How you feel about art personally probably has a lot to do with how you feel about teaching art in your homeschool. If you love it, you are probably eager to share that love of art with your children and to see them blossom as artists! If you find art boring or confounding, then you probably live in fear that someone will insist that you teach art to your children so that they aren’t deprived of a possible career!
How your children feel about art is another important issue. If they hate, hate, hate it, your attempts to motivate them to create a masterpiece will end in disaster. If they love it but you don’t, there will probably be tears of frustration from each of you. If you all love it, you may be tempted to spend all day every day immersed in the wonderful world of art! What’s a homeschooling parent to do?
If you have a child who has no skill or interest in art, my advice is to forego teaching the hands-on kind of lessons. That’s not to say that art doesn’t have value; I believe art is an important component to a well-rounded education. I always loved art class, and while I no longer expend energy on drawing or painting, I will always enjoy photography and crafts, and I’m glad for the knowledge I gained of the great masters. If your child cries at the suggestion of "doing" art, then you should choose instead to study art. Call it Art History or Art Appreciation. There are museums and books and videos that can teach your children about Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Monet, and more. Some kids weren’t created with an interest or desire to create art; God didn’t wire them that way.
My children and I studied famous paintings and the famous people who painted them. We spent many hours in the local art museum, sometimes looking on our own, and at other times taking a guided tour. This effort paid off when my daughter was around twelve years old. We were seated in an Italian restaurant that had some famous reproductions of masterpieces hung on the wall. My daughter looked up at one and exclaimed, "Hey, Mom! That’s The Last Supper! Leonardo da Vinci painted it!" Imagine the adult diners who turned to look at the girl with an impressive knowledge of art!
If your children are anxious to learn to create art, you have many options for teaching them. One book I would recommend is Drawing with Children by Mona Brookes. She also wrote Drawing with Teens, but I haven’t had the opportunity to review that book. This isn’t a book to hand to your child for working alone. It’s not like those books with drawings to copy. You need to be involved in the activities. If your child hasn’t gotten fully-developed fine motor skills, this book will be frustrating, so save it until the time is right. Your library should have a variety of books on creating different forms of art, and you and your child can pick and choose among them.
Art workshops are well worth your time. We participated in a three-day workshop put on by Barry Stebbing of How Great Thou Art. We learned a lot about painting and drawing and color theory in those three days. You can visit his website at http://www.howgreatthouart.com to learn more about the workshops and the materials that are available for serious young artists. You can also get some free ideas for your homeschool art class and see some of the great masterpieces by famous artists.
If you are part of a homeschool co-op or support group, you may have opportunities for art classes, clubs, or workshops by local artists. Take advantage of anything that interests you. Also remember that art isn’t limited to drawings and paintings. Allow your children to explore the world of ceramics, sculpture, origami, carving, weaving, photography, and more.
Art is not simply a means of recreating things seen in nature or in the imagination. It’s a tool for learning about the wonder of God’s design within the world around us. God was the original artist. He created the heavens and the earth, majestic mountains and mysterious seas, misty sunrises and vivid sunsets, and all sorts of fascinating creatures. You and your children will enjoy God’s creation as you journey through the world of art together.
