on April 5th!
Couples Class went right along with the Italian theme... We started with dinner ~ lasagna, salad and bread. We painted an abstract wine bottle painting with vivid colors. This was a fun painting! The couples worked together on their paintings and got really creative when it came to painting the labels on the bottles. It was a great night of creativity! Good Stuff!!!
I'm working on the April schedule. I will post dates and pictures of projects soon! Thanks for visiting!
It has been a real treat to teach the kiddos about Monet and his garden at Giverny. I think the "Creative Kids" and I are ready to buy our tickets to France to see Monet's garden for ourselves!!!
We recreated the lily pond with the Japanese foot bridge painting that Monet painted many times himself. We used watercolor paint, salt, pastels and tempera paint all in this 1 painting and used brushes, sponges and q-tips to create the different effects. Our study about Monet and his garden was largely based on reflection. We created a "mirror" water lily pond to show the kids how everything around the mirror pond reflected in it... trees, sky, the bridge, flowers...
To finish our study on relection we worked on drawing what we saw when we looked into a hand mirror! *OURSELVES* The kids worked hard and one class even managed to find a little time at the end of class to make *April Fools* glasses.
Tween class worked on a "Favorite Song Collage". We had a lot of fun putting these together. This group of girls even helped me decorate a stool I use in the studio. We have big plans for other ways we can spruce up the studio!
Adults have been painting scenes from Italy most of the month... Sunflowers... A Tuscan Castle... Fields of Gold... and an Italian village scene! We are going to be taking 2 weeks off for spring break and starting back up on April 5th!
Couples Class went right along with the Italian theme... We started with dinner ~ lasagna, salad and bread. We painted an abstract wine bottle painting with vivid colors. This was a fun painting! The couples worked together on their paintings and got really creative when it came to painting the labels on the bottles. It was a great night of creativity! Good Stuff!!!
I'm working on the April schedule. I will post dates and pictures of projects soon! Thanks for visiting!
Friday, March 4, 2011
The Piasa Bird ~ A Local Legend From The Town Where I Was Born! I recently discovered a pic of the Piasa Bird in a book about dragons and thought I would share it with the dragon loving "Creative Kids"
The Piasa Bird (pronounced Pie-a-saw), is a local legend in the Alton area. Its foundings go back to 1673 when Father Jacques Marquette, in recording his famous journey down the Mississippi River with Louis Joliet, described the "Piasa" as a birdlike monster painted high on the bluffs along the Mississippi River, where the city of Alton, Illinois now stands.
According to the diary, the Piasa "was as large as a calf with horns like a deer, red eyes, a beard like a tiger's, a face like a man, the body covered with green, red and black scales and a tail so long it passed around the body, over the head and between the legs."
The creature was given its name by the Illini Indians, "The Piasa", meaning a bird that devours men.
There are many legends regarding its origin.
One of the more popular accounts goes like this ...
Many moons ago, there existed a birdlike creature of such great size, he could easily carry off a full grown deer in his talons. His taste, however, was for human flesh. Hundreds of warriors attempted to destroy the Piasa, but failed. Whole villages were destroyed and fear spread throughout the Illini tribe. Ouatoga, a chief whose fame extended even beyond the Great Lakes, separated himself from his tribe, fasted in solitude for the space of a whole moon, and prayed to the Great Spirit to protect his people from the Piasa.
On the last night of his fast, the Great Spirit appeared to Ouatoga in a dream and directed him to select 20 warriors, arm them each with a bow and poisoned arrow, and conceal them in a designated spot. Another warrior was to stand in an open view, as a victim for the Piasa.
When the chief awoke in the morning, he told the tribe of his dream. The warriors were quickly selected and placed in ambush. Ouatoga offered himself as the victim. Placing himself in open view, he soon saw the Piasa perched on the bluff eyeing his prey. Ouatoga began to chant the death song of a warrior. The Piasa took to the air and swooped down upon the chief. The Piasa had just reached his victim when every bow was sprung and every arrow sent sailing into the body of the beast. The Piasa uttered a fearful scream that echoed down the river, and died. Ouatoga was safe, and the tribe saved.
The Piasa Bird now rules over the River Bend once again. Through the efforts of local citizens , government and business advocates, the painting on the bluff has been restored.
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