Tree of Life - Mixed Media Project

Tree of Life - Mixed Media Final Project @2022 

My 13 year old 8th grader recently took a middle school visual arts class via Florida Virtual School - M/J Visual Art 1 to be exact. With our busy schedule the last few months, she did not have time for art classes at our favorite art studio, Crealdé School of Art. As an alternative, I signed her up for this instead with the intent of providing a positive outlet for her amazing creativity. Elisabeth already exhibits some remarkable talent so I was somewhat concerned the class would be too easy or that she would be bored. While the class is designed for beginners, it does offer good content for avid artists like her in addition to providing unique opportunities to express oneself. Above is a photo of the mixed media project she submitted as her final project in the class. Before submitting the project, students have a discussion with the instructor to talk about their ideas and develop a plan for the final project. The instructor was very impressed with how she had sketched out a plan in a journal down to the detail of what materials she would use. Needless to say she got high praise on both assignments.

When I asked Elisabeth if she learned anything new from this class, the thing that stood out to her was a better understanding of color theory. In the end, we both felt that it was a class well worth her time and effort.

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My Girl is 12!

 

Despite the crazy year we find ourselves in, my girl is growing, thriving and creating. Elisabeth had another birthday recently and has matured so much the last 18 months that it has been hard to keep up. The Covid-19 Pandemic took a toll on our mental health early in the year, but the last couple of months have been much better. Elisabeth has found good creative outlets that are critical for her well being. Digital drawings are her go-to, but she has also enjoyed an online photography class that she started in the spring and more recently a small pottery class at a local art school. She was forced to give up track club due to the lockdowns, but, over the summer, we convinced her to give fencing a whole-hearted try. She has come to actually enjoy it, though you can't get her to say the words.

Just for kicks one evening, she let me fix her hair and add some makeup (which she doesn't wear). She had been complaining that there wasn't any reason to wear anything besides exercise or lounge clothes, so I suggested she dress in something that she has not been able to wear during this pandemic. The result was a fun, little, impromptu photoshoot.

Selfie for  Photography by Elisabeth Rose

From our photoshoot

From our photoshoot

From our photoshoot - we rarely wear sweaters in Florida!

Brother and sister at fencing

Elisabeth getting a point on her brother during a practice bout

Digital Art Drawings by Elisabeth

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Pottery Class Creations at Crealdé

My pre-teen oozes creativity, and as her parents, we endeavor to present her with different outlets to nurture her interests and skills. She recently completed a beginning pottery class at the Crealdé School of Art where she used a pottery wheel for the first time. We were quite impressed with her results, but more importantly we noted how much she enjoyed the creative process with this medium nearly as much as drawing. Previously, I posted that she has also taken a photography class, which gave her yet another creative outlet. These photographs were taken by Elisabeth of her own clay creations from her Crealdé pottery class.

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Learning Photography via FLVS

My 11-year old daughter has been taking a middle school photography elective via Florida Virtual School, a free online learning platform for Florida residents. It is commonly referred to by the acronym FLVS. Families have two options: FLVS Full Time - think of it as a full public school schedule done via computer - and FLVS Flex - where you pick and choose what classes to take as well as your start date. This photography class is our family's first experience with FLVS Flex. It takes time to learn the processes and dashboard, but after completing the first module, Elisabeth no longer needed help from me on submitting assignments. The first couple of modules were not so exciting and more about learning how to interface with other students on message boards and so forth, but now she is happily into the meat of learning photography.

This week, she participated in an online session in which she learned about stop motion photography and the work of Harold "Doc" Edgerton. He combined an interest in science with his in-depth knowledge of photography to capture such famous images of the milk-drop coronet and his work lead to the advancement of the flash photography. She was tasked with submitting a couple of examples of her own and captured a glorious image of a bee in mid-flight approaching our milkweed.

I saw something about it being World Bee day this week. This photo is a perfect way to celebrate.

Personification in Poetry: The Cracked Window

A few months ago, we read a couple of poems in our language curriculum that demonstrated personification: "The Old Bridge" by Hilda Conkling and "The Oak" by George Hill. When I asked Elisabeth to write a poem of her own that demonstrated this concept, I didn't expect the depth of her poetic expression.

Photo credit Ty1eerLeeds on Flickr

The Cracked Window

The cracked window watches 

As its home grows cold and quiet

The children have left

Their laughter no longer echoes.

Its cracks grow larger

As the wind and rain rage against it.

No more eyes stare through it in wonder,

If only it was the great stained windows of the cathedral

Or the sturdy glass guarding way up in the sky

But its not.

And it will surely shatter.

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Adverb Inspired Poetry

Slowly 

Slowly the tide creeps up the sand,

Slowly the shadows cross the land.

Slowly the cart-horse pulls his mile,

Slowly the old man mounts his stile.

Slowly the hands move round the clock,

Slowly the dew dries on the dock.

Slow is the snail – but slowest of all

The green moss spreads on the old brick wall.

- James Reeves

In our Language studies, we recently took a look at the poem "Slowly" by James Reeves shown above. We discussed how the adverb slowly accurately describes the action of each line and analyzed the rhyming pattern. I then challenged my students to choose a different adverb and come up with a poem with a similar rhyming pattern. This is what Elisabeth came up with:

Quickly 

Quickly, the car zooms past
“Quickly!” says the cast
Quickly, the years go by
Quickly, they say, "Hi"

Quickly, in the race they run
Quickly, travels the light of the sun
Quick! The small child wishes life would go
But so little do they know.  - Elisabeth Davis (copyright 2019)

Bird Themed Boogie Board Art

An ethereal boogie board drawing by Elisabeth.

Art Inspired by Maud Lewis

An original work by Elisabeth Rose

For Art Appreciation this week, the kids read "Capturing Joy: The Story of Maud Lewis." Maud Lewis lead a very simple life in small Nova Scotia hamlet and suffered from debilitating arthritis. Her works are beautiful in their simplicity and bold in their use of color. My 12 year old son made the observation that so many artists seem to more clearly see beauty and recreate it in their art as a result of suffering in their life. I found this to be a profound statement coming from one so young.

My daughter, the aspiring artist in the family, was tasked with creating something of her own (shown above) inspired by the works of Maud Lewis. I am fairly flabbergasted by the result! I'm hoping she lets me hang this one somewhere special. 

"Maudie" is a very good movie about the life of Maud Lewis starring Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke. 

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An Artist in the Making

She was bored while watching something so she whipped this up. I am not sure where she gets it from, but her art skills continually impress me. 

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First 5k for Daddy and Daughter

Earlier this month Elisabeth and Daddy ran their first 5k at the 9th Annual Pumpkin Run. Elisabeth has been training with a local club for the past 8 months and felt ready for a 5k. All things considered, they both did great. Hopefully, the whole family will run the next one together.

Elisabeth is 10!

Add caption

This awesome young lady turned 10 last week amongst a lot of other milestones. Elisabeth actually enjoys track club and has no qualms about wearing a towel on her head in a Chick-fi-la. I continue to be in awe of her spunk, creativity, self-assurance and determination. What a young lady you are becoming!

Dog Sitting Annie

The absolute biggest perk to homeschooling is not being on a fixed schedule. This flexibility allows us to be away for extended periods to travel or, in this case, help out my parents while they get away. We are very fortunate to have this alternative lifestyle and cognizant that not every family has this choice. I was reminded this week how fortunate we are and I am thankful. Annie is too!

Painting "The Settling Sun"

Another art piece by Elisabeth Rose (acrylic on canvas) and entitled by her admiring brother.

This Fashion Designer/Artist is Growing Up

I recently made it known to Elisabeth where the fabric markers were stored. The very next day she takes an old soccer shirt from a couple of seasons ago and transforms it with beads and all - no help or input needed. Creativity blossoms from this girl on a daily basis. She has such a sense of herself that I did not have until I was 30. I love that she is not afraid to stand out, wear bright colors and proudly wear her own creation. 

When she is around, there is color and laughter and beauty and fun. I am so very thankful God gave me this girl nine years ago despite my fears about mothering a daughter.

Happy birthday my dear, sweet, spunky Elisabeth. As this shirt so perfectly illustrates, you make my heart smile.

Unschooling with Baking

Baking Kids Love bu Cindy Mushet

Before vacation, I picked up the book Baking Kids Love by Cindy Mushat at a Scholastic Warehouse sale. Elisabeth has expressed an interest in baking for some time and I thought this recipe book might be a good one for her (and me). I have tried to let her help me bake in the past, but when it is my project that I plan to serve to others I have a hard time giving up control. Getting this book does seem to have solved that issue and I was able to be much more hands off and let her just do it. Elisabeth picked out a recipe from the book and helped purchase the necessary ingredients. I was pleased to see her follow the recipe and get to the end product with only minor help and supervision from me.  

Baking, after all, is a great unschooling activity. I'm glad I found a way step back and encourage interest. 

She:

• read the recipe
• learned that 1/2 cup plus 1/2 cup equals 1 cup 
• learned what 1 1/4 cup means
• learned how to use a mixer including how to insert and remove the beaters
• learned to distinguish tablespoon (tbsp) from teaspoon (tsp)

Milk Chocolate and Toffee Bars

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Fashion Tips from a Desert Diva

Elisabeth, our Desert Diva and hiking fashion expert, has a few recommendations for your next desert hiking adventure. 
First, wear bright colors. Should you become lost, you will be easy to spot by search and rescue. If you can throw in some bright, zebra-striped socks to confuse the coyote, all the better. After all, we did hear several minutes of howling while hiking in Monument Valley. 
Second, our Desert Diva recommends a walking stick about shoulder height. A quick-dry bandana is a great way to finish off the ensemble as it has many uses including a hair cover or dust mask. When tied to the walking stick, it makes a perfect flag for attracting attention should assistance be required. It also makes a superb hobo bag in which to collect other people's lost items found along the trail. 
Our fashionista was able to incorporate most of her finds into her overall look - here she is sporting sunglasses found in Monument Valley. While in Arches National Park, she also picked up a turquoise encrusted, leather choker to complete her desert look.
So, if your parents compel you to traipse through hot and dusty desert landscapes, you too can do it in style.

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Sewing a Travel-size Pillowcase

Elisabeth spent the afternoon sewing a pillowcase for a travel pillow that she plans to take on vacation. This pillowcase turned out even better than the full-sized one she did in sewing club with the instructor. I think the smaller size made it easier and I'm thankful that the material was already cut to specifications. The sewing club instructor is meticulous and we certainly get good value for the money. 

Summer vacation is upon us. Keep calm and sew something...

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My Baby Girl is 8!

Happy Birthday to my daring, brilliant, lovable girl.

Celebrating 7 Years of Joy

Happy Birthday to my adorable, sweet-natured, self-assured little lady. She makes my heart smile.

My Budding Naturalist

This was Elisabeth this afternoon. 

After collecting items to put in her jar, she documented her findings here.

A naturalist in the making.  

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