Homeschool Diaries: appreciating art

Bruegel's Hunters in the Snow, 1665

I have always had an interest in art... all kinds of art.  When I was ten, I did a water color of Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough {minus the face.  I put a beagle's face on him}, and a colored pencil sketch of The Allegory of a Painting by Francois Boucher.  My parents framed and displayed these for a long time.  I remember copying them from a book.  I was so entranced, especially by the folds in the fabric and how much dimension these details gave.  I remember spending hours shading, trying to duplicate the silky textures. These tedious first attempts led to a path of self-expression, as I discovered release, and confidence, and comfort in my growing love of art.

It is nice to have internet, and access to so many masterpieces at our fingertips.  The Jedi and I have been looking at this painting by Bruegel, and analyzing it as best we can from a four-year-old perspective. :)  We talk about the colors and how they make us feel {cold, sleepy, hungry}.  We talk about what the hunters might be thinking about, and how many dogs there are, and what it would be like to go right outside your front door and ice skate.  Then we try to to copy parts of painting from sight by drawing and coloring.  I think I may read them a little history about the artist, and show them some of his other works {there are six in the same series as this one, I believe.}

At any rate, it is a lot of fun sharing a passion that started in my childhood with my children. It was a passion my father shared with me.  I hope that the generations of my family can continue to bond over dabbling in, and appreciating art.

I would like to end by saying this: I want to start sharing some little things we are doing in the arena of homeschooling.  I, however, believe this is a very personal topic, and that homeschooling is not best for every child, or every parent.  I am definitely not preachy about it.  I do not even commit my own children's entire education to this route.  One day I'll blog about why we do it now.  But as for today, I hope that sharing in the arts is something you feel inspired to do with your children, no matter what school they attend.  No matter if you love classical paintings, or modern art, or theater, or music... they can really grow by seeing what you enjoy and learning to love it too.