Thomas Moran, Landscape Artist of the American West

Did you know Yellowstone was America’s first National Park? The watercolors of Thomas Moran helped convince Congress that the area surrounding the Yellowstone River was unique and needed protection. And in 1872 Congress passed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act, which President Ulysses S. Grant signed into law.

 Let’s Learn about Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone takes up 2.2 million acres in Wyoming, Montana, and eastern Utah. Millions visit to see grizzly bears, herds of bison and elk, wolves, and smaller creatures like beaver and river otters. The park has hot springs, mudpots, and over 500 geysers.

Minerva Terrace, Yellowstone, Thomas Moran, 1872, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., public domain

Reports of such phenomena reached the early explorers, Lewis and Clark, but they couldn’t investigate. Later, mountain men who trapped beaver in the Rockies, told of the wonders. But for many years people back east thought these were just tall tales.

Then in 1871 Thomas Moran borrowed money to travel west to join an expedition headed by F.V. Hayden to investigate the rumors. Moran’s watercolors and the photographs of William Henry Jackson provided pictorial documentation for the wonders of Yellowstone. These watercolors and photos were passed around Congress and helped lead to Yellowstone’s becoming America’s first national park.

Let’s Learn about the Artist

Moran photo by Napoleon Sarony, 1890-96, Library of congress, Washington, D.C.

Thomas Moran was born in 1837 near Manchester, England. His family were handloom weavers until the invention of power looms changed that industry. In 1844, to gain better opportunities for his children, Thomas’ father moved the family to America, settling near Philadelphia.

While still a teenager, Thomas apprenticed to an engraving firm. After 3 years he left to work in the art studio of his older brother, Edward, an up-and-coming marine artist. The brothers were drawn to the work of British artist J.M.W. Turner, and in 1861 traveled to England to study his paintings in the National Gallery. Moran’s art shows the influence of Turner’s coloring and style.

Sketches and watercolors made on the Yellowstone expedition brought Thomas many new commissions. His career really took off after he sold his huge (7X12 feet) oil painting, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, to Congress not long after they created the park. In 1873, Moran joined another expedition down the Colorado River and through the Grand Canyon. A year later, Chasm of the Colorado, (also 7X12 feet) was also bought by Congress.

Grand Canyon of the Colorado River by Thomas Moran, Smithsonian American Art Museum, public domain

Moran continued to travel all his life. He visited Europe several more times. He further explored the Grand Canyon and other areas of the West. He especially loved the Green River area of Wyoming, and a painting from there is in the White House’s collection. He produced large numbers of etchings, watercolors, and oils right into his 80s. He died in California in 1926, but his influence on American landscape art lives on.

Let’s Learn about the Painting

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone by Thomas Moran, Smithsonian American Art Museum, public domain

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone that Congress bought is now in the Smithsonian, and I couldn’t find a good copy, but Moran made other paintings of the canyon, and this one gives you a good idea of his style. Moran was a 2^nd generation Hudson School artist, early landscape artist who desired to accurately show the beauty of nature and inspire viewers to see the hand of God in its grandeur.

Heart of the Andes by Frederick Edwin Church, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC, public domain

Like earlier Hudson River artists, Moran depicted nature with great detail and accuracy.

But Moran differed from them in seldom showing the presence of man, or if he did show them, they are dwarfed by the landscape. You can also see the influence of Turner on Moran’s landscapes.

Norham Castle, Sunrise, by J.M.W. Turner, 1845, Tate, Britain, public domain

Turner used watercolor techniques with oil paints, using thin washes to create light and changing atmospheric conditions. In this painting Moran uses Turner’s techniques to make it look like the water fall is pulling clouds right down out of the sky.

Unlike Turner, Moran painted details clearly and with scientific accuracy.

Let’s Enjoy the Painting Together

Before telling children too much about the painting, ask them to tell what they think is going on in it and what tells them that.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone by Thomas Moran, Smithsonian American Art Museum, public domain

1.Then you might like to ask them these questions for further exploration:

• How do you think the explorers who first saw this place felt?
• Would you like to visit this place?
• What sounds would you hear if you visited here?
• What colors do you see in the painting?
• What are the lightest parts of the painting? The darkest?
• Do you think Moran had to do some climbing to paint this scene? (he did)

2.In landscapes, it’s fun to find the horizon and the three distances—foreground, middle ground, and background. How does the artist show these 3 sections?

3.Ask children to follow the river as it falls from the cliff and winks in and out between rocks as it flows into the foreground.

A Little Inspiration from God’s Word

Moran continued to travel the West painting its sights. When he saw a photo by his friend William Henry Jackson of this mountain in the Sawatch Range of what is now Colorado, he knew he had to paint it.

photo of the Mountain of the Holy Cross, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, public domain

The 14,011-foot Mountain of the Holy Cross is part of the Holy Cross Wilderness area near Vail, Colorado. Moran made a difficult climb to a neighboring mountain to paint the mountain. The mountain’s northeast face has deep crevices in the shape of a cross. When the mountain snows begin to melt, snow lasts longer in these crevices, making the cross very prominent.

Mountain of the Holy Cross by Thomas Moran, 1875, public domain

How amazing that this cross towers over scenes Moran painted that also show the wonder and majesty of our God.

Picture of Molly the Artsy Corgi

Ready for Spring

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.

 

 

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Maria Sibylla Merian, Artist and Naturalist

Maria Sibylla Merian and her daughter traveled to northern South America to study the insects, plants, and creatures of the rain forest. We probably wouldn’t think it that strange today, but it was the 1600s, and it took 2 rough months by ship just to get there from the Netherlands. Few women braved such travels by themselves. But Maria had always been adventurous and curious.

Let’s Learn about the Artist

Engraving of Maria Sibylla Merian from portrait by Georg Gsell, c. 1700, public domain

 

Maria (1647-1717), grew up in Frankfurt, Germany. Her family ran an art studio, producing flower still lifes, engravings, and publishing books. Her stepfather taught her to draw and paint.

In the mid-1600s many people still believed in spontaneous generation—the idea that living creatures came from non-living things such as mud and rotting foods. But Maria Sibylla Merian had learned early to closely observe nature. At just 13, she raised silkworms to observe and draw each stage of their life cycle. She collected caterpillars of all colors and shapes to see what kind of moth or butterfly they’d become.

In 1679 Maria published the first of 2 volumes called, Caterpillars, Their Wondrous Transformation and Peculiar Nourishment from Flowers. Eventually just called the Caterpillar Books, these showed her innovations in portraying insects. On each page Maria showed each stage of an insect’s life and the plants they preferred.

Maria was 52 when she set out on the greatest adventure of her life. She packed up her art supplies and braved the dangerous sea voyage to South America.

 Maria and her daughter Dorothea traveled on foot and by canoe to study insects there, discovering ants that formed rafts to float across water and tarantulas that ate humming birds. After 2 years they returned home, and Maria used her study book and specimens to publish in Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, again available. Use Amazon’s “Look Inside” feature to see more of Maria’s illustrations.

In 1717, just after Maria died, Peter the Great, Czar of Russia, bought hundreds of Maria’s watercolors and her study book for his palace in St. Petersburg. Dorothea and her husband were hired to advise and arrange Peter’s growing collection, which became the Imperial, then Soviet, and finally the Russian Academy of Sciences. Other museums collected her works, too, but in the 1800s, many scientists dismissed the work of earlier naturalists like Maria. They didn’t think amateurs could have collected accurate data.

Then in the 1970s, the Soviet Academy of Sciences published many of her watercolors and her study book. Other museums searched their collections and exhibited her works. Entomologists found they could identify most of the insects in her paintings. Publishers printed new editions of her books. Maria Sibylla Merian is again being appreciated for her scientific and artistic work.

Let’s Learn about the Paintings

Maria used her observational skills to portray butterflies and other insects accurately. She was one of the first to show these in their own habitats, with host plants and their full life cycle from egg to caterpillar, pupa, and adult.

Maria’s artistic skills enabled her to paint the butterflies and other insects in vibrant color and pleasing compositions. Because of the purpose of showing the insects accurately, there is little depth in these illustrations, but the artist has made good use of the up-close space, not crowding things together.

Maria’s illustrations can be very dramatic, with half eaten fruits and leaves and ants battling spiders. Maria was definitely part of the Netherlandish vanitas painting tradition, (beautiful still lifes with partly-eaten food, insects, lizards, or other jarring elements to remind viewers of the shortness of life).

Tarantulas eating ants and a hummingbird, public domain

Let’s Enjoy the Paintings Together

Before telling children too much about the paintings, ask them to tell what they think is going on in the paintings and what tells them that.

Explain that before Maria, most illustrators showed specimens in long rows and only showed the adult stage.

• Ask them how Maria’s paintings are different.
• Ask them why it would be important to show all the stages of an insect’s life.

The illustrations are full of different types of line and shape, color and texture, and pattern—all provided by the Lord!

• Ask children to find colors and patterns they like.
• Which of these paintings do they like best?

A Little Inspiration from God’s Word

engraving of Jonathan Edwards, public domain

Jonathan Edwards(1703-1758) the great New England preacher who helped begin the First Great Awakening lived about the same time as Maria Sibylla. Like her Edwards enjoyed observing insects. In 1723 he wrote to the Royal Society of London about flying spiders he had observed. He even included sketches to illustrate his observations.

Edwards believed studying nature showed the wisdom and care of God

Maria Sibylla would have agreed. She once wrote, “The metamorphosis of caterpillars has happened so many times one is full of praise at God’s mysterious powers and the wonderful attention he pays to such insignificant little creatures.”

 Picture of Molly the Artsy Corgi

Molly investigating a painted lady butterfly

Before You Go

You can read a recent post I wrote for Write2Ignite, a group of Christian children’s writers. The post is “Find Some Ivory Tower Time to Create.”

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.

Laura Sassi Tells Us about Her Newest Children’s Book My Tender Heart Bible

Molly and I are thrilled to welcome children’s author, Laura Sassi back to our blog. We’ve loved Laura’s previous books and are excited to help tell you about her newest—My Tender Heart Bible.

Kathy:  For those who may be new to this blog, would you tell us a little about yourself and My Tender Heart Bible.

Laura:  Thank you for having me on your blog, Kathy.

Laura Sassi and her writing companion, Sophie

I am a former teacher who is now blessed to be able to spend my days writing books, poems and other pieces that offer messages of hope and joy for little ones and the grown ups who love them. Over the years, I’ve discovered that I have a special passion for telling stories in rhyme, so eight of my nine books for children are rhyming.

My very first book, Goodnight, Ark, came out in 2014. It was followed by Goodnight, Manger, Love is Kind (the only one that doesn’t rhyme), Diva Delores and the Opera House Mouse, Little Ewe, Bunny Finds Easter, Happy Birthday Christmas Child, and, just out, My Tender Heart Bible. The ninth, My Tender Heart Prayer Book will release in Fall 2023.

Kathy:  Congratulations on all these sweet books! Little Ewe was the first book of yours I read, and I fell in love with the little lamb who went off on her own and became lost and afraid. I knew children would identify with Little Ewe and cheer when the Good Shepherd rescued her. I’ve since shared the hope and joy of many of your books with little ones in my family and at school!

Would you tell us how My Tender Heart Bible is different from your other books?

Laura:  My Tender Heart Bible is very different from my first seven books because it’s not a picture book story or even a board book story. Yes, the format is board book, but the content is 12 of my favorite Bible stories rendered in poetic rhyme. Each retelling is accompanied by a Bible citation, a beautiful illustration by Sandra Eide, and a Heart Moment of prayer. The book is inspired by memories of sitting with my own children when they were little to read or re-tell Bible stories so they could grasp just how much God loved them.

Kathy:  You chose 12 wonderful Bible stories to retell in rhyme, and I especially like the Heart Moment of prayer. Did you have certain themes in mind as you chose these 12?

Laura:  I prayed over which stories to include because I really wanted them to fit together as a collection so that individually, and as a whole, they would show God’s redemptive love. Other themes threaded throughout include that God is good and that He keeps His promises. I also wanted stories about God’s beloved who were both girls and boys, men and women. That’s how I decided upon Esther’s story, for example.

And I wanted six from the Old Testament and six from the New Testament so that the book would be balanced in that way and could be used as an introduction for littlest ones to the whole Bible. And, of course, I had to finish with the story of Jesus’ glorious resurrection!

Kathy:  I’m so glad you finished with Jesus’ resurrection! Little ones will love listening to the rhyme and rhythm of each story. And we know that rhyme helps children remember and hold these words about God in their hearts.

I love your rhyme that creates such beautiful pictures! Some of our readers may have older children, too. Do you have any hints for those who might want to write poetry?

Laura:  Poetry, especially rhyming poetry, is harder than it might first appear because it’s not just about good rhyme. It’s also about meter and keeping a consistent beat throughout a piece. But if you love playing with words and have a passion for rhyme, I suggest beginning by writing something just for the pleasure of it and seeing where it takes you.

Once you have a rough draft, go back and test it for meter. See if the established beat is consistent. If it isn’t fix it. Check also to see that the rhyme pairs you are choosing are fresh and fun. Using a rhyming dictionary helps immensely with this.

To grow as a poet, it’s also important to immerse yourself in poetry so I suggest going to the library and checking out and reading as many children’s poetry books and rhyming picture books as you can. If your readers are interested in learning more, here’s a post with tips I wrote several years ago:  https://laurasassitales.wordpress.com/2016/07/18/finding-your-inner-poet/

Kathy:  Great ideas, Laura! I know these and your post will be very helpful to children and adults who may be interested in writing poetry.

The illustrations by Sandra Eide are colorful and have lots of children for readers to identify with. Molly and I also enjoyed finding different animals from creation in each illustration. We think children will enjoy that, too. Do you have any favorite illustrations?

Laura:  Warmth, love, and charming detail emanate from each of Sandra’s illustrations. Pictured below is one I especially like because it really captures Jesus’s love for the little children. I actually had this spread enlarged to poster size so that little ones at events can come up and point to various elements.

I love the diverse depiction of the children as well as their joyous expressions. I also love the soft, warm color palette Sandra has chosen for this spread and throughout. And little ones, I have noticed, love Sandra’s inclusion of a dog! That’s just one example of the wonderful extra details she has included throughout the book.

Kathy:  Molly really loves that dog and is sure Sophie does, too!

Every page of My Tender Heart Bible, presents children with so much to hear and see and think about. How can caregivers help children slow down to appreciate each of its delightful layers of thoughtfully-chosen Bible stories and prayers, lyrical rhyme and rhythm, and colorful illustrations with so much to see?

Laura:  Here are few ideas to help caregivers and their little ones get the most out of each spread.

1. Before reading each story, take a moment to ponder the title and the illustrations. Using just those clues, can they guess what the story might be about? Do they recognize anyone or anything?
2. Next, take a moment to note the Bible citation. Maybe even open your own Bible to that part and have it there alongside you as you read the story so that little readers make the connection that the story comes from God’s word.
3. As you read, pause to think about each part of the story. Maybe see if your children can spot the action that is being described in words somewhere in the illustrations. Don’t rush. Instead, encourage your children to explore the illustrations, listen to the words, and ask questions.
4. After reading, reflect together on the retelling as a whole. What was their favorite part? Did they learn something new about God? What?
5. Finally, see if your little ones can locate the “Heart Moment” at the bottom right corner of each spread.  Explain that this is their chance to respond to God’s loving word with a prayer. Then read and pray it together.

Kathy:  Thank you for these thoughtful ideas to help children and their caregivers enjoy and see God’s love for them in each story of My Tender Heart Bible.

Molly and I have enjoyed learning all about your newest book, Laura!  Where can our readers get their very own copy of My Tender Heart Bible?

Laura:  My Tender Heart Bible is available wherever books are sold. The publisher has also created a website for the book called MyTenderHeartBooks.com https://mytenderheartbooks.com/ That website includes all sorts of fun things like the book trailer and an inspirational video. There’s also a free activity kit you can download.

The website also includes quick and easy links to many of your favorite vendors. And in the super neat department, it’s called My Tender Heart Books because there are more My Tender Heart books in the pipeline!  Next up? My Tender Heart Prayer Book which releases this coming Fall.

Kathy:  How exciting that My Tender Heart Bible is part of a series! And it sounds like there are many fun things on that website! Molly and I love videos and activity kits, so we plan to visit it real soon. Thank you again, Laura, for visiting our blog to tell our readers about My Tender Heart Bible.

Molly sends puppy hugs to Sophie!

 

 

What’s So Special about the Mona Lisa?

What’s so special about the Mona Lisa–a portrait of a woman who lived in Florence in the early 1500s? Lisa Gherardini wasn’t famous; she was the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, a wealthy silk merchant of Florence. Francesco was a friend of Leonardo’s father, but not famous either. And the portrait isn’t large—only about 30 inches by 21 inches.

• So why, in 1963, did millions of Americans at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and at the National Gallery in Washington D.C. line up to get a 20 second view of this portrait?
  

  President and Mrs.John F. Kennedy and VP Lyndon Johnson at the National Gallery, Wash. D.C., public domain

• Why did millions more view her in Tokyo and Moscow in 1974.
• Why do most of the millions who visit the Louvre in Paris each year mostly just want to see the Mona Lisa?
• Why is she valued at over $700 million?
• Why have songs, like Nat King Cole’s Mona Lisa been written about her?
• Why can you find her image on everything from t-shirts to umbrellas?

Let’s look at some of the reasons Mona Lisa become a super star

Some of it is because of the Artist

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was born near Vinci, just west of Florence. Contemporaries said he was handsome, charming, and a talented singer. He loved animals, mountain climbing, and art.

At 15 his father apprenticed him to the Florentine artist Andrea del Verrocchio. There he learned painting, sculpture, and mechanical skills. Apprentices eventually began painting parts of their master’s works, and the angel closest to the viewer in Verrocchio’s Baptism of Christ, was painted by Leonardo when he was still in his 20s. Compared to Verrocchio’s figures, Leonardo’s angel is far superior in color and realism.

Baptism of Christ by Andrea del Verrocchio, 1472-1475, Uffizi Gallery, public domain

Leonardo was interested in everything from nature and anatomy to flying. In Milan, where he worked a number of years for the duke, he’s listed as the duke’s painter and engineer. As such he designed sets for court festivals, as well as working on architectural, military, and engineering projects.

While in Milan Leonardo painted The Last Supper for the dining hall of a monastery. But he was always experimenting with materials, and the paint of The Last Supper, began flaking off while the artist was still alive.

Despite his great talent Leonardo found it hard to settle and finish works. Though there are many notebooks with 1000s of drawing,

Study of a horse by Leonardo da Vinci, public domain

we have fewer than 20 works completed by him. But the masterful paintings, the drawings of inventive ideas, and accounts of his curiosity and brilliance in many fields, have all led to his being an icon of the multi-talented genius.

When Leonardo was an old man, France’s King Francis I invited him to live and paint at the French court. Leonardo died in France, which helped lead to the monarchy owning the Mona Lisa. Since the French Revolution, she has been owned by the French Republic and has her very own wall in the Louvre.

Some of it is because of the painting

Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci 1503, The Louvre, public domain

Here’s are 11 special things about the painting:

1. It’s one of the first easel paintings, meant to be framed and hung on a wall.
2. It uses the new oil paints, (developed by northern European artists) whose long drying time allows artists to work longer and make changes.
3. Mona Lisa’s face, hands and body are made up of many layers of thin, almost transparent paint (scientists have found 30 layers on her face). So instead of hard outlines, Leonardo used his knowledge of anatomy; used  lights and darks (called chiaroscuro) to create depth; and softly blended colors (called sfumato) to make her one of the most realistic portraits painted at that time.
4. Mona Lisa’s pose is relaxed. Instead of the usual profile portrait, she sits in a chair and is turned toward the viewer. This became the norm for later portraits. Because she’s looking right at the artist, her eyes appear to follow the viewer.
5. Leonardo used a pyramid or triangular composition to focus our attention on Mona Lisa’s face.
6. Leonardo was one of the first to put a realistic landscape behind the sitter, using one point perspective that has all the receding lines end in a vanishing point behind the sitter’s eyes. This also helps focus our attention on Mona Lisa’s face.
7. Leonardo used aerial perspective, showing distant objects as blue and blurry. (another innovation from northern European artists).
8. There’s still some mystery about who the sitter is. Most experts agree that she is Lisa Gherardini, but a few hold out for others, including Leonardo’s mother.
9. Of course Mona Lisa’s enigmatic smile intrigues viewers. Early accounts say that Leonardo hired musicians and jesters to entertain her while he did studies and painted.
10. Then there’s also the theft. An Italian worker at the Louvre stole the Mona Lisa in 1911. He hid in a closet until the museum closed and walked out with the painting under his coat. He took the portrait to his apartment in Rome, and it wasn’t discovered there for 2 years. The their claimed it belonged in Italy.
11. Then there’s its estimated worth. Some say billions, others just say priceless. Today the French have spent their money on preserving and protecting her. She is in a bullet-proof glass case that has a controlled humidity and temperature all its own.

Let’s Enjoy the Painting Together

1. With this portrait, it might be fun to talk about the sitter and what she’s thinking. Do children think she’s smiling?

2. Many good copies have been made of the Mona Lisa, some by his students—all believed to be made after Leonardo’s death. But around 2010, conservators at the Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain discovered that their copy of the Mona Lisa, done by one of Leonardo’s assistants, was done at the time Leonardo was actually working on the original. It shows some of the same changes Leonardo made. They cleaned their copy of layers of varnish and found bright colors on Mona Lisa’s clothing and in the background.

The original Mona Lisa has also become darkened over the years by layers of varnish. So it’s probable that the original was also much brighter.

So it might be fun to compare the original and the Prado copy to see similarities and differences and encourage children to wonder what the original may have looked like. Here they are together.

Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci 1503, The Louvre, public domain

La Gioconda, Prado Museum copy, public domain

Two Takeaways

Art Activity Suggestion Try drawing or taking photos of each other in the same pose as Mona Lisa and with that enigmatic smile.

A Little Inspiration from God’s Word

Students in one of my art classes are learning to draw their portrait. We start off with the ways all human faces are similar, and make some light marks to show where we’ll draw eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. But then we begin to look even more carefully at all the details that make each individual unique. We are each wonderfully made by our loving heavenly Father. Psalm 139:14.

Picture of Molly the Artsy Corgi

Molly has given her spot to a special visitor today, The Mona Lisa Duck!

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.

 

 

 

Whistlejacket, Life Size Portrait of a Horse by George Stubbs

I’ve always loved horseback riding, and as a child, I read every horse book I could find. One of my favorites was King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry. So, when I stepped into gallery 34 in London’s National Gallery of Art and saw the life size portrait of Whistlejacket, I stood there, amazed by such a beautiful animal.

Let’s Learn about the Horse

Born in 1749, Whistlejacket was an Arabian stallion and a grandson of the Godolphin Arabian—the King of the Wind of Ms. Henry’s book. Her story was based on several legends about the Godolphin, but one thing is certain. He was one of 3 Arabian stallions British breeders imported between 1690 and 1730 to become foundation sires for the thoroughbred breed. All thoroughbreds are said to be descended from these three stallions: the Godolphin Arabian, the Byerley Turk, and the Darley Arabian. Whistlejacket did fairly well as a race horse, but was retired early to sire more thoroughbreds.

 Let’s Learn about the Artist

George Stubbs, self portrait, public domain

George Stubbs was born in Liverpool in 1724. He loved to draw and was interested in anatomy. He may have been briefly apprenticed to a painter, but was mostly self-taught. George later moved to York and painted portraits and taught drawing.

After returning from a short visit to Rome, Stubbs decided he needed to learn from nature, not classical sculptures. So, he moved to a rural area and for 18 months dissected horses and studied their anatomy. He made detailed drawings that he published in a book in 1766. The Anatomy of the Horse became a reference for artists and naturalists, but only a few pages survive.

His reputation as a painter of horses grew, and in the early 1760s the Marquess of Rockingham, one of the wealthiest men in Britain, commissioned Stubbs to paint several of his horses, including his prize stallion, Whistlejacket.  During his career, Stubbs studied and painted other animals, too, but is still best known for his horse paintings

 Let’s Learn about the Painting

Whistlejacket, c. 1762 by George Stubbs, National Gallery, London, public domain

This painting is huge—about 9 feet tall and 8 feet wide. Whistlejacket is life size, and is just as much a portrait as Renoir’s portrait of Julie Manet and her Cat, because it’s a particular horse. Whistlejacket was a chestnut horse with a flaxen mane and tail. He also had a white star and one white sock. Apparently, he was named for a popular cold medicine that was about his color. We can also glimpse a little of his character from his pose and his face turned towards us.

Although, Stubbs has painted Whistlejacket very realistically, he’s used loose brushwork on the horse’s flank. Closeups also show the edges as being a little blurry. No one knows if Stubbs did this on purpose, but it does make Whistlejacket look more active.

It was once thought that Stubbs left the painting unfinished, because there’s no background and no rider in the tradition of grand equestrian paintings like Napoleon Crossing the Alps by French artist Jacque-Louis David.

Napoleon Crossing the Alps, 1801-1805 by Jacques-Louis David, public domain

Most experts now believe Stubbs left it plain and with no rider on purpose to show off the beauty and spirit of Whistlejacket. Whistlejacket is also shown doing a levade, one of the “airs above ground,” practiced in the classical dressage of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna or by the Cadre Noir of Saumur, France. Only the most powerful and best-trained horses can do these movements.

Whistlejacket, c. 1762 by George Stubbs, National Gallery, London, public domain

 Let’s Enjoy the Painting Together

Before telling children too much about the painting, ask them to tell what they think is going on in the painting and what tells them that.

• Ask them if the painting is of a real horse or not. And why they think that.
• Do they like the horse’s color?
• Do they think the horse is tame or wild?
• Is the horse painted realistically or not?
• If you haven’t told them the name, ask what they’d name the horse

Use their observations and the information about the horse, the artist, and the painting to help them further enjoy it.

2 Takeaways for More Fun

Art Activity Suggestion

If you have a child who loves horses, they might enjoy learning to draw them. There are many tutorials online for drawing horses, as well as drawing books available at bookstores or libraries.

A Little Inspiration from God’s Word

Horses are prey for many animals, such as wolves, and the best way for horses to protect themselves from predators is to run away quickly. So, God has given them an amazing feature that helps save precious seconds when a predator approaches. They have a special combination of tendons and ligaments called the stay apparatus that locks the major joints in their legs so they can stand while they sleep. That way horses can grab some shut eye and still be ready to run at a moment’s notice. God, in His wisdom, knew just what each creature needed to survive and thrive! Genesis 1:24-25.

Picture of Molly the Artsy Corgi

Horses may be able to sleep while standing, but not dogs! Molly fell asleep under the tree after a busy Christmas morning.

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, coloring pages for kids, and an updated list of my hands-on workshops, chapels, and presentations for all ages.

 

Come Let Us Adore Him, a Christmas Painting

Molly and I hope this Christmas painting will bring color and beauty to the beginning of advent for you and your family.

May we all, like the Magi, come and adore Him!

Adoration of the Magi by Albrecht Durer, 1504, the Uffizi, Florence, Italy, public domain

Albrecht Durer painted Adoration of the Magi in 1504. Today it hangs in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence Italy.

Molly and I wish you a blessed Christmas while we take some time off to enjoy Christmas. We plan to be back in January with lots more great art, activities, and devotions.

If you’re one of our newsletter subscribers, though,  watch for a special thank you gift from us coming next week. We’ve put together some Christmas art ideas you and your children will love. These fun and easy projects will provide shared moments of calm and invite Jesus into your busy holidays. Don’t miss out. Sign up for our newsletter today!

Weaving the Beauty of Jesus into Every Part of Your Day, A Kid-Friendly Devotion

Look at this colorful paper weaving. For their cat on a mat project children chose their favorite color to be the lengthwise (warp) part of their weaving.

Then for the strips that weave across (weft) they painted with watercolor paints. They added colors and let them swirl and mix.

They didn’t really want to cut apart their beautiful design, but they knew a tabby weave, which goes over and under, would create an even more beautiful pattern when combined with their favorite color.

Psalm 139 says God created your inmost being and wove you together with your color hair and eyes, your favorite foods and colors, and even how tall you’d be. He has given you the ability to play music or soccer, love math or art. You are wonderfully made. And above all God has made you to be able to love and worship Him and love others as we love Him.

But it’s not always easy to do that, is it? We may get angry when our friends don’t want to do something we like. We don’t always obey our parents. We may get tired and cranky and say mean things to our brothers and sisters.

So God sent His Son, Jesus, to us. He came as a baby and grew up just like you, except that He never sinned. Jesus is more beautiful than the most beautiful watercolor painting you’ve ever seen. He showed us the perfect beauty of God’s love and care, wisdom and guidance, and understanding and forgiveness.

Jesus was willing on the cross to be cut apart, separated, from God the Father to save you and weave His beauty into your life.

You are wonderfully made, and when you allow Jesus to weave the colorful threads of His perfect love, wisdom, and forgiveness through your day, you will become an even more beautiful creation to glorify God.

When you start each day, pray and thank Jesus for coming into your life. Then watch for how He weaves His love and care over and under you at school, playing with friends, and at home with your family. Then those beautiful threads of love will show in your life, too.

 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 to 5 Ways Art Benefits Children’s Cognitive, Physical, Spiritual, and Social Development, with a Few Fun and Easy Activities for each Benefit

Visit 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. Add link

Molly and I hope you enjoyed this devotion based on our Cat on a Mat watercolor and weaving art project. If you missed it, here’s the link.

And if you’ve signed up for our newsletter, next week you’ll receive lots more connections—fun research ideas and children’s books about the Impressionists and cats, as well as links to a museum gem with online art activities for all ages.

Molly and I wish you and your family a blessed Thanksgiving!

 

 

 

Cat on a Mat, An Artsy Corgi Art Activity

Let’s have fun making a cat on a mat. We’ll paint wet-in-wet with the light-filled colors loved by the Impressionists and weave the painting into a mat for a happy cat! You’ll discover how to draw a cat and learn a basic tabby weave.

In this post you’ll find:

• Supply list
• Step-by-step directions
• Helpful hints
• Creative variations and adaptations for different ages
• 4 Vocabulary and art and design principles children will learn
• 4 ways this activity aids children’s mental, physical, and social development
• Clean-up tips
• Cute Molly Photo

Let’s have Fun Making Art!

Supplies:

The Mat

• 9X12 “ Watercolor paper (smooth or rough is fine). You can find inexpensive pads or packs at craft stores and in the craft section of places like Walmart.
• Choose your favorite color of construction paper for the loom.
• A larger white piece of paper as a background for the mat
• Crayons or oil pastels
• Watercolor paint set and brush

The Cat

• Pictures of cats
• Drawing paper
• Pencils, erasers, scissors
• Crayons to color the cat
• White glue

Directions:

The Mat

1. With crayons draw curvy and straight lines, dots, spirals, etc. in different colors all over the watercolor paper. Leave lots of white space for the paint. These marks have to be crayon or oil pastels.
2. Mix several puddles of watercolor paint. Your puddle should flow, but have lots of pigment.
3. Use a large wet but not dripping brush or rag to wet paper with clear water. The paper should be a more than just damp, but no standing water.
4. Start adding watercolors, allowing them to flow and mix . Paint right over the crayon or oil pastel. The wax resists the paint and stays bright.
5. Allow to dry.

The Cat  (do this while your painting dries)

• Really study pictures of cats. Notice these details:
• the roundish shape of heads
•  the oval shape of bodies
•  the rounded triangular-shaped ears that are more on top of their heads
•  the shape are eyes and pupils
• the thickness of tails
• cats often wrap their tails around themselves so you can’t see their paws

1. Before drawing, picture in your mind where the cat’s head and body will be. Use your fist to help you imagine where to put the head that will leave room for both the ears and the body.
2. Draw lightly, sketching, so you can erase a line you don’t want.
3. Color your cat. You may want to color it in a Tabby pattern, which is stripes in any color.
4. Cut out your cat

The Loom and Weaving

1. Cut the painting into 1 inch strips the long way.
2. Make a paper loom  (See pictures)
3. Use masking tape to temporarily hold the loom on the white paper
4. Weave the 1^st watercolor strip through the loom—under, over, under, over
5. Start the 2^nd strip the opposite–over, under, over, under
6. In tabby weave each strip should be opposite to the previous strip
7. Keep gently pushing the strips together and up toward the top of your loom, until you run out of room for more strips

Putting It All Together

1. Glue your mat to the white paper
2. Glue your cat on top of the mat
3. Draw and color cat-related designs around the border of the mat

Now display your happy cat on its colorful mat for everyone to see! Enjoy how the crayon glows through the watercolor!

More Ideas and Tips to Make Your Cat on a Mat

Helpful Hints:

• As you paint, pick up your paper and move it around to help colors mix
• Don’t mix too long, or colors become muddy
• If your painted paper curls, flatten it with a book after it’s dry
• When drawing lines for the loom and watercolor strips, do these on the back so they don’t show later
• Masking tape holds the loom in place but can be removed without as much damage as cellophane tape

Variations and adaptations for different ages:

• Cut wavy lines for the loom
• If you don’t have watercolor paper, sponge paint some sturdy paper with tempera paints
• Add ribbon or yarn bows to your cat
• I do this project with 1^st graders, and I cut the watercolor strips and make the looms, but they love doing everything else!
• If children aren’t sure whether they want their painting to be cut, number the strips so they can weave them in order.
• Color your cat in wild colors

4 Vocabulary and art and design principles children will learn

1. Crayon resist—crayon’s wax content resists water-based paints and remains bright. Oil pastels work the same way.
2. Sketch—to draw an object with short, light strokes, sometimes lightly redrawing a line before erasing the unwanted line.
3. Pattern—the repetition of a design. Tabby cats have a striped pattern.
4. Tabby weave—the over and under pattern that is opposite in each row.

4 Ways this activity aids children’s mental, physical, and social development

1. Weaving helps children develop fine motor skills.
2. Drawing helps children take time to look carefully, seeing details as well as the overall picture. Important in every subject, but especially in learning to recognize individual letters and word patterns for beginning reading.
3. Making choices with colors, patterns, etc. enhances problem-solving skills.
4. Making art enhances creativity and refreshes minds and eyes tired from screens.

Clean up Hints:

• Plastic table cloth or large paper under your work
• Paper towels
• A plastic dish tub holds things to be washed
• A wastebasket for paper scraps
• After washing and rinsing brushes, reshape bristles and lay them flat to dry. Store with bristles up in a container.

Check out these Great Freebies Before You Go

Watch for a special thank you gift for our newsletter subscribers coming in early December. Molly the Artsy Corgi has some Christmas art ideas you and your children will love. These fun and easy projects will provide shared moments of calm and invite Jesus into your busy holidays. Don’t miss out. Sign up for our newsletter today!

If you sign up, you’ll right away receive a free guide to 5 Ways Art Benefits Children’s Cognitive, Physical, Spiritual, and Social Development, with a Few Fun and Easy Activities for each Benefit. And once a month more activity ideas for art, history, and nature, curriculum connections, and links to more resources will come to your inbox.

Visit our website to get 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.

Molly the Artsy Corgi hopes you enjoy making a happy cat on a mat! You can read our first post about Renoir here, and Molly and I hope you’ll come back next time for a devotion based on our cats on a mat art activity.

And finally a cute Molly Photo

She thinks she’s helping me get ready for our walk!

 

Endearing Portrait of Julie Manet and her Cat by Auguste Renoir

Auguste Renoir enjoyed painting people, and his painting of Julie Manet and her cat is an endearing portrait of the daughter of another Impressionist, Berthe Morisot. Many people choose cats as pets, but farmers need cats to keep rodents out of the livestock feed. Not many cats can be both friendly pets and pest controllers, but Maine coon cats often do both!

Fluffy, a Maine coon cat, ruled the barn on my grandparents’ Maine farm when I was a child. At nearly 25 lbs. and with long hair, a bushy tail like a racoon, and ear tufts like a wild lynx, she terrorized the mice population. But this black and gray tabby had a softer side and loved to come in and socialize with her family. She seemed as big as a dog to me, and her silky coat crackled with static when I stroked her.

Several legends surround the origin of Maine coon cats, now a popular cat breed everywhere. Old-timers claimed they were mixed with a raccoon, which is biologically impossible. Another old legend said France’s doomed queen, Marie Antoinette, planned an escape by a ship whose home port was Wiscasset, Maine. Although Marie missed the boat, her long-haired cats sailed to Maine and bred with local short-haired cats.

Most likely, sailors brought long-haired cats back from their sea voyages to places like Norway. But the legends are fun, and the Marie Antoinette tale leads nicely into this post about the French Impressionist, Renoir. Enjoy his painting of Julie Manet and the happy little cat snuggling in her arms.

What’s in this post?

• A little about Auguste Renoir and his painting of Julie Manet
• Helpful vocabulary
• Understanding  the painting
• Activities to help you and your children explore and enjoy the painting of Julie Manet and her cat
• Don’t tell Molly, but this week’s cute picture is of my brother and me with Fluffy, the Maine coon cat! Molly will return next week!

Let’s Learn about the Artist

Pierre Auguste Renoir, self portrait, 1876, public domain

Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) was born in the French city of Limoges, a center for the porcelain industry. At 13, he apprenticed as a painter in a porcelain factory and became skilled at florals. When he later studied art in Paris, he joined a group of art students who rebelled against the traditional art of their day.

The Impressionists, as they came to be called, wanted to paint landscapes and scenes of everyday life en plein air, or in the open air. They saw how light changed colors and used short brush strokes to capture those fleeting effects. Their small brushstrokes of pure colors make their paintings shimmer and leave edges looking blurry.

Renoir liked to paint people enjoying life at outdoor gatherings. His Luncheon of the Boating Party is a famous example of his happy gatherings. It also shows how the Impressionists used each other and friends and family members as their models. Almost everyone in this painting can be identified, and the woman in the left foreground with the little dog is Renoir’s future wife.

Luncheon of the Boating Party by Auguste Renoir,1880-1881, public domain

Renoir painted many single and family portraits, and Julie Manet modeled for him other times, too. Julie was used to posing for her mom and knew all the Impressionists. A few years ago her diary about growing up among these artists was published.

The Artist’s Daughter, Julie with her Nanny by Berthe Morisot,1884, Minneapolis Institute of Art, public domain

Helpful Vocabulary

These words will be in bold green the first time they come up and will help you and your children talk more easily about different parts of the painting.

1. Portrait: a painting, drawing, photograph, etc. of a person, often done quite close up. The person may be looking straight forward or shown from the side–a profile. The painting Berthe Morisot and Her Daughter Julie shows both.
   

   Berthe Morisot and her Daughter Julie Manet by August Renoir, 1894, Musee d’Orsay, public domain

2. Texture: how a surface would feel if touched
3. Pattern: a repetition of a design, such as a plaid
4. French Impressionists: a group of artists who became friends while studying art in Paris in the 1860s. They rebelled against the Paris art establishment, preferring to paint modern life and to paint outdoors. The group included 2 women, Mary Cassatt and Berthe Morisot. Many artists in other countries adopted the style.

Understanding the Painting, A Captured Moment in Time

Julie Manet with her cat, by Auguste Renoir,1887, public domain

Portraits can be very formal, with the sitter in their best clothes, like The Mona Lisa, which the Impressionist would have seen in the Louvre.

In this painting, everything—Julie’s dress with gold embroidery and the pretty pastel sofa and wallpaper—point to a formal drawing room. So . . . you might expect a formal portrait.

Instead the painting has captured a moment in time. It’s as if Renoir has just entered the room where Julie is cuddling her pet cat. And as she turns toward the artist, he takes a snapshot. The Impressionists loved to show these moments in time. Photography was still new, but it had a big effect on the Impressionists, who liked the sense of immediacy it gave to pictures.

Renoir’s subjects may be wearing their best clothes, but he usually shows them interacting with other people at a restaurant or with things that provide extra interest or tell a little about them—a musical instrument, a toy, a pet, etc.

Activities to Help You and Your Children Explore this Painting

Before doing any other activities, ask children to tell what’s going on in the painting and what tells them that. Enhance their observational and verbal skills by rephrasing words and adding new vocabulary.

This is a great painting to learn about portraits and what they tell us about the sitter.

• What sort of things can you tell about Julie?
• Do you think she’s wearing her best dress? Remember that at this time girls always wore dresses.
• Do you think she is in her own home or the artist’s studio?
• Does she look happy?
• Is this a quiet or noisy painting?
• Do you think these are good colors for this portrait? Why or why not?
• What sort of things do you think Julie would like to do?

How would you like a portrait of you to look? Have some fun choosing clothes and other things you’d like to have in your own portrait. Tell why you’ve chosen the clothes and items. Then have some one take a photo of you and print it.

You might also find and list all the different textures and patterns in this painting. Next to each write one or two descriptive words

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 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.

Molly hopes you enjoyed learning about Renoir and will join us next week. We’ll be doing an art project based on his happy painting of Julie Manet and her cat. The following week will be the devotion.

 Photo of Fluffy the Main Coon Cat

 

 

An Artsy Corgi Art Activity Based on Lighthouse Paintings

Ahoy, Matey, let’s make a seascape with a lighthouse and lots of fun details! In this Artsy Corgi art activity, you’ll discover an easy way to draw a lighthouse, learn several fun painting techniques, and finish up with some 3-D effects. We call this type of project a mixed-media activity, because we use several different art mediums.

In this post you’ll find:

• Supply list It looks a little long, but most of it is stuff you may already have
• Step-by-step directions
• Helpful hints
• Variations and/or adaptations for different ages
• Vocabulary and art and design elements and principles children will learn
• 4 ways this activity aids children’s mental, physical, and social development
• Clean-up tips
• Cute Molly Photo

Let’s Make a Seascape!

Supplies:

• Sturdy light blue paper for a background (with light blue paper, you can paint clouds and water on an already sky and water colored background)
• White foam plates make great paint palettes and can rinse off easily for reuse or be thrown away
• Tempera paint in white, black, blue, green, and purple
• Clean damp rags to paint with
• White drawing paper for the lighthouse
• Pencils, erasers, scissors
• Colored pencils, crayons, or markers to color the lighthouse
• Tan or white paper to spatter for sand
• Watercolor set and 2 brushes for spattering
• A fork or old plastic card to make sea grass
• Small sea shells (gathered yourself, or available in craft stores)
• White glue

Directions: (I’ve split these into sections for easier use)

Sea and Sky

1. Lightly draw a horizon line to divide the sky and water
2. On the palette, pour a small puddle of white and a very small puddle of black, leaving space between each puddle
3. Scrunch up your rag or hold it over your index finger to paint
4. After looking at clouds outside or in photos, use the rag to paint clouds. They can be fluffy or straight. You may swirl the paint to suggest movement. See the picture at #7.
5. If you wish to add gray to clouds, put a little white in another spot on your palette and mix in a tiny bit of black to make different grays. Always mix just a little of the darker color into the lighter color. The opposite way takes way more of the lighter color to change the darker color.
6. Add blue, green, and purple to your palette.
7. Use these colors or mix together to make the ocean. You may make a calm sea or big swirling waves. Add white to the top of waves for foam.

Sand

1. Sand comes in all colors, so use a sheet of white or tan paper.
2. Swirl a wet brush into the brown pan of a watercolor set.
3. While holding it over the paper, tap the brush against the handle of another brush to spatter paint. Use other colors if you wish—maybe some yellows and even a little green and blue for beach glass.

Lighthouse (The camera has distorted some of the lines)

1. Look at a glass or towel tube and help children draw a cylinder’
2. Look at a picture of a lighthouse and see that it’s a tower, which is a cylinder.
3. Some lighthouses taper towards a narrower top, but they are still cylinders.
4. Encourage children to look at other details, such as the rounded top or roof and the balconies with railings that often go around the outside. Keepers needed to get outside to keep the glass clean. These railings should curve.
5. If children wish they can add some out buildings around the lighthouse tower. Don’t worry about 1-point perspective, unless they’re older and want to learn. There are lots of online tutorials for it if they do.
6. Color the lighthouse and cut out.

Putting it all together

1. Cut out stretches of sand and glue in place over the water.
2. Glue the lighthouse somewhere on top of the sand.
3. Use a fork or old plastic card to make sea grass.
4. Glue on seashells.

And there you have it–a beautiful seascape with a lighthouse.

More Helpful Ideas and Tips for this Activity

Helpful Hints:

• Painting with rags and spattering paint is fun and easy for all ages, but it is messy, so if the weather cooperates, you might want to do these parts outside in one session.
• You may spatter paint with an old tooth brush and a popsicle stick, but remember to scrape towards yourself. It’s a little counterintuitive, but the other way just spatters you!
• Paint shirts are a good idea !
• To help prevent globs of glue, pour a small glue puddle on a plate and have children use their finger to spread the glue.
• Place waxed paper under things as you spread glue. It keeps things from sticking in the wrong places.

Variations and/or adaptations for different ages:

• Paint a sun setting over the horizon
  

  sunset over Higgins Beach, photo by author

• Use gray paper and paint lots of black clouds over a stormy sea
• Use black paper and use thick yellow tempera paint to show the lighthouse’s beam of light
• Draw and cut out small ships to sail out in the ocean
• older children may want to get more detailed with their lighthouse drawings.
• Sometimes children get discouraged if their drawing efforts don’t look just as they’d like. Remind them that drawing is a skill just like playing soccer or making a cake. It takes practice and time. Encourage them to try and praise their efforts!
• Younger children may need help cutting and gluing all the parts together.
• You may need a glue gun to make the shells stick.

4 Vocabulary and art and design principles children will learn

1. Seascape—a painting that has views of the ocean
2. Color: tint=a color plus white, shade=a color plus black—in this activity children learn how to mix tints and shades for the clouds and water. They also learn how to mix just a little darker color at a time into lighter colors.
3. Texture: how something feels to the touch, rough, soft, etc. In painting we often simulate texture by spattering, etc.—as children use this different painting technique and spatter paint, they learn about putting texture into paintings.
4. Perspective: the ways artists create the illusion of depth in a painting, creating a foreground, middle ground, and background—without getting technical, children can discover 2 ways (differences in size and overlapping objects) to create the 3 distances in paintings.

4 Ways this activity aids children’s mental, physical, and social development

1. Using pencils, brushes, scissors, etc. helps children develop fine motor skills.
2. This activity helps develop visual/spatial skills as children create a picture with 3 distances.
3. Making choices in creating art enhances problem-solving skills.
4. Making art enhances creativity and refreshes minds and eyes tired from screens.

Clean up Hints:

• Be sure to put a plastic table cloth or large paper under your work
• Have paper towels handy
• A plastic dish tup is great to hold tools you will keep and wash
• Keep a wastebasket handy for trash
• After washing and rinsing brushes, reshape bristles if needed, and lay them flat on paper towels to dry. Store with bristles up in a jar.

Before You Go, See Molly’s Photos and More about Lighthouses

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 to 5 Ways Art Benefits Children’s Cognitive, Physical, Spiritual, and Social Development, with a Few Fun and Easy Activities for each Benefit. You can also learn more about us and see more fun activities on our website

Photos of Molly the Artsy Corgi with a few ocean things

Molly was a little worried at first

then she decided a shell might be good to eat.

Finally she settled down for a good photo. She knows it means a treat!

Visit 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.  

Molly the Artsy Corgi hopes you enjoy making a mixed media art project of the sea and a lighthouse! If you missed them, be sure and go to earlier posts about lighthouses this month—Shipwrecks and Lighthouses and Lighthouses Tall and Small, A Kid-friendly Devotion about Lighthouses.

Next week in our newsletter you’ll discover connections to other subjects, a museum gem with activities for kids online, freebees, book reviews, and links to continue learning about lighthouses!

Molly and I hope to see you back here soon for a new Kathy the Picture Lady art series.