Artistic Pursuits?

[koko]

wondering if any of you have used it and what your thoughts are. One of my ds (will be 3rd grade in the fall) really wants to do an art program! And let's just say I am incredibly art-challenged :blink:!!
thanks!

[Heather in VA]

I haven't used it yet but I'm looking at it. I just thought I'd let you know that if you decide to do it Sonlight's new catalog (in a month or so) will be selling Artistic Pursuits along with supply kits. That's big for me since I'm big on the plans but not so good on the follow through if I have to run around and get tons of stuff.

[Lisawa]

I won’t be able to tell you a lot about it...especially for that age.... I just bought the Jr. High Levels a month or so ago. I also bought the lesson guides from Barb over at the heart of Harmony (http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HarmonyArtMom/). The link to the guides is on the right hand side of her blog.

It looks easy to use, user friendly. I didn’t buy a kit from the company. I have been using the weekly 40 and 50% off coupons at Joann’s and Michaels to gather whats needed.

I hope someone else pipes in! I wasnt much help...

[King Alfred Academy]

We just finished our lesson we were working on today! I have a K4 and first grader and we are doing book one. i love this program. It is very easy to use, includes picture study and gives simple instructions on projects the kids can understand. The first book focuses on "what artists do". We have "fine arts Friday" at our house. We do the picture study during tea time...while listening to classical music (course, that is always on at our house) and then get to work on our masterpieces. The boys love it and so do I. Makes for a very relaxing and simple Friday.

[chai]

I really like Artisitic Pursuits. I've used the first 3 K-3 books. I love the layout with art apreciation and a project included in one lesson. It has just the right level of depth and difficulty for me--not too much! I bought my own supplies because I'm cheap, but it would be really easy with a supplies kit.

[Maria/ME]

We love it!
Here is why:

It's not difficult to find the supplies you need. AP let's you know ahead of time what you'll be needing for the program. I bought locally.

AP mixes art appreciation with actual art application. I loved the combination of the two, altho, we back up the art appreciation with other spines.

AP doesn't tell your child "how-to". I like art books that give direction but let creativity and expression take over. Many art curriculum's I found "told" kids how to make art. (Draw a circle like this. Now step two draw a square...Pahleeze!)IMO, art should not be a 'how-to' course...but a course in freeing up your creativity.

Lessons are simple and straight forward. The can require as much or as little time as you want them to.

And there you have it...my two cents!

[Lisawa]

We just finished our lesson we were working on today! I have a K4 and first grader and we are doing book one. i love this program. It is very easy to use, includes picture study and gives simple instructions on projects the kids can understand. The first book focuses on "what artists do". We have "fine arts Friday" at our house. We do the picture study during tea time...while listening to classical music (course, that is always on at our house) and then get to work on our masterpieces. The boys love it and so do I. Makes for a very relaxing and simple Friday.


Thats great! Now Im excited to get started... but not for another few months... I cant add another new thing in yet... not till we get a groove w/ Nature study....

Great review Brittney...

Lisa

[Audrey]

We love AP here. The combo of appreciation and application is very good.

[HSMom2One]

I actually teach art to K-6 at a local private school two days per week, and I homeschool my 8yo dd. As an artist and painter with education and background in the fine arts, you'd think I would be sure to have lots of ideas for my little one. Not always the case, my friends! I have 155 students during the week and by the time I'm home again, its easy to put the art lessons at the bottom of the list. This has been a concern to me lately, and I've felt convicted about it. Maybe getting the curriculum you are discussing would be a nice bonus -- something different than my own lesson plans. Thanks to you, I'm going to check this out!

Okay, enough about me, what I really wanted to say in this thread is that along with the curriculum you do or don't use, be sure to keep a lot of nice drawing and painting paper on hand, markers, colored pencils, paints, etc. and allow your children ample free time to be creative on their own. I can't stress this enough. Art time does not have to be completely structured to be beneficial to children. And when they show you their own creations, be sure to oooooh and aaaaaah over how beautiful they are, encouraging them to continue using their own minds and personal creativity. You may see green skies and purple pears, coloring outside the lines, scribbles and unrecognizable objects on their paper, but it is their own creation and they should be proud of what they've done. A lot of people grow up to think of themselves as un-artistic simply because they did not receive the right kind of encouragement.

As for supplies, please consider this thought. If you give your children cheap art tools and mediums to work with, they are not going to be as succesful in their endeavors. If you want your children to feel good about what they are doing, please try to upgrade if possible. I learned this in art school as a student and have always carried it with me, taught it to others that I teach, etc. If beginners use tools and supplies that excite them and produce colorful and beautiful results, they are much more likely to want to continue to make art.

Blessings,
Lucinda

http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/chores043.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org)

[King Alfred Academy]

If you click my blog in my siggy you can see the project we did today. It's listed in my weekly report.

[kalanamak]

I really like Artisitic Pursuits. I've used the first 3 K-3 books. I love the layout with art apreciation and a project included in one lesson. It has just the right level of depth and difficulty for me--not too much! I bought my own supplies because I'm cheap, but it would be really easy with a supplies kit.

Pardon, can anyone weigh in if AP is neutral/secular? Thanks nt

[Laura Corin]

Pardon, can anyone weigh in if AP is neutral/secular? Thanks nt

We've used most of K-3 Year 1 and any mention of religion has been in the context of the art (stained glass windows, etc.)

Laura

[kalanamak]

We've used most of K-3 Year 1 and any mention of religion has been in the context of the art (stained glass windows, etc.)

Thanks.
I really wish people who market things to HSers would mention this politely in the FAQ's. Here I've learned the term "neutral" rather than secular, which somehow drags earth/life origins into it, so someone saying their book is secular turns off some buyers. A read through AP's websites has only the statement that the author is very pleased with what a dedicated Christian her daughter is. Even if, say, here in the US two thirds of the HSers claim religion is a central theme in their families, this leaves a pretty big chunk who don't.
Grumble, grumble. For someone who was raised that religious beliefs were a very private matter one didn't discuss with anyone, coming here and asking over and over is unpleasant, not that anyone here has given me any grief....it just goes against the grain for me.
Thanks again.

[chai]

Thanks.
I really wish people who market things to HSers would mention this politely in the FAQ's. Here I've learned the term "neutral" rather than secular, which somehow drags earth/life origins into it, so someone saying their book is secular turns off some buyers. A read through AP's websites has only the statement that the author is very pleased with what a dedicated Christian her daughter is. Even if, say, here in the US two thirds of the HSers claim religion is a central theme in their families, this leaves a pretty big chunk who don't.
Grumble, grumble. For someone who was raised that religious beliefs were a very private matter one didn't discuss with anyone, coming here and asking over and over is unpleasant, not that anyone here has given me any grief....it just goes against the grain for me.
Thanks again.

Good point. Even as a Christian, I would like to see more information on any religious slants that are in included in the materials. I've been grumbling lately because some of my curricula this year had a viewpoint that I don't agree with. I had to skip a bunch of pages/chapters. I'm going to try to remember to add that information in any review I do on this forum.

Regarding AP, I only remember that the author shares her religious beliefs in the introduction written to the teacher. I've used three books and I don't remember any other religion included in them.

[Lori D.]

While the AP we tried (AP for gr. 4-6) did a nice job with the art appreciation, we didn't feel it offered much in the way of specific art instruction. For example, one lesson taught about the orientation of a piece of art (portrait -- vertical alignment, or landscape -- horizontal alignment) and showed examples. The accompanying hands-on instruction said something to the effect of "Now draw a picture of whatever you'd like, making sure to align your paper (portrait or landscape orientation) to fit your subject." That was disappointing to us, as we were looking forward to specific instruction in *how* to draw. I understand that the middle school and high school levels of AP have more specific art instruction.

Just our expectation of and experience with AP! Warmly, Lori D.

[Lori D.]

How to Teach Art to Children (by Joy Evans & Jo Ellen Moore) is a very nice resource which gives much more specific information on the "how to" of art, while still allowing much room for creativity. It has 4 main sections: color, patterns and design, line and shape, texture. It is soft cover, 96 pages. For grades K-5. See it at:
http://www.amazon.com/How-Teach-Art-Children-Grades/dp/1557998116/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205596645&sr=8-1

A typical lesson contains:
- description of the concept
- tips for when you try an activity or experiment on your own
- literature suggestions
- fine art examples (pieces of art you could look up on the Internet as examples)
- 4 specific art project ideas


Here's the table of contents:

Color
- Primary Colors
- Secondary Colors
- Values
- Black and White
- Contrast
- Cool/Warm Colors
- Complementary Colors
- Tertiary Colors
- Light through a Prism


Pattern and Design
- Repetition
- Variation
- Contrasting Colors

Lines and Shapes
- Kinds of Lines
- Curves and Angles
- Outlines


For specific instruction on how to draw, while still encouraging lots of creativity, we've enjoyed Mark Kistler's book "Draw Squad". He covers foreshortening, surface, shading, shadow, contour, and overlapping in fun, short lessons. While the lessons are more in a "cartoon" style, he shows examples from kids, many of a more realistic nature, and he encourages drawing from real life, not just cartoon-style drawing. See sample pages at:
http://www.amazon.com/Mark-KistlerS-Draw-Squad-Kistler/dp/0671656945/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205596919&sr=8-1


Warm regards, Lori D.

[koko]

It seems AP has few dissenters! so I think this is what I will do with my 8 year old in the fall :) He does love to draw and paint and really creates beautiful things. Me? I can barely draw a stick figure! that's why I need something well laid out for the artistically challenged :D

[Heather in VA]

Thanks.
I really wish people who market things to HSers would mention this politely in the FAQ's. Here I've learned the term "neutral" rather than secular, which somehow drags earth/life origins into it, so someone saying their book is secular turns off some buyers. A read through AP's websites has only the statement that the author is very pleased with what a dedicated Christian her daughter is. Even if, say, here in the US two thirds of the HSers claim religion is a central theme in their families, this leaves a pretty big chunk who don't.
Grumble, grumble. For someone who was raised that religious beliefs were a very private matter one didn't discuss with anyone, coming here and asking over and over is unpleasant, not that anyone here has given me any grief....it just goes against the grain for me.
Thanks again.


Well this would be a pretty tall order since 'neutral' and 'secular' means something different to each person. However the author decides to label the curriculum, someone will come forward and decide that the author misrepresented him/herself. Unfortunately sometimes we have to discuss things we'd rather not when the issue is important to us.

[kalanamak]

Well this would be a pretty tall order since 'neutral' and 'secular' means something different to each person. However the author decides to label the curriculum, someone will come forward and decide that the author misrepresented him/herself. Unfortunately sometimes we have to discuss things we'd rather not when the issue is important to us.

I disagree. How is using "secular" open to cries of misrepresentation when not mentioning religious content is not? The following is not a "tall order" for a website that has an FAQ and the "about us" section refers specifically to the author's religious beliefs, AND the target audience is homeschoolers, who, at least in my neck of the woods, are over 50% active Christians.

Example FAQ entry:
Does your curriculum have a religious message?

No. While I am a *****, I have geared this for use by everyone, and would consider it theologically neutral, and compatible with family values but without a specific religious message.

Or: While there are no specific lessons on the Bible, some of the exercises presume the literal truth of the Bible.

Or: The only religious content is a few quotes from the Bible, as well as other ancient sources, at the chapter ends.

___________________________

I would also consider selling one's curriculum as important to the writers and it behooves them to present it in a way that reduces returns or simply being skipped over because the surfers don't order because they don't know the answer to the above. I grumbled with a purpose...much HS curr is written by HSers, and I hope any here who end up doing this, a la GWG, do put it in their FAQs. Absence of or gist of religious content is important to many, many people. Sellers should know this, for their own benefit. That it saves me time and is to my benefit as well just makes such an FAQ entry all the more sensible.

[kalanamak]

It seems AP has few dissenters! so I think this is what I will do with my 8 year old in the fall :) He does love to draw and paint and really creates beautiful things. Me? I can barely draw a stick figure! that's why I need something well laid out for the artistically challenged :D

Yes, thanks everyone. I buy little without seeing it first, but all I've heard here has convinced me.
koko...if you can get a cheap copy of Drawing with Children, I have had my "barely draw a stick figure" self-assessment changed to "not an artist, but can draw a free hand map like a grown up and can sketch a wound or scar in a hospital chart now without cringing", just by following her steps.

[allearia]

We have been using the first k-3 book this year, and while we are going pretty slowly through the lessons my son has used tons of the art supply package we bought with it. I think we just ordered the package from the company, though probably more expensive than what I could have gotten if I'd looked harder it was a great package of different papers and pencils, pastels, watercolor crayons, clay and more I can't think of right now. I found it a great way to explore different media with project ideas in the book. my son loves art and is also in a drawing-instruction monart class so this is a very different experience, much more free-form.

[WyoSylvia]

I am strongly considering using Artistic Pursuits but have a concern about how to use it as well as keeping the art (& artists bio's) on track with the history chronology. (I noticed that the future track for AP doesn't follow the four-year plan.) You mentioned that you are backing up the art appreciation with other spines - is that why you have done that? Either way, I would like to hear about others' experiences and any suggestions? :bigear:
Thanks

[ArwenA]

And let's just say I am incredibly art-challenged :blink:!!
thanks!

High five! I'm art challenged too.:)
We did one year of AP in kindergarten and really liked it. I would have continued but we've changed our focus to art appreciation that ties in with the history we're studying and do some projects related to the artist (this afternoon we're doing Rembrandt). I also like to have something that all my kids can do together and that has lots of books.