Twisty and True Tails of a Shelter Dog Matchmaker by Jean Alfieri

Molly and I would like to welcome Jean Alfieri back to our blog today. We have loved getting to know her and telling you about her children’s book series about Zuggy the Pug. Today we’ll talk to Jean about the work she does at the Humane Society to help dogs find forever homes and a heartwarming book she’s written about it.

Welcome Jean! We love this picture of you surrounded by your pooches! How did you become interested in volunteering at the Humane Society? And what are some of the jobs you’ve had there?

Jean:  I really admire the service the Humane Society provides to our community, and I love animals, so it was a natural fit. I was a volunteer matchmaker (introducing people to dogs they wanted to adopt) and a rescue ranger (transporting animals from shelter to shelter). When I visit schools, it’s the rescue ranger deployments that capture the kids’ imagination.

Kathy and Molly: Molly would have liked to be a rescue ranger, too! This book is different from the stories about Zuggy. Can you tell us how it came about?

Jean:  “Twisty and True Tails of a Shelter Dog Matchmaker,” is an inspirational non-fiction book about displaced dogs who took the windy road instead of the straight path to happiness. It includes twelve short stories about my work at the Humane Society and of our adopted dogs.

Having been a dog-mom for many years, I discovered a trend related to my work and our pups in my prayer journal and decided to share some of the best stories. The common theme is the many ways God meets us – in the lives of our pets, even in our smallest needs.

Kathy and Molly: Isn’t it wonderful how God meets our needs! Molly would love to hear a little about the dogs you have rescued.

Jean:  Our current pack of vintage pups includes our 17-year-old, six-pound, toothless-terror, Reggie. He’s our charmingly aggressive chihuahua. Then there’s our always-adorable 13-year-old blind pug, Princess Zoey, and our 11-year-old retired show-dog, Silly Sally. She’s an Airedale Terrier. Our most recent adoption and baby of the family is a handsome hospice pug: 10-year-old, Morty. Though his condition is chronic, he’s doing well and finds a new way to make us laugh every day.

Kathy and Molly: Wow, they sound like a lot of fun, and each one so individual! Molly was a rescue dog, so she loves these heartwarming stories of dogs finding their forever homes. Do you have a favorite?

Jean:  They’re all very different but each one makes me smile. I’d love to know your favorite –

Kathy and Molly: You captured Molly and me right at the beginning with Rover, the 9-month-old German shepherd. How amazing was it that just the right person who knew all about German Shepherds wanted to adopt him. Not so amazing, though, for God! We also laughed through the story of Dean, the screaming chihuahua!

Molly and I also enjoyed the quotes and the Bible verses. How might readers use these for encouragement and meditation?

Jean:  Thank you. 😊 I just created a book club question guide. It’s a great way to start small group discussions or prompt your own reflection. I’d be delighted to provide it to anyone or to assist in leading a six-week program for a women’s ministry group. Just reach out!

Kathy and Molly: That sounds like a wonderful idea! Do you have any advice for families who want to adopt a rescue dog?

Jean:  It’s always worthwhile to do some research on the breeds that may be best for your current lifestyle. And remember to take it slow. It’s hard for an animal to transition from whatever they knew, to a shelter environment, and then into a new home. It’s all very exciting, frightening, hopeful, and scary. Please be patient and loving.

Kathy and Molly:  That’s great advice. Molly remembers when we adopted her that patience was super important. Are there any ways our readers can help with the work of the Humane Society?

Jean:  We are regularly looking for volunteers to help in-shelter and/or with special events. From dog-walkers to doing laundry, there’s no shortage of work. You can find out more and apply at: https://www.hsppr.org

Kathy and Molly: Those are great ways to help! Where can our readers go to get a copy of “Twisty and True Tails of a Shelter Dog Matchmaker,” and see your many other wonderful books?

Jean:  The picture and activity books for kids, the guided journals, and my newest release: “Twisty and True Tails of a Shelter Dog Matchmaker,” are available on Amazon and can be found on my website: https://www.JeanAlfieri.com

Be sure to sign up for our monthly newsletter, too, for fun ways to stay connected and win free books! I also love speaking engagements, whether for women’s groups or grade school visits. We offer in-person and remote programs.

Thank you, Kathy – for allowing me to connect with your audience. It’s an honor.

Thank you, Jean, for sharing these stories of dogs finding their forever homes! We loved your new book and having you on our blog!

Pictures of Molly the Artsy Corgi soon after we adopted her

Molly still wasn’t sure she could trust us and sometimes hid under our bed!But she soon learned to love us and her toys!

 

Before You Go

If you’d like more activity ideas for art, history, and nature, curriculum connections, and links to more resources, be sure to sign up for my newsletter and receive a free guide, 5 Ways Art Benefits Children’s Cognitive, Physical, Spiritual, and Social Development, You’ll also get a Few Fun and Easy Activities for each Benefit.

Visit Molly’s and my website where you’ll find free downloadable puzzles, how-to-draw pages and coloring pages for kids and an updated list of my hands-on workshops, chapels, and presentations for all ages.

 

 

Dandelions in the Great Piece of Turf by Albrecht Durer

All of a sudden there are dandelions everywhere. Not everyone likes these fuzzy yellow flowers, but I’ve discovered they’re pretty special.

Albrecht Durer thought so, too. Durer was a great artist who still delighted in studying and painting the small everyday creatures and plants where he lived, as well as on his many trips around Europe. He had a great curiosity and appreciation for even the smallest parts of God’s creation, even dandelions!

Let’s Learn a Little about Dandelions

Scientists believe Mayflower passengers took along dandelions to grow in their New World gardens. That’s right. Those sunshiny flowers that pop up in our lawns came to America with the Pilgrims. If they’re just weeds, why did the Pilgrims bring them? Because even though they’re little, dandelions have super powers.

Each part of a dandelion has a different super power. Dandelion flowers come out in early spring and feed bees hungry from winter hibernation. Dandelion roots dig deep. They break up the soil so other plants can sink their roots deep, too. Dandelion roots also bring up nutrients to help other plants grow big and strong.

Dandelion leaves and stems are packed with vitamins and minerals. Cooked or made into tea, they helped keep people healthy before vitamins came in bottles.

Let’s Learn about the Artist

Self portrait at age 13 by Albrecht Durer, public domain

Albrecht Durer was a German artist who lived from 1471 to 1528. In his work Durer combined the Northern European artist’s love of naturalism and detail with the careful perspective and proportions of Italian Renaissance artists.

Durer lived at a pivotal time in church history, and though he never met Martin Luther, he read his writings, and when Luther was “kidnapped” Durer wrote of his concern that a voice had been stilled that spoke truth to the people about God.

You may have first encountered Durer’s work in his prints. He was one of the first artists to earn much of his income from these. His series of detailed woodcut prints of scenes from the life of Christ and Revelation are famous.

the Scourging of Christ by Albrecht Durer, public domain

Durer’s passion to study nature led to his death. On a trip to the Netherlands he caught a fever from traipsing through swamps to study a beached whale.

Let’s Learn about the Painting and Enjoy It Together

Here is one of Durer’s watercolor paintings of a small piece of nature. It’s called the Great Piece of Turf, and you’ll recognize the lowly dandelion!

The Large Piece of Turf by Albrecht Durer, public domain

Durer painted this from a low vantage point. He must have had to sit or even lie down to get this low! It looks like this might have been a clump of weeds next to a puddle or pond; there seems to be a little bit of a reflection at the edges of the mud.

Here are some questions to help you or your children and grandchildren explore this simple nature study:

• Have you ever gotten down low to view a small flower or insect?
• How many different kinds of plants can you find?
• How many different greens do you see?
• Look at the detail of the roots on the edges of the mud.
• What other colors do you see?
• What are some small creatures that might like to live or hide in this scene
• Imagine being small enough to walk through this clump of plants!

A Little Inspiration from God’s Word

Take time, as Durer did, to appreciate the beauty and intricacy of grasses, weeds and wildflowers that grow everywhere. Now that spring has come, get out and enjoy a walk in your neighborhood, a park, in the woods, or by the shore. Look for early buds on trees and bushes. Smell the scents of an awakening earth.

Even in your own yard, before you dig up that dandelion, notice that its buttery yellow shades to gold in the center. And marvel at God’s care that gave this lowly weed delicate little parachute seeds to ride away on the wind (probably to your neighbor’s lawn!)

Studies have shown that people are more creative after a walk AND come back refreshed and more aware of God’s creativity!

And as you walk and look, remember Matthew 6:28-34 where Jesus reminds us that if God has bestowed such care and beauty on the flowers of the field that are here today and gone tomorrow, how much more can we depend on Him to clothe and care for us.

What Great Piece of God’s Turf reminds you of His love and care? Is it a wooded area with dappled shade and the scent of pines? Do you look forward to summer meadows filled with yellow buttercups and Queen Anne’s lace?

One of my favorite pieces of turf is it at the sea shore where sandpipers skitter away from incoming waves. Join the conversation and share your favorite piece of turf.

Picture of Molly the Artsy Corgi

Before You Go

If you’d like more activity ideas for art, history, and nature, curriculum connections, and links to more resources, be sure to sign up for my newsletter and receive a free guide, 5 Ways Art Benefits Children’s Cognitive, Physical, Spiritual, and Social Development, You’ll also get a Few Fun and Easy Activities for each Benefit.

Visit Molly’s and my website where you’ll find free downloadable puzzles, how-to-draw pages and coloring pages for kids and an updated list of my hands-on workshops, chapels, and presentations for all ages.

 

 

 

 

 

Easter Is Coming, a book review by Sally Matheny

This week I’m sharing  a review by my friend, Sally Matheny, of a wonderful children’s Easter book. Easter Is Coming by Tama Fortner shares the gospel message that Jesus came  to take away our sins, just as God had planned.

Book Review by Sally Matheny  

Easter is coming! Do you have a basket full of beautiful Easter books ready to read to your little ones? If you’re still hunting, then consider this review of Tama Fornter’s new book, EASTER IS COMING. It may be exactly what you’re searching for.

The Author

Tama Fortner is an ECPA award-winning and bestselling author with more than fifty titles to her credit, including God, I Feel Sad, which I reviewed about a year ago. She has collaborated with some of the biggest names in Christian publishing to create inspirational books for children, teens, and adults. But she says her greatest accomplishments happen in a happy little home on the outskirts of Nashville, Tennessee, where she lives with her family and a feisty little pup who is convinced he’s people too. To learn more, visit www.TamaFortner.com.

The Illustrator and the Illustrations

Wazza Uyen Pink Nguyen (Wazza Pink) does an amazing job illustrating EASTER IS COMING! Wazza resides in her hometown of Ha Noi, Viet Nam. She loved to read comics and picture books ever since she was a kid, and was also really excited to mimic the styles of her favorite comic book artists.

I love the illustrations! Soft shades of green, pink, yellow, and blue fill the pages, with a dash of purple here and there. The book begins with the illustration of a modern-day woman reading to her two small children as they swing under a tree. The book ends with the same scene but now a man with a guitar has joined them and the family is enjoying a picnic under the tree.

All of the in-between pages depict scenes from the Bible.

About EASTER IS COMING

“Easter is coming! It’s the day we celebrate God’s love. This special day comes every spring but it’s beginning was long, long ago . . . before the world was even created.”

This is one reason I love this book so much. It begins with Adam and Eve, the sin brought into the world, and how God always had a plan to “make things right again.”

Each of the 2-page spreads contains about two sentences of unrhyming text telling about a specific moment in the Bible. Also, on each spread is the refrain, “Easter is coming!” This repeated phrase is paired with something specific about the text on that page.

For example, in the section about Adam and Eve, it says: “Adam and Eve didn’t know, but we know . . . Easter is coming!”

Almost every page mentions how people and animals did not know, but we know Easter is coming. There are a few exceptions to this pattern. One page states how Jesus knew, and another page shows that after His resurrection, His friends then knew. And the last page mentions how “God always knew, and now you know too—”

The book shows Adam and Eve, the prophets in general, the nativity, Jesus’ ministry, His triumphal entry, washing His disciples’ feet, praying in the garden, three crosses on a distant hill, men and women praying, and Jesus outside the tomb.

Recommendation

I absolutely recommend this excellent book! The gospel is presented in a way that children will understand. This would be a wonderful book to read to children at Easter events, at church, and at home.

This 24-page board book with its padded cover is durable enough for toddlers, but children as old as seven will enjoy it as well.

This article first appeared on http://www.sallymatheny.com. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

About Sally

Motivated by the power of story, history, and His Story, Sally Matheny’s passion is telling the next generation wondrous things.

Her nonfiction writing appears in worldwide, national, and regional publications including Appleseeds, Clubhouse Jr., Homeschooling Today, and The Old Schoolhouse.

She and her husband live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and are blessed with three children, two sons-in-law, and armfuls of grandbabies. Connect with Sally on several social media sites, but her favorite hangouts are at SallyMatheny.com and Pinterest.

Sally has reviewed other Easter books on her blog.

Before You Go

Sally and I are both part of Write 2 Ignite, an organization of Christian writers who seek to inspire, educate, and encourage Christians who write for children. Our one-day online spring Master Class is coming up on Saturday, April 13th.

Author Amy Earls will speak on how to write YA and MG fantasy. There will be break out groups to practice the craft, a panel discussion with several MG fantasy writers, and 2 children’s editors will tell what they’re looking for.

Participating in one of our Master Classes also opens the door to joining one of our online critique groups. Here’s the link for more information and the schedule:  Write2Ignite

I pray you and your families have a blessed Easter!

A Young Girl Reading by Jean Honore Fragonard

We’re getting closer to spring, but have you ever heard this saying? “March is just February spelled differently.” Many places are still cold and snowy in March, so it’s good to keep a supply of books to read. And a snuggly pillow and cup of hot cocoa or tea would be great, too. In A Young Girl Reading by French artist, Jean Honore Fragonard (1732-1806), the young girl is doing just that!

 Let’s Learn about the Artist

Fragonard lived in Paris most of his life. As a teenager he was apprenticed to Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin, who was a master of still lifes and genre scenes of domestic life.

Fragonard later trained as a history painter in Paris and in Italy, but when he returned to Paris, he chose to do small works for private collectors. Many portray the courtly life of the aristocracy in the fluffy, cotton-candy-colored Rococo style.

Rococo art was an over-the-top decorative style in the 1700s that used swirls and curls on everything from furniture to horses’ harnesses. Palaces were decorated with this style, and paintings often portray the elegant life of the nobility. Some Rococo artwork contains nudity and celebrates immoral courtly behavior.

Later in life Fragonard returned to Italy, and drawings from then show he still enjoyed working on genre scenes. A Young Girl Reading captures one of those everyday moments. But the French Revolution (1789-1799) brought big changes to art, and Fragonard died in 1806, mostly forgotten.

Let’s Look at and Enjoy the Painting

This painting is a cross between a genre painting and a portrait. More than likely someone Fragonard knew sat for the painting, and she is dressed in the height of fashion. But the painting also focuses on her activity—the everyday moment of reading a book.

Young Girl Reading by Jean Honore Fragonard, 1776, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., public domain

Here are some suggestions to further explore the painting:

• What is happening in the painting?
• Is the girl focused on the book or looking away and daydreaming?
• Is the mood quiet or noisy?  busy or peaceful?
• How do the yellows and reds help create the mood?
• How has the artist arranged shapes, lines, and colors to get us to notice the subject? Think about where she is in the painting and the bright color of her dress.
• How about the tiny book? Think about how the book stands out against the dark background, which it wouldn’t in her lap. And how it allows her to show off the elegant tea-party gesture with her pinkie finger.
• Find the touches of violet that Fragonard used along with the yellow. Yellow and violet are opposite each other on a color wheel and are called complementary colors. Artists often pair complementary colors, because when they are next to each other, as in this painting, the resulting high contrast is eye-catching.
• Of course, God thought of it first! He used complementary colors when He created flowers because that shimmery high contrast attracts insects and birds. Look at pictures of flowers or the real thing if you can, to see how many flowers with complementary colors you can find. (violet and yellow pansies are one example)
• Are things in the painting finished and smooth, or can you see the brushwork?
• Fragonard painted quickly, with loose brushwork that he didn’t blend much. The girl’s face is fairly detailed, but the ribbons are sketchy, and the book’s printing is just some lines of paint. Some critics would have said that this was okay for quick oil studies, but not for finished works.
• Notice the violet highlights on the girl’s face and in her hair and the rust colors of the shadows on the pillow. These unusual colors and the loose brushwork show Fragonard’s admiration for Rembrandt and show his influence on the Impressionists, who were also accused of using funny colors and sketchy brushwork. Berthe Morisot, one of Impressionism’s women artists, was a grandniece of Fragonard. Fragonard clearly  influenced Renoir’s paintings of women and children.

A Little Inspiration from God’s Word

I first saw this painting on a poster I bought my first year of teaching. I loved the painting, and I especially loved the Bible verse printed on the poster. It always hung it in my classroom no matter where we moved. The verse is from Proverbs 4:23.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”

The word “wellspring” doubles down on its meaning as a source of life. The word well—something we draw water from—comes from Old English meaning “to bubble and roll.” Spring—also from Old English—means “to come out or up with speed and force.”

So the idea is of the heart as a source of life that bubbles-up with a forceful or continual supply—not our physical hearts—but our spiritual heart or center of our being. And life is not the life that will end in death, but eternal life.

The Lord is most concerned about that heart, because it is the heart that the Holy Spirit must change for us to believe in Jesus and receive eternal life. He changes it from a heart of stone to one of flesh so our inner most thoughts and desires change course and spring up with love for God.

Notice that the verse in Proverbs is a command, “Guard your heart….” And we don’t just guard something important once and then forget it. The dragon in The Hobbit never stopped guarding his treasure. He slept right on top of it, and it was just gold and jewels!

How much more should we keep on guarding the priceless treasure of a heart that has been bought with the precious blood of Christ and now belongs to God?

How do you decide what goes into your heart? How do you guard your heart so that it is a heart that can continually bubble up in a life that honors and serves God and overflows with love for Him and others?

Picture of Molly the Artsy Corgi

Molly loves flowers of every color!

Before You Go

If you’d like more activity ideas for art, history, and nature, curriculum connections, and links to more resources, be sure to sign up for my newsletter and receive a free guide, 5 Ways Art Benefits Children’s Cognitive, Physical, Spiritual, and Social Development. You’ll also get a Few Fun and Easy Activities for each Benefit.

Don’t miss a fun new section in our newsletter all about horses!

Molly’s and my website where you’ll find free downloadable puzzles, how-to-draw pages and coloring pages for kids and an updated list of my hands-on workshops, chapels, and presentations for all ages.

 

A Medieval Valentine

Medieval Gothic churches are like books. Stone walls, pointed arches, and flying buttresses form the covers for “pages” of stained glass windows. Light shining through those windows brings alive the valentine of God’s love for us in Christ,

York cathedral, author photo

York Cathedral in England was the first Medieval Gothic “Book” I ever stood in and holds a special place in my heart.  I’ll never forget the tall stone towers soaring above me as we approached and the strong stones holding it all up or standing inside and gazing up and up to its great stone vault or ceiling. All around me “pages” of blue, red, and yellow stained glass sparkled in the light streaming through.

York Minster nave, author photo

Each cathedral is as individual as the people who built it, but York has two features that make it a great cathedral to focus on for Valentine’s Day.

York Is a Cathedral and a Minster

Not only is York a cathedral because it has the chair or cathedra from which its archbishop speaks authoritatively–what is called ex cathedra–but it’s also a Minster and is usually called York Minster. Minster is the old Saxon word for missionary church.

York undercroft, author photo

There’s been a minster on this site, bringing the light of God’s love to pagan peoples for over 1400 years. You can still see columns and foundation stones from earlier churches in the undercroft. Ruins of the Roman headquarters and barracks for this region lie farther down.

God’s love spread out from Yorkminster through people from this region who ministered  to others. Here are just a few people God inspired to be minsters of gospel light:

1. Constantine was not a Christian when his legions proclaimed him emperor at York. But God gave him a dream for his soldiers to put the Chi Rho symbol for Christ on their shields before a great battle. Constantine won that decisive battle outside Rome, and as emperor, legalized Christianity in 313. He was later baptized.

2. God gave courage to Ethelbrugh, a Christian princess from southern England, to come and marry a pagan Saxon king (shown in the photo below) in York in the AD 600s and help bring him to faith.

public domain, wikimedia

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Alcuin, was a renowned Christian scholar, writer, and head of the Yorkminster school and library in the 700s. Eventually God took Alcuin to Charlemagne’s court to advise the emperor on religious and educational matters.

Alcuin set up schools and libraries throughout Charlemagne’s empire and worked to revise and standardize the Bible and preserve other ancient writings. As shown in the above phote, he taught and mentored young writers.

Alcuin wrote poems, textbooks, essays, and hundreds of letters. One of his important innovations to manuscripts was lower case letters, spaces between words, and punctuation — making it much easier for people to learn to read.

4. In the late 800s, pagan Danish Vikings conquered York, but they were gradually Christianized. In the 11th century, Ulf, a descendant of those early Vikings, gave a 3 foot long carved elephant tusk drinking horn to York Minster as a pledge for land to help support the minster. The horn is still part of York’s treasury.

Yorkminster’s Great West Window Makes it a Medieval Valentine

In Gothic churches the west window above the cathedral’s main entrance is almost always a rose window. But Yorkminster has a unique west window. Completed in the 1300s, the top of the window is in the shape of a heart, and is called the Heart of York.

I think of it as the Heart of God, because for me it symbolizes that God is at the heart of all these stories — the bibical ones in the stained glass and the continuing story of God’s people who minister in His name.

York Minster, author photo

Yorkminster is a Medieval valentine to remind us that God loves us and brings light to each of our hearts to inspire us to tell His story and shine His light into a dark world with our words, actions, and writing, and to encourage us when discouragement threatens to dim that light.

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ, (2 Corinthians 4:6 NIV).

Before You Go: An Announcement and the Winner  of the Feed Your Soul with the Word of God Book

I have recently signed a contract with Tyndale Publishers for a devotional book for children. In the photo Teddy, a Tennessee Walker horse, is helping me sign, to give you a hint of the book’s theme.

Now for our winner of this great compilation of Bible studies from Lighthouse Bible Studies, (chosen from my  newsletter subscribers):

Congratulations to Jackie H.! You’ve won a copy of Feed Your Soul, with the Word of God. I know you’ll enjoy it, and and I’ll be contacting you for an address!

If you’d like more activity ideas for art, history, and nature, curriculum connections, and links to more resources, be sure to sign up for my newsletter and receive a free guide, 5 Ways Art Benefits Children’s Cognitive, Physical, Spiritual, and Social Development, You’ll also get a Few Fun and Easy Activities for each Benefit.

Visit Molly’s and my website where you’ll find free downloadable puzzles, how-to-draw pages and coloring pages for kids and an updated list of my hands-on workshops, chapels, and presentations for all ages.

 

 

A Quiet Winter Painting by Claude Monet

Have you ever gone outside after a heavy winter snow and noticed how quiet it is? Snow covers trees and bushes, muffling every sound. Read on to see how Claude Monet captured that quiet in a painting called The Magpie. And don’t miss the give away and Molly in the snow at the end!

In the early years of Monet’s career (the 1860s and 70s), the official French salon rejected most of his paintings, and he sold very few. But in 1868 he received a couple commissions and was able to rent a house on the Normandy coast.

He wanted to paint the famous cliffs there, which he did. But The Magpie shows there had been a heavy snowstorm, and Monet probably couldn’t get to the cliffs. Instead, he painted this quiet, winter scene.

Painted in 1868, its quiet beauty shows how Monet was still experimenting and developing his style, especially his use of color instead of blacks in shadows. The Magpie also shows the technique he was developing to capture fleeting changes while painting en plein air (outdoors).

Let’s Learn about the Artist

Painted about the time of The Magpie, Portrait of Claude Monet (1840-1926) 1867 (oil on canvas) Carolus-Duran MUSEE MARMOTTAN MONET, PARIS, ,

Claude Monet (1840-1926) grew up in Normandy, France. As a teenager, he drew caricatures of local people, which he sold for about $60 each. He also accompanied another artist, Eugene Boudin, on outdoor painting excursions.

Monet was astounded by what happened to colors in sunlight, and he always considered this to have been the most influential part of his training. When he was 18, Monet moved to Paris to study art, but continued to take day trips to paint outdoors. He convinced many of his friends—men and women we know today as Impressionists—to go with him.

Monet and other Impressionists endured great poverty before their paintings became popular, but today this style of art is the favorite of millions of people. Many people are familiar with Monet’s haystack or cathedral series of paintings, and his many water lily paintings mesmerize millions each year at the Musee de l’Orangerie and the Musee Marmottan in Paris.

A few water lily paintings by Monet at the Musee Marmottan in Paris, author pphoto

Let’s Learn about and Enjoy the Painting

The Magpie, by Claude Monet, 1868, Musee d”Orsay, public domain

In The Magpie painting the sun is low in the sky, casting long shadows across the sunlit scene. The painting’s brightness is accentuated by the dark tree trunks, branches, and the wattle or woven wood fence. Monet paints the deep snow with patches or dabs of paint—his emerging technique for capturing the changing light.

In the middle ground a long rose-colored building with reddish chimneys is the only truly warm place in the painting. In the background is the sea.

Look closely at the sky to see yellows and reds and blues and violets. And when you look at the snow, especially in the shaded areas, you’ll see violets and blues and even some yellows and pinks.

The focal point of the painting (the area that draws your attention) is the magpie sitting on top of the fence.

The Magpie lives with other great Impressionist works, on the top floor of another famous museum of French art—the Musee d’Orsay in Paris.

Before doing any other activities, ask children to tell what’s going on in the painting and what tells them that. Then have them tell what else they see. Enhance observational and verbal skills by rephrasing words and adding new vocabulary. Help them see nuances of color in the sky and snow.

The Magpie, by Claude Monet, 1868, Musee d”Orsay, public domain

This painting is great for describing what we’d hear and see and feel if we’d been there with Monet. Here are some good questions to help children imagine what it would be like:

• Have you ever been out after deep snow and noticed how quiet it is?
• Have you ever walked in the woods after a snow and had snow plop down on you from the trees overhead?
• What would you need to wear to be comfortable in this scene?
• Would you feel the cold seeping into your fingers and toes even through your mittens and boots? Can you imagine how cold Monet’s fingers must’ve gotten as he tried to paint this?
• Would the fence feel rough or smooth?
• Do you think the snow would be warm and sticky enough to make a snowman?
• Do you see how Monet has created a rhythm of shadows across the painting in front of the fence?

A Little Inspiration from God’s Word

Our everyday lives are busy and often noisy. But taking a walk on a quiet winter day can be refreshing for our bodies, our minds, and our souls.

Try some of these suggestions to appreciate God’s creation:

• Stand still and listen; what do you hear?
• If it’s quite cold, notice how your breath hangs in the air.
• Study shadow shapes and colors on the snow.
• Look at the sky and describe the colors and clouds
• Look for bird nests (they show up more without leaves on the trees).
• Look at different tree shapes (these also show more in winter)
• If the snow is fresh you may be able to see animal tracks—rabbit or squirrel or even deer tracks. Take photos of these and look up how to tell the difference between rabbit and squirrel tracks.
• Many birds stay around all year, so it’s fun to watch them and observe their winter habits. Use a field guide to identify species.

After your walk come inside, warm up with some tea or cocoa, and meditate on Ecclesiastes 3:11 “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” Or verses from Job, 38:19-22 and 24-30.

Just as a quiet winter day can help us see God’s hand in creation, taking time each day to be quiet with God’s Word can help us know Him even better. Our heavenly Father wants us to come to Him and talk to Him in prayer about all the things going on in our lives, as well as thank and praise Him for the beauty and diversity of His creation. He wants to talk to us, too, through His Word that helps us learn about Jesus and His love for us.

Molly and I pray you and your children will have many quiet times in creation and with God’s Word in 2024!

Here’s a Give Away that may help you spend more time in God’s word!

 

Molly and I would like to give away one free copy of a book of 30 short Bible studies from Lighthouse Bible Studies. In Feed Your Soul with the Word of God, Collection 2, the insights of many writers, including 2 of mine, will help make your quiet times with God even more meaningful. We’ll be doing a random drawing from our newsletter subscribers, so tap that “subscribe to my newsletter” button before January 26^th and be part of the drawing.

Molly loves to play in the snow

St. Joseph the Carpenter, by Georges de la Tour

Lights are a big part of Christmas. We may put lights on a tree, outside on our houses, and often in our windows. We put out extra candles. At a dark time of the year, these lights are cheery, but they represent much more—they celebrate that Jesus, the Light of the World, has come.

St. Joseph the Carpenter by Georges de la Tour, 1642, the Louvres, Paris, public domain

This painting, St. Joseph the Carpenter by Georges de la Tour has a single candle, but it clearly illuminates Jesus as the Light of the World who came to lead us out of the darkness of sin.

Georges de La Tour was a French artist living from 1593 to 1652. His work reflects the style of the Baroque period—a time in the1600s when artists used light to produce drama and contrast in their paintings. Like Rembrandt’s work, de la Tour’s subjects often seem to appear out of the shadows—the perfect style to emphasize that Jesus is the Light of the World.

Tradition says that Joseph was a carpenter, and this painting is set in a carpentry shop.

• Notice how simple, even stark the painting is—Joseph and Jesus, a couple tools, a block of wood, a curled-up shaving on the floor.
• Listen to how quiet it is, with perhaps just the squeak of the hand drill biting into the wood.
• Do you see that all the focus is on the boy Jesus as He holds a candle for Joseph?
• Look at how the candle burns tall and bright and also streams out between Jesus’ fingers.
• See how that single candle light, held by Jesus, allows everything in the painting to emerge out of the shadows, just as when His light overcomes darkness, to dawn in our hearts.

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; On those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned, (Isaiah 9:2).

[Jesus] said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life,” (John 8:12).

• See how the light from the candle shines most fully on Jesus’ face, bringing to mind these wonderful verses:
  

  St. Joseph the Carpenter, detail, author photo

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”made his light shine in our hearts to give us thelight of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ, (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord, (Psalm 4:6).

You, [Lord] are resplendent with light, (Psalm 76:4a).

God is light; in him there is no darkness at all, (1 John 1:5b).

St. Joseph the Carpenter isn’t your usual Christmas painting. But it is a perfect painting to remind us that Jesus is the Light of the World. And that God, who created and numbers the stars, chose one of His great lights to lead the Wisemen to Jesus.

This year, may we each allow the many lights of Christmas to illuminate a path in our hearts to lead us to celebrate the mystery and wonder of the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whose face all the glory of God shone.

Molly and I wish you and your family a blessed Christmas filled with the light and love of our Lord Jesus.

And if you subscribe to our newsletter or sign up now, you will soon receive a fun and easy Christmas craft idea and directions to enjoy with your children or grandchildren.

 

Cranberry Harvest on Nantucket by Eastman Johnson

Do you like cranberry sauce or a cranberry jelly? Whichever form you like, you probably don’t consider your Thanksgiving meal complete without cranberries. In our family we put out both kinds, and let people choose the kind they like better—sauce or jelly.

In this post you also get to choose which version of Eastman Johnson’s 2 paintings of a cranberry harvest in New England you like better. Although not that well-known today, Johnson’s paintings of everyday life were very popular during his lifetime.

Let’s Learn about Eastman Johnson

Eastman Johnson was born in 1824 in Maine. After a short apprenticeship in a Boston lithography business, he opened his own portrait studio. When his family moved to Washington D.C, Eastman joined them for a time. But in 1846 he returned to Boston where the family of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow helped further his career.

When he was 25 Eastman traveled to Germany to study drawing and painting. Later he moved to the Netherlands for 3 years to study the old Dutch Masters, such as Rembrandt. He completed his art education with a short study time in Paris, before returning to America.

By this time Eastman had begun painting genre paintings—scenes of ordinary people and events. He settled in New York City, but spent summers on Nantucket. He died in 1906. Today his works are in many museums, such as the Met in New York City and the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.

Let’s Learn about and Enjoy The Cranberry Harvest Together

Genre paintings are like snapshots, telling stories of the ordinary moments of life.

The Cranberry Pickers and The Cranberry Harvest, Nantucket Island, 1879 and 1880, by Eastman Johnson, public domain

Let’s look first at the big story. Both of these paintings are about a cranberry harvest on Nantucket Island, which is off the coast of Massachusetts. At first I thought it might be a farm that allowed people to pay to go into the fields or orchards and pick their own strawberries, apples, or pumpkins.

But when I looked closer, I saw a horse and cart on the right, with people handing their full buckets up to a man on the cart. (If you go to this link to the paintings you can enlarge it a little to see more detail in each).

One fall I picked apples for a nearby orchard. Each time I climbed down from a tree, I’d lug my heavy bucket over to a large central bin. Someone kept track of how many buckets I filled, which determined my pay. I wasn’t picking apples for myself but helping take in a large apple harvest. I think these cranberry harvest paintings are like that—lots of people in the community helping harvest fields of cranberries and making some money for themselves.

There are also lots of little stories of the harvesters in these 2 paintings. In the more detailed cranberry painting you’ll see the different ages, clothing, and hats of the harvesters.

• the older couple in front in their everyday hats. How many years have they been picking cranberries in this very field?
• the man in the coat and top hat, who has brought a chair. What’s his occupation? Is he showing the child how to pick cranberries without crushing them?
• the lady standing up in the middle foreground. Does she need a break from this back breaking work? Look closer though. Follow her gaze to see the young boy walking toward her carrying a baby. Has the baby been crying and needs Mum?

The Cranberry Pickers and The Cranberry Harvest, Nantucket Island, 1879 and 1880, by Eastman Johnson, public domain

These paintings are also fun to compare and contrast. The top painting was painted in 1879 and is less finished. It has less detail, so it could be a study for the 1880 more detailed version. Or maybe the earlier painting was first sketched at night and many workers had gone home. The fading light could have obscured details. Perhaps Easton just wanted to try a different style.

Whatever the reason, like cranberry sauce and jelly, there are differences, so enjoy finding them. They include time of day, number of people, and numerous other details in every part of the paintings.

A Little Inspiration from God’s Word

Thanksgiving is a holiday to be thankful to God for His many blessings to us. And one of those blessings is a bountiful harvest that allows the feast on our Thanksgiving tables. Today most of us are many steps removed from the work it takes to grow the foods we eat. So paintings like the Cranberry Harvest can remind us to appreciate those who work on farms, on ranches, in orchards, and on the sea all over the world to produce the harvests.

Most of all, when we spoon up some of the humble little cranberry—sauce or jelly—with our turkey this Thanksgiving, may it remind us of the bounty of God’s blessings in the great variety of foods He provides for us and make us eager to share some of that bounty with those in need.

Picture of Molly the Artsy Corgi and 2 Questions

Which way do you like your cranberries?

Which of these paintings do you prefer?

Molly and I pray your Thanksgiving is blessed with the love of friends and family. If you’d like a children’s Thanksgiving art project that makes cute Thanksgiving cards or to decorate your table, go to our post Fun and Easy Pumpkin Thanksgiving Cards

Before You Go

If you’d like more activity ideas for art, history, and nature, curriculum connections, and links to more resources, be sure to sign up for my newsletter and receive a free guide, 5 Ways Art Benefits Children’s Cognitive, Physical, Spiritual, and Social Development. You’ll also get a Few Fun and Easy Activities for each Benefit.

You may be interested to read my latest Write2Ignite post called Procrastination or Creative Pause for some recent research on creativity and procrastination. You’ll gain some insights into Leonardo da Vinci’s work habits!

Visit Molly’s and my website where you’ll find free downloadable puzzles, how-to-draw pages and coloring pages for kids and an updated list of my hands-on workshops, chapels, and presentations for all ages.

 

 

 

Julie Hart Beers, An American Artist Who Persevered

Hudson River at Croton Point by Julie Hart Beers, 1869, public domain

American artist Julie Hart Beers persevered through many challenges to become a landscape artist in the late 1800s. She was a young widow with 2 children to support, and it was close to impossible for women to get a formal art education. Julie’s contemporary, Mary Cassatt, became so frustrated at restrictions on women art students, that she decided to study in France.

There was also the Victorian attitude that women shouldn’t engage in rigorous outdoor activities. These paintings by Winslow Homer show that women were pursuing more outdoor activities by the end of the American Civil War, but they were still hampered by long skirts and often multiple petticoats.

Girl and Laurel by Winslow Homer, 1879, public domain

Long Branch, New Jersey by Winslow Homer, 1869, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, public domain

Let’s Learn about the Artist, Julie Hart Beers

Julie’s Scottish parents immigrated to the United States in 1831, first settling in Albany, New York. Julie was born in 1835 in Massachusetts. Two much older brothers, William Hart and James McDougal Hart, immigrated with the family and stayed in the Albany area, painting designs and landscapes on coaches. Both men eventually studied art in Europe and returned to become well-known artists of the Hudson River School tradition.

It’s believed that Julie learned to paint from her brothers, and when her first husband died in 1856, Julie joined them in New York City, sharing their art studios. Julie’s brothers tried to discourage her from going on their sketching trips, but her comment was, “[I] tramped on after them many a weary mile through mud and wet.”

Julie began exhibiting her paintings in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, and became one of the few women artists to become a commercial success at that time.

Let’s Learn about and Enjoy the Painting Together

Julie Hart Beers’ landscapes are very much in the tradition of the Hudson River School. Let’s look at this early autumn landscape by her—Hudson River at Croton Point.

Hudson River at Croton Point by Julie Hart Beers, 1869, public domain

Croton Point is on the east side of the Hudson, just north of NYC. In Julie’s day it was much less settled than today. North of this point the Hudson is at its widest and the early Dutch settlers called it the Tappan Zee or “sea.” Just a little farther north is Sleepy Hollow, famous for the Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving.

Like many Hudson River landscapes, this one is painted from a high viewpoint, on a hill overlooking the Hudson River. Also in that tradition is the grand view into the distance. Hudson River School painters from Frederick Church to Albert Bierstadt wanted to show the grandeur of God’s creation with those long vistas.

But they also wanted to show evidence of man’s taming of the wilderness, and in this painting, Julie does that with a woman and child walking along a path in the foreground towards a stone wall and farm buildings in the distance.

When you and your children view this painting ask them to tell what they think is going on in it and what tells them that. Then . . .

• Help them discover things up close, far away, and those in the middle. Young children may enjoy pretending to walk into the painting to pick out details and think up questions to ask the lady and her child.
• Introduce children who are ready to the vocabulary—foreground, middle ground, and background.(sign up for my newsletter for more about this)
• Point out how the red vines sweep across the foreground and help us linger to notice the woman and child.
• Ask children what might be the problems in having to wear long full skirts to walk along such a path.

A Little Inspiration from God’s Word

Julie Hart Beers had to overcome many challenges to reach her dream of becoming a landscape painter. It must have been especially hard and tiring to tramp after her brothers, encumbered by long heavy skirts. But Julie persevered. Mud and brambles may have slowed her down and sometimes snagged her skirts, but she didn’t lose heart!

Sometimes we Christians face challenging brambles and the mud of sinful patterns that can entangle us and hinder our walk with God. These verses from Hebrews are an encouragement to us to persevere:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart, (Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV).

And God gives us His promise of help in Deuteronomy:

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, (Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV).

What verses encourage you to persevere in your faith when you feel tired and entangled by the brambles of this life?

Picture of Amber, Molly the Artsy Corgi’s sisterAmber loved to find water to jump in, and if there was mud, all the better. After one of her mud baths, we took her to a groomer who put bows in her hair after cleaning her up.

Before You Go

Releasing on October 26 is a great compilation of short Bible studies called Feed Your Soul with the Word of God, Collection 2. I have 2 Bible studies in it and many other authors have written selections that will truly feed your soul! I hope you’ll check it out!

If you’d like more activity ideas and fun resources and books related to the topic of the Hudson River artists, be sure to sign up for my newsletter and receive a free guide, 5 Ways Art Benefits Children’s Cognitive, Physical, Spiritual, and Social Development, You’ll also get a Few Fun and Easy Activities for each Benefit.

Visit Molly’s and my website where you’ll find free downloadable puzzles, how-to-draw pages and coloring pages for kids and an updated list of my hands-on workshops, chapels, and presentations for all ages.

 

 

 

Little Mole gives Thanks Book Giveaway Winner

Molly and I are happy to announce that Sally has won a copy of Little Mole Gives Thanks, by Glenys Nellist. Sally, we’ll be in touch to find out how to send you this very special picture book.