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Apr 18 2022

The Art Elements: Line

One of the seven elements of art is line.

Today, we’ve got some fun resources that will help you to understand how line works in art, and the different types (or families) of lines that you can use.

HOW LINES WORK IN ART

Follow this link for an explanation of the many different ways line works in art, plus a fun and easy line art/craft project at the bottom of the page:

https://kidcourses.com/line-elements-of-design-for-kids/

LESSON PLAN

You’ll find a complete lesson plan on line for early elementary students at this page from the National Gallery of Art:

https://www.nga.gov/education/teachers/lessons-activities/elements-of-art/line.html

HOW LINES CONVEY MOTION, EMOTION, AND MORE

This page will be good for older students, because it demonstrates the more subtle uses of line in art: to convey motion, emotion, and much more.

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/looking-art/elements-of-art/a/line

ART LESSONS FOR KIDS —

http://artlessonsforkids.me/tag/elements-of-art/

This page is definitely one of my favorites. It has some very creative art projects, some targeted at children as young as first graders. All the projects involve the creative and colorful use of line.

A SONG ABOUT LINES

And just for fun, here’s a song about lines. It’s a bit on the corny side, but it might help your younger children remember the different kinds of lines they can use when they create art.

Apr 11 2022

Four Tools Every Homeschool Mom Needs – Part Four

by Angie McFarren

This last installment of the Four Tools Every Homeschool Mom Needs may be the toughest of them all.

Essential Tool #4 – The Ability to Say, “No, Thank You.”

The words, “Ask her. She stays home all day” were just said. The hair on the back of her neck begins to stiffen. Her muscles tighten. She mumbles through gritted teeth, “They better not be talking about me.” She thinks to herself, “They disagree with homeschooling but want me to do the work for them.” Where is that “No Thank You” Chinese Folding Fan?

You may wonder what a No Thank You Chinese Folding Fan is. It is one of those pretty fans, which has the words, “No Thank You” written across it in pretty lettering. Of course, this is something I made up. But it would be handy to unfold that fan when someone begins asking you to do something. It would be a distraction for the person and she just might forget what she wanted to ask you.

Why is it so difficult to say no to others? Could it be guilt or the need to feel dependable or needed? If it is guilt, you need the Guilt Remover I wrote about in my previous post!

Your typical week is full of activities and home responsibilities. There is homeschooling, sport practices, dance lessons, music lessons, Bible study, co-op, at least one library visit, laundry, cleaning, meal preparing, banking, grocery shopping, and completing miscellaneous errands. Some weeks there are doctor appointments, haircuts, and other types of appointments. People wonder why you are grumpy at times. They have no idea what it is like to juggle a schedule, maintain a home, homeschool, and be a loving wife, mother, friend, and so forth.

Imagine this scenario:

It is Sunday afternoon, and you are reflecting on your previous week.

Monday went okay. You completed the shopping, banking, and errands. You even completed some lesson plans. Yet, that evening is when it all began. The president of the Ladies Fellowship called. She asked if you would bake three pies for Sunday’s church social. You agreed even though Saturday was the day you intended to clean your house. Oh, well. What is another week anyway?

Tuesday you were able to catch up on the laundry. You took your son to ball practice and your daughter to dance class in the late afternoon. There was that incident where you left your daughter waiting for 20 minutes until you could pick her up. She had a meltdown over that one. Mental note: arrange for carpooling.

After supper, Mary from co-op called. The art teacher could not make it for Friday’s co-op. Mary said, “You are so good at teaching art. I told the teacher you will fill in for her.” Sigh.

Wednesday was the day for music lessons and a trip to the library. It was a bit hectic trying to fit those in and attend Bible study on time. Oh my, just thinking about what occurred at Bible study makes you tense. Margaret came up to you before class began. She said, “Hello Dear. Did you hear Susan has stepped down from her position as the Children’s Ministry Coordinator? I met with the Nurture Committee last evening. Because of how well you love the children here, we decided you would be the new Coordinator. The materials you need are in the office.” Margaret walks away and leaves you wondering what just happened. Since Margaret is such a lovely person, you cannot let her down.

Then there was Thursday. Your husband came home from work and said, “I invited Bob and Mark to bring their wives over for supper tomorrow night. I know how you like to entertain and knew you would not mind me inviting them. They will be here at 6:00.”

There was not enough food to feed everyone. That required an extra trip to the grocery store. You muttered and fussed as you drove there and back. Oh well, you needed extra ingredients for the pies anyway.

Friday was a busy day. You were up early in the morning to clean the house. You also did some laundry before you went to co-op. Teaching the art class went okay, however it could have been better. Later in the afternoon, you completed the laundry and prepared supper for your family and guests.

Friday evening was going well until… Your son came to inform you the coach arranged for an unexpected ball game for tomorrow morning. You son also said, “Oh and um, you have to work in the concession’s stand.” You wanted to scream and cry! Realizing you had company, you had to control yourself.

You spent Saturday baking pies and working in the concession stand at the ball game. Late in the evening, you realized you had not prepared anything for your new position as the Children’s Ministry Coordinator. What were you supposed to do anyway? It took a couple of hours to determine what your role will be and to do to some organizing.

Now it is Sunday. Today has been exhausting with church, the social, and so forth. You have to admit you were a bit grumpy. You also wonder how you could have handled this past week differently.

Has anything like this happened to you? It is overwhelming when we do not have the ability to say no. The next time someone asks or tells you what to do get out your No Thank You Chinese Folding Fan. Well, at least the mental image will be a nice reminder for you to say no.

Seriously, we do need to guard ourselves from over commitments. Here are a few suggestions before you become involved in something new.

Pray first. Now, be aware God may tell you to say yes. I recently had that happened to me. Let us just say God won. With His help, Tylenol, and Starbuck’s coffee, I know I can handle the upcoming project. Thank goodness, it does not start until spring.
Discuss it with your husband. Is he willing to help and especially not volunteer you for anything?
Determine if it will be beneficial to all the family members.
Do not take on a new project if you cannot finish it or give it your best.
Is there something you should release to someone else if you take on this new activity?
Delegate what you can.
Limit the number of sports or activities your children participate in at one time.
Instruct your children not to volunteer for anything without talking with you first. My daughter has trouble with this one.
Arrange for carpooling when possible.
Be willing to ask for help.

Apr 04 2022

Four Tools Every Homeschool Mom Needs – Part Three

As I had said in the past two posts, moms need many tools to have a full functioning homeschool. However, there are four essential tools that are unseen. Today, I will share with you about the need for a Guilt Remover.

Do you suffer from guilt? Many moms do at some point or another. What causes that guilt? How can we remove it? I know. We need a Guilt Remover, like a laundry stain remover.

Us moms are good about sharing products, which we are impressed with and find helpful. One baseball season, a mom told me about White Bright. This laundry detergent actually removes stains from baseball pants!

My son loves baseball and really gets into the game. I mean really gets into it. When he dives to catch the ball, he slides across the bright green grass. My son also loves to steal bases, and in the process his white baseball pants become even more filthy. For those who are unfamiliar with baseball fields, the dirt is not just dirt. It is like Georgia clay…orange/brown that is. Do you have a mental image of what his baseball pants look like?

After each game, I soak his baseball pants overnight in White Bright. The next day, I turn on the washer to finish the laundry process. Afterwards, the baseball pants are white again. When my boy walks on the field for the next game, he looks good.

Us moms can easily allow the dirt and grime to stain our lives. There are days when people will say things that make us feel less than desirable. The things said, or implied, might be about our how we manage our home, what we look like, the type of meals we prepare, our choice to homeschool, how we homeschool, and the list continues. Sometimes that list seems as if is as long as a cashier-receipt tape rolled out on the floor.

Imagine this scenario:

You are so excited. You are going to spend an evening with other homeschool moms from the co-op you just joined. You walk into the room wearing your new white dress and you look good.

The first person you meet is Mary. She is the perfect homeschool mom. Mary creates her own curriculum, takes her children on multiple field trips each month, teaches one of the co-op classes, is a board member for the county homeschool support group, and the list continues.

Mary tells you about her children’s latest lapbook creations and how wonderful they are. You agree lapbooking is great for your hands-on child. You ask Mary which company she prefers to purchase her lapbooks. Mary says, “I don’t buy lapbooks. I create all of ours from the patterns I have made and….” She then asks, “Don’t you create your own lapbooks?” You tell her you prefer to use the ones with pretty pictures, projects, maps, and so forth. Mary’s response is, “Mine are more meaningful than any lapbook you can buy online.”

There is guilt number one. Guess what? There is a small stain on your white dress.

You see Louise across the room. You are hoping she will not see you. Oh no, here she comes. Why is she here? She does not homeschool. Then you remember she is the host’s sister.

Louise shows excitement to finally be able to talk with you. Her first question is, “Do you really homeschool? You know children can’t make friends or play sports sitting at home. They can’t possibly go to a college without having a real diploma.” The longer Louise talks, the more guilty you feel.

Oops, there is another stain on your white dress.

You see Cindy across the room. She comes over to you and excitedly tells you about the new curriculum she is using. She asks, “What are you using?” You tell her about the books you have chosen and how well they are working for your children. Cindy asks, “Are they textbooks? You say, “Yes, they are.” Cindy’s response is, “Oh.” Then she walks away.

There is guilt number three. You notice there is another stain on your white dress.

By the end of the evening, you are feeling discouraged and the stains on your dress have spread all over. You return home and tell your husband about your evening. He holds you and asks, “Why do you let people make you feel this way?”

There is guilt number four. Your beautiful white dress now looks like Georgia clay. You sure could use a Guilt Remover.

When a mom begins homeschooling for the first time, she has grand plans. She has heard and read how children have excelled by being home educated, and she is looking forward to the fruits of her labor. It is not long until reality hits. She discovers homeschooling is not always perfect. She does not feel validated by all the homeschool moms out there, because she has chosen to homeschool differently than them. The new homeschool mom begins to think she is a failure and feels guilty for numerous reasons.

If you are one of those homeschool moms who are experiencing guilt, remember why you decided to homeschool in the first place. Then continue homeschooling in a way that is best for your children. No one knows them like you do.

It also helps to talk with someone who will listen with a non-judgmental spirit and provide you with a Guilt Remover.

Mar 28 2022

It’s Okay to Copy!

When I was growing up, I was taught not to copy other people’s work. It was considered dishonest and cheating. That, of course was even more true in college and graduate school.

For most of the last 20 years, I’ve made my living as a freelance writer, and I can tell you that the rule has not changed–at least for writers. The technical term, of course, is plagiarism, and it has ruined more than one writer’s career.

However, there is one area where copying is not only acceptable, it’s encouraged–under certain circumstances. That’s in art.

For many years, artists have honed their craft by copying the works of the old masters. Although there are some who discourage this practice because they feel it hinders originality, there is much to be said for learning to draw and paint by copying the works of master artists.

If you have a young student who wants to learn and grow as an artist, and who is up for a challenge, encourage them to try copying some classic works of art. I’ve linked to some blogs below to help you get started.

And don’t forget to have fun.

Here are some blog posts worth reading:

DRAWING TIPS FOR COPYING OLD MASTERS DRAWINGS

THE THREE STEPS TO BECOMING A BETTER PAINTER

IS COPYING THE MASTERS BAD OR GOOD?

Enjoy these random selections from the blog:

And don’t forget to visit our store! Here are a few of our products that will help you have a first class art program at home:

Mar 19 2022

Homeschool Essentials: Four Tools Every Homeschool Mom Needs – Part Two

Guest post by Angie McFarren – Angie is a former homeschool mom of two high school graduates. One of her children went on to college and graduated Cum laude in three years. When she isn’t doing the social media posting for See the Light, she is serving as a church secretary.

As I said in last week’s post, moms need many tools to have a full-functioning homeschool such as paper, pencils, books, and so forth. The four essential tools I will talk about are unseen and far more important than school supplies. The Homeschool Essentials: Four Tools Every Homeschool Mom Needs will come to you in four parts.

Essential Tool #2 – Patience

How many times have you heard yourself say the following words?

I said…

Don’t do that.

Why have you not…?

Hurry

Yet

Come on.

I found myself saying those words all too often when my children lived at home. I was trying to calm my spirit, but it was a struggle at times.

Homeschool moms deal with many things during the day. Some of these include taking care of household tasks; handling discipline issues; teaching our children, driving to and from activities, and the list continues. All while doing these, we are to have a gentle spirit and be a positive example for our family and others. Well… it is easier said than done.

Imagine this scenario:

Your day starts out great. You have had prayer time. A smile is on your face. You hear your husband and children laughing and it warms your heart. School begins earlier than usual and the children are more agreeable than yesterday about their studies. Your tasks for the day are light and you just might be able to finish that project that has been sitting in the living room for weeks. All is great until…

You give your older children instructions so you can work with your youngest child. Your youngest son begins reading to you and struggles over words you have worked on for weeks. That is okay. You and your child work through it. Next, you check for reading comprehension. You hear the words, “I don’t know.” Sigh. You decide it is best to try again later. In the meantime, you give him instructions for the next subject.

You move on to help your middle child with science. You find her doing an experiment. You are so pleased she took the initiative to begin without you and both of you are happy the science experiment was a success. Oh no, you just noticed the awful mess she made with her science experiment. You had the area looking so nice before school began. You let her know it is important for her to take responsibility and she must clean up after herself. You walk away as the hair on the back of your neck begins to bristle.

Your oldest child needs help with his geometry. Just the thought of it makes you tense. The whole purpose of purchasing that DVD math course is so you would not have to remember how to use the Pythagorean Theorem. You take a deep breath, as you look through the teacher’s manual to decipher the lesson. Your eyes glaze over and you are developing a headache. Both you and your child decide it is best to wait for Dad to help.

Now you realize your youngest child is very quiet, which is unusual for him. You find him lying on the couch. You hear yourself say, “Don’t do that. You know what I said earlier.” The child uses a whiny tone when responding to your questions. You walk away gritting your teeth.

Your daughter is now working on a messy art project. You feel your shoulders become tense and your head is pounding, as you try to remind yourself she is a hands-on child and needs to “experience” her learning. Your temper flairs when you enter the next room to find she did not clean up her mess from the science experiment. You say, “Why have you not cleaned up your mess? Hurry up and do it!”

Next, you find your oldest child staring at the computer. You say, “Aren’t you done with your math yet!” He is distraught because he downloaded a virus. You are now beyond frustrated while talking to the computer, saying “Come on!”

Can you relate to that scenario? Did you notice all those words were said?

We homeschool moms need to exhibit another type of patience. We must be patient when our children are not learning as fast as we would like. We can easily add more subjects and activities to our children’s schooling than they can handle. This may be because we want to prove to those who disagree with homeschooling that our children are well educated and socialized.

If you begin to hear your children impatiently saying, “I am trying” or “I am doing the best I can,” it is a warning signal. Quickly determine what the issue is. Is it because of poor time management on their part? Are the subjects too hard? Is it because they have too many subjects or activities? On the other hand, are you expecting too much? Whatever the cause is, slow down and eliminate what is unnecessary. Remember children need time to learn. It is much better for children to learn for mastering rather than for us to impress others.

This second post of the Homeschool Essentials: Four Tools Every Homeschool Mom Needs series is not only for you; it is for me as well.

Mar 14 2022

Four Tools Every Homeschool Mom Needs – Part One

Guest post by Angie McFarren — Angie is a former homeschool mom of two high school graduates. One of her children went on to college and graduated Cum laude in three years. When she isn’t doing the social media posting for See the Light, she is serving as a church secretary.

Moms need many tools to have a full functioning homeschool such as paper, pencils, books, and so forth. The four essential tools I will talk about are unseen and far more important than school supplies. The Homeschool Essentials: Four Tools Every Homeschool Mom Needs will come to you in four parts.

Essential Tool #1 – Prayer

Prayer may seem obvious and you may not necessarily think of it as a tool. In fact, it is the most essential tool a homeschool mom needs. Without it, you struggle when your day goes awry.

Imagine this scenario:

You and your husband awaken an hour late to the sound of your baby crying. Your baby’s bed is wet and requires laundering his sheets. Your toddler decides to be a big girl and help prepare breakfast. Bless her for she wants to do something nice for mommy. In the process, she drops a carton of eggs creating a mess, which is best for you to clean up rather than her. Your husband comes to you in a frenzy wanting to know where his clean shirts are. The shirts are in the washer from yesterday. Your older children begin fighting with one another over something trivial. Your nerves become more and more rattled as you are trying to meet everyone else’s needs.

Your husband is now at work, the baby is taking his morning nap, the toddler is playing quietly, the older children are beginning their studies, and you decide to take a quick shower. While there, you think of all the tasks you have for the day. The baby has a doctor’s appointment. Your oldest child has basketball practice while your second oldest has dance class. Oh, no! You forgot to arrange for another mom to take your son to practice! You also have a sense that something is missing.

The day continues and more things go awry. The older children need items for their science experiment, which you forgot to get. While looking for a book, you remember the library books are overdue and you must return them today. Partway through fixing supper you discover you are out of an important ingredient. Sigh. There is that feeling again… something is missing.

By bedtime, you are exhausted. You begin to think back on your day. There is that feeling again. You ask yourself, “What did I forget?” A gentle voice says, “You forgot Me.”

This scenario reminds me of a children’s story I told at church several years ago. The jar, boiled eggs, and rice story went like this:

“What should we do each morning before anything else? That is right. We should pray and read the Bible. Let us look at what happens when we don’t. Many things keep us busy during the day with some being unplanned. (As I listed off numerous activities, I added the rice to the jar.)

What happens when we try to squeeze God into our day? (As I listed off things, I added the eggs to the jar.) What happened? The eggs do not fit. Why do you think that is?

Let us try this. (I removed the eggs and the rice from the jar.)

What do you think will happen, if we pray to God and read the Bible before doing all the other things we need to do during the day? (I added all the eggs into the jar.)

Do you think you can still do all the other things you need to do? (I began adding the rice to the jar.) The children were amazed to find the rice and the eggs now fit inside the jar when they did not fit earlier.

This example shows we should put God first in our lives and everything else will fall into place.”

I realize when we place God first in our lives, things will not be perfect. However, we will be able to do all things through Him who strengthens us. Philippians 4:13 (paraphrased)

This first post of the Homeschool Essentials: Four Tools Every Homeschool Mom Needs series is not only for you; it is for me as well.

Blog

HOW LINES WORK IN ART

LESSON PLAN

HOW LINES CONVEY MOTION, EMOTION, AND MORE

ART LESSONS FOR KIDS —

A SONG ABOUT LINES

Essential Tool #2 – Patience

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