Meet the Masters :: Vincent van Gogh

This year we are studying some of the Master Artists using Meet the Masters.  My husband took art appreciation classes in college, but I never did study any of the artists growing up...  I've used Child Size Masterpieces (affiliate link)  and incorporated a few Leonardo and Michelangelo art projects with the older children when they were younger, but other than that I have never made much of an effort to incorporate art study into our lesson plans until this year.  

In the fall we all enjoyed creating our Art Portfolios.   We also completed the Vincent van Gogh unit study.  This was our first introduction to van Gogh's life, and wow. Studying the artists is so different than studying the lives of the saints! We ended the lesson with a great discussion about the importance of having our faith at the center of our lives, and a prayer for his soul.  

.: Master Artist :. 

Vincent van Gogh (van-GOE) 

Dutch (1853-1890)

The results of Van Gogh's unhappy and tragic life are beautiful, expressive paintings of a world that did not accept or understand him.

Art Activity Emphasis: Texture

Media: Oil Pastel on black construction paper card stock

Lesson: Complete Meet the Masters Slide Show

.:Art Supplies :. 

 Note: All links to Amazon are affiliate links. 

Black construction paper (we used card stock instead)

Oil Pastels (we used the Pentel 16 count) 

Paper towel (for wiping fingers)

.: Practice Technique - Texture :. 

 

.: Art Project :. 

Didn't they all turn out so pretty?! 

.: Additional Reading :. 

Katie and the Starry Night

I'd also love to do this Sunflower Art Project as an additional follow up activity and read a few other books on van Gogh including Katie and the Sunflowers, van Gogh and the Sunflowers, and In the Garden with van Gogh!

Meet the Masters :: Art Portfolios

This year we are studying art with Meet The Masters!  

A couple weeks ago we completed the preview lesson as we began working our way through Track A.  

Meet the Masters is a three step program that begins with an online lesson "Introducing the Masters," step two continues with teaching "Art Techniques," and then in step three the children move on to the actual "Art Activity." The project that the students complete for each lesson uses all the techniques they had just learned to create their own masterpiece inspired by each master artist.  

Looking at the three levels available I decided to just use the lessons for Ages 10-Adult, simplifying the art activities for my younger children if necessary.  

The tracks are available directly from Meet the Masters, but can also be found at a discount at Rainbow Resource and bundles are available at the Homeschool Buyers's Co-Op.   Rainbow Resource also carries Art Supply Bundles and we are using the Art Bundle for Track A.   

During the preview lesson we were given an introduction to a number of master artists, who we will eventually study, including: Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Mary Cassatt, Winslow Homer, Piet Mondrian, and Pablo Picasso.   We then went on to learn about "looking carefully" and "seeing differently" - complete with some optical illusions that the kids loved! 

Our Art Activity for the Preview Tract was to design a Portfolio! 

The instructions suggested creating the portfolios with construction paper, but for added durability we used large sheets of poster board folded in half and stapled together on each edge.  

Everyone was provided with a blank palette to include on the cover of their portfolio.  Instead of filling the palette with paint colors we either listed or included photos of all the artists we plan to learn about this year - including ourselves!  

 
 
 
 

We didn't follow the directions exactly (perhaps we would have if I had read them completely before starting!) but we all had such a great time, and the kids convinced me to create my own portfolio too! 

Now we just have to get started creating some art to store inside our portfolios!  

Up first is Vincent van Gogh... We will learn about him and then create our own "Starry Night!"

And what perfect timing with the publication of Katie and the Starry Night earlier this month! 

I am sure I will be sharing some more of our "masterpieces" throughout the year!