Artful Everyday

So excited for the release of a New Curriculum! The incomparable Brooke Briggs of Magic Steps Music Together is offering Artful Beginnings: Renaissance to Pop Art!

Found a new artist to love: Olivia Beaumont! https://oliviabeaumont.com/. I can't wait to order her original illustrated book and share it with my art class!

Olivia Beaumont Fine Art

Oh my goodness how I love this! I'm teaching my students about the Renaissance. But I realized for many K-2nd Graders, drawing or painting a human face isn't nearly as captivating as drawing an animal. So we're making animal renaissance portraits instead! (The picture below is by a professional artist). Can't wait to see the children's finished work!

Renaissance Animal Portraits Raccoona Lisa by Winston1982 14th place entry in Animal Renaissance 10. Anthropomorphic digital art.

This video captures a moment of incredible focus: the student (age 8 or 9) is learning to SEE shadows, depth, mystery! She's copying Leonardo's Mona Lisa. In one week, she'll create a self-portrait that blew me away, but it never would have been possible without this first lesson from the great Leonardo! "Without tradition--the word means that which has been handed down to us--no new art would be possible. Tradition provides the firm platform from which the artist makes his leap of imagination" --Kenneth Clarke

New video by Silvia Smith

Check out these self-portraits by students at Bluebonnet Montessori of Lakeway! The children range in age from 3-9. I cannot say enough good things about this school and the joy it is to teach these amazing kids!

Cant believe our summer camp is almost over!

This past weekend we got to stage a delightful version of Romeo and Juliet - with a cast ranging in age from 3-9 years! So thankful to Silvia Smith, Rachna Mathur, Drew Rice and Sarah Harsdorff, and all the parents and kids!

Romeo and Juliet, Theatrical Production by the Bluebonnet Montessori Children Spring 2017.mp4

We just ran a wonderful performance at Bluebonnet Montessori! I'm so proud of our young actors and so grateful to Rachna Mathur and Silvia Smith for all the help!

This week's lesson: learning from Master Artist Owusu Ankomah. We studied Andinkra designs from Owusu's native country: Ghana. Love the student work!!!

One of the things I love about my job is getting to write curriculum! This week I discovered an artist I didn't know about before: Owusu Ankoman! This Ghanaian master lives in Bremen, Germany and says "I'm an artist who paints for humankind and who happens to come from Africa." Influenced by the monumental, dynamic figures of Michelangelo, Owusu integrates Adinkra symbols of his native Ghana with other symbols including one he discovered himself: the microcon. Love this artist and I think you all will too! http://www.octobergallery.co.uk/artists/owusu-ankomah/