(ART)
"The more you draw something, the more it teaches you to see it correctly."
--Barry Stebbing

The art section was inserted here because good penmanship goes hand in hand with art;
Art History can be used for teaching time periods in history, and Nature Study with
original drawings can be used to encourage an ongoing appreciation of God's creation.
Art Journals are excellent tools for these disciplines and more.

Leonardo Da Vinci believed that art was a major path to knowledge.

Listed below are examples of recommended resources for art study:
How Great Thou Art: a Godly Perspective to Art, drawing and art series with Barry Stebbing.
See http://www.howgreatthouart.com/. Some of the texts and video series that are available
include The Lamb's Book of Art; Book of Etiquette & Good Manners, I Can Do All Things: A
Beginning Book of Drawing & Painting; Feed My Sheep; How Great Thou Art; God & the
History of Art, The Book of Many Colors: a Beginning Book of Painting & Color, art
supplies, and more. We have attended Barry and Saundra Stebbings' 3 day workshop and
highly recommend it for the basics in "real" art skills. Some specific objectives include
fundamentals of drawing, fundamentals in color theory, mixing colors, painting with control,
an introduction to the great masters in art, and more.

Adventures in Art contains three galleries. Each gallery contains carefully chosen
reproductions highlighting the major periods of art; curriculum by David Quine.
See at http://www.cornerstonecurriculum.com/Curriculum/Art/art.htm.

Ambleside has links for artists and works of art to study each term. See
http://www.amblesideonline.org/.

It is recommended that you study great works of art appropriate for children.
In searching scripture to determine what would be appropriate, three areas
were especially pertinent to us - paintings of Christ, nudity, and angels.
Deuteronomy 16:22, I Corinthians 11:14, Isaiah 52:14, Isaiah 53:2,
Revelation 1:14-16, and John 4:23, 24 were passages helpful to our family.
Genesis 2:25 and Genesis 3:7 describe Adam and Eve's attitude toward nudity
before and after the fall. Also see Job 31:1, Psalm 101:3a, Proverb 27:20b.
II Samuel 11 tells of King David's sins that began with idleness and his looking
upon a woman bathing. II Samuel 12:10-14 tells of the serious consequences.
I Kings 8:7, Isaiah 6:2, Luke 24:4, Hebrews 13:2 are helpful verses to study
regarding angels. Cherubims and seraphims have wings; angels look like men.

We greatly enjoy the work of children's book illustrator, Tasha Tudor. Also, study
beautiful illustrations for "copying" into a sketch book and/or color black and white
illustrations in your own older books. A beginner should strive to work in an art journal
a couple of times a week.

A local art teacher said it's better to draw 10 minutes every day than 1 hour only
one day a week! Isaiah 28:13 comes to mind, "But the word of the LORD was unto them
precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little,
and there a little;..." That Bible principle can be applied to all academic subjects, as well
as our efforts to develop skills or good habits in every area of our lives!

Let your children draw and "be creative" using different media; do "stamping up" and
make your own greeting cards; do origami paper folding, try paper mache' with newspaper
strips and liquid starch, and build things. Coloring books that are recommended especially
for younger children are Rod and Staff's coloring books, Rhyme and Color and
Nature Book to Color. Left click "coloring books" and next page; also click "arts
and crafts" at http://naturesworkshopplus.com/.

Dover coloring books are also recommended; they are more than just coloring books!
See http://store.doverpublications.com/by-subject-coloring-books.html.

Another "arts and crafts" source is Hobby Lobby. The Board of Directors' statement of
commitment is: "Honoring the Lord in all we do by operating the company in a manner
consistent with Biblical principles." Hobby Lobby Creative Centers do not open on Sundays.
They have departments ranging from crafts, hobbies, picture framing, jewelry making, fabrics
and sewing notions, floral, baskets, dollhouses, "real" art supplies, home accents, and holiday
supplies. For information about their weekly specials and a location near you, see
http://www.hobbylobby.com/site3/home2.cfm.

Consider using modeling clay, "Easy to Make" activity books and paper dolls,
Great Thumbprint Drawing Book and Drawing Book: Make a World both by
Ed Emberley, pattern blocks, Duplos, and Legos. Various needlework projects like
embroidery, stamped or counted cross stitch, needlepoint, crocheting, knitting, sewing,
quilting or tatting are all artistic. Calligraphy, cake decorating, flower arranging, making
door wreaths, stenciling, decoupaging, and toll painting are, too, as well as, carving,
woodburning, whittling, building birdhouses and even landscaping .
I Thessalonians 4:11 says, "And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business,
and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you"

"Talent does not guarantee success." --Leonardo Da Vinci

Several art books that we can recommend in addition to Mr. Stebbing's art curriculum
include the following: Sketching and Drawing for Children: Step-by-step fundamentals
by Genevieve Vaughan-Jackson, How to Draw What You See by Rudy De Reyna,
Drawing: An Usborne Guide, How to Draw Lifelike Portraits from Photographs by
Lee Hammond, How to Draw and Paint Watercolors from Walter Foster Publishing,
and The Encyclopedia of Calligraphy Techniques by Diana Hardy Wilson.

A Watercolor Pencil kit that we have enjoyed from General Pencil Co., Inc. is
"Learn Watercolor Pencil Techniques Now" See this on their website at
http://www.generalpencil.com/70kit.html.

"Genius is one per cent inspiration, ninety-nine per cent perspiration."
and "There is no substitute for hard work." both by Thomas Edison