Manchester, NH based fine arts program for homeschool students
Thursday, October 5, 2017
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
ART - Cathedrals
Tuesday, April 14th
Cathedrals are beautiful, majestic structures that were designed to make people think heavenward. BUT.... they also have a dark side. Most Cathedrals hold a burial ground, often within the interior, with bodies buried down in a basement crypt or even in the floor you would walk on! Cathedrals also hold a rather creepy tradition of displaying the skull of a famous saint or bishop in a glass box; these skulls are almost considered spiritual good luck charms.
We also discussed the creation and specifications of GARGOYLES that came about with cathedrals. These stone statutes held both a practical purpose and a spiritual purpose. These statutes were an artistic gutter: a pipe would run through them and out their open mouth to allow rainwater to pour out and away from the walls of a cathedral, preventing corrosion of the stone walls. And though some could be beautiful or even comical in design, most of these gargoyles were ugly creatures designed to scare away evil spirits from the Cathedral.
ASSIGNMENTS
Since next TUESDAY, APRIL 21 will be our last class before presentation, please be sure to have all the following with you:
-Finish and bring in CATHEDRAL
-Painting must be completed!
-A cardboard or Foam board base for your Cathedral to sit on; the Dollar Tree sells a great basic foam board. This is not absolutely necessary but highly recommended to make your Cathedral easier to present for final display.
-Research and print off 4 to 6 interesting FACTS about the history of your Cathedral.
-Bring in Cathedral folder with all your additional paperwork we've collected over the semester.
Cathedrals are beautiful, majestic structures that were designed to make people think heavenward. BUT.... they also have a dark side. Most Cathedrals hold a burial ground, often within the interior, with bodies buried down in a basement crypt or even in the floor you would walk on! Cathedrals also hold a rather creepy tradition of displaying the skull of a famous saint or bishop in a glass box; these skulls are almost considered spiritual good luck charms.
We also discussed the creation and specifications of GARGOYLES that came about with cathedrals. These stone statutes held both a practical purpose and a spiritual purpose. These statutes were an artistic gutter: a pipe would run through them and out their open mouth to allow rainwater to pour out and away from the walls of a cathedral, preventing corrosion of the stone walls. And though some could be beautiful or even comical in design, most of these gargoyles were ugly creatures designed to scare away evil spirits from the Cathedral.
ASSIGNMENTS
Since next TUESDAY, APRIL 21 will be our last class before presentation, please be sure to have all the following with you:
-Finish and bring in CATHEDRAL
-Painting must be completed!
-A cardboard or Foam board base for your Cathedral to sit on; the Dollar Tree sells a great basic foam board. This is not absolutely necessary but highly recommended to make your Cathedral easier to present for final display.
-Research and print off 4 to 6 interesting FACTS about the history of your Cathedral.
-Bring in Cathedral folder with all your additional paperwork we've collected over the semester.
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Art - Cathedrals
Tuesday, April 4th
The Cathedrals are amazing structures of design, but also a treasure chest of art. The interior of a Cathedral holds a vast array of art- from stain glass and frescoes, to statutes and tapestries. Due to the amount of classes being cut down this semester, we did a crash course of what all can be found inside.
John Ruskin was an artist from the 1800's, but his creative design of sketch and watercolor resulted in pieces of art that look very contemporary. We looked at a few of his pieces that were done on Cathedrals, using his style as inspiration for our project. Students took the image they brought to class of their favorite art piece from their cathedral, and recreated it to be featured on the sign for their individual Cathedral.
ASSIGNMENTS
The Dark side of the Cathedrals...
Please research the following:
- Does your Cathedral have any GHOST STORIES?
- Does your Cathedral have any creepy RELICS? Does it have a CRYPT? If so, are there any interesting people buried there?
-What is the history of GARGOYLES?
- PRINT OFF and BRING IN a photo of a gargoyle from your Cathedral. If your Cathedral does not have Gargoyles, pick another stone carving on your Cathedral, and bring in an image.
CONTINUE finishing work on Cathedral. Complete details and spray painting; these will need to be brought in the final Tuesday class on April 18th.
The Cathedrals are amazing structures of design, but also a treasure chest of art. The interior of a Cathedral holds a vast array of art- from stain glass and frescoes, to statutes and tapestries. Due to the amount of classes being cut down this semester, we did a crash course of what all can be found inside.
John Ruskin was an artist from the 1800's, but his creative design of sketch and watercolor resulted in pieces of art that look very contemporary. We looked at a few of his pieces that were done on Cathedrals, using his style as inspiration for our project. Students took the image they brought to class of their favorite art piece from their cathedral, and recreated it to be featured on the sign for their individual Cathedral.
ASSIGNMENTS
The Dark side of the Cathedrals...
Please research the following:
- Does your Cathedral have any GHOST STORIES?
- Does your Cathedral have any creepy RELICS? Does it have a CRYPT? If so, are there any interesting people buried there?
-What is the history of GARGOYLES?
- PRINT OFF and BRING IN a photo of a gargoyle from your Cathedral. If your Cathedral does not have Gargoyles, pick another stone carving on your Cathedral, and bring in an image.
CONTINUE finishing work on Cathedral. Complete details and spray painting; these will need to be brought in the final Tuesday class on April 18th.
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Art: Cathedrals
It is so much fun watching all the different Cathedrals taking shape! Class time was spent fine tuning the box shapes that began last week.
As we head into the final weeks of preparation for final presentation, it is important that students follow through with their homework assignments.
ASSIGNMENTS
- Finish and Spray Paint Cathedral
-Any final details should be completed on Cathedral; it is up to students how detailed they would like to go. But be mindful that there is a "Cathedral Competition" so stakes are high!
-Cathedrals do not need to be brought in to next class of April 4th
-Research what art is found in the interior of your Cathedral
This can include anything from stained glass, statutes, frescoes, paintings, tapestries, etc.
-Choose your favorite piece of INTERIOR art found in your Cathedral and print off a clear image of it; Bring photo to class next week.
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Arms & Armor - Siege Engine Tournament details
Siege Engine Tournament!!!
Reminder: On 4/18, the last day of regular co-op classes, our history class will be hosting a siege engine tournament. (The next 3 weeks are classes (4/4, 4/11, 4/18) and presentation day is 4/22 @ 2:00pm.)
Assignment: bring a catapult, trebuchet, ballista, or other completed siege machine to class and demonstrate its capabilities. These can be homemade, kit, borrowed, or anything else. Make this project as simple or as elaborate as you wish.
Please note that the "rock" that we made in our first class does NOT need to be your projectile. We originally considered having a standardized size and weight for all siege engines, but realized just how impractical that was for this age group
There will be prizes for:
- accuracy
- distance
- height
The kids have been working hard to learn about the various machines, and most have a general idea of which one they want to build. Remind them as they begin to design that the finished product must fit into your car and be easily assembled on the day of the tournament. These projects take time to perfect, even with detailed plans, so I encourage you to start early and allow time for tweaking the design.
Here are a few ideas to get you started -
Build your own:
Lego catapult: http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/lego-catapult/
Tiny paper catapult: http://www.mikesenese.com/DOIT/2011/10/palm-sized-print-and-cut-paper-trebuchet/
More catapult designs: http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/?q=catapult&sort=none
Trebuchet designs: http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/?q=trebuchet&sort=none
Full size siege engine plans: http://www.mikesenese.com/DOIT/2010/10/trebuchet-roundup-eight-online-plans-reviewed-for-building-your-own/
Work from a kit:
Amazon has many ready to assemble kits - including this one inspired by Leonardo da Vinci
My kids have had great success with the Pitsco kits. They are simple but effective. The only thing you will need to purchase in addition to the kit is a bottle of wood-glue.
We will be outdoors for most of our class period on the 18th, regardless of the weather, so please dress accordingly. Parents are welcome to join us for the festivities, and the youngest classes may come out also, so save the pretty white shoes for another day.
I look forward to seeing what the kids bring in!
Sheryl G
Arms & Armor - Defensive Clothing
March 28, 2017
Protection has always been a high priority among warriors. Armor started with simple boiled leather, and improved, as weapons improved, to mail. Gradually small pieces of iron were added to protect vital organs. As more and more plates were added a full suit of armor, complete with intricate joints became standard. Plate armor continued to remain prevalent until the advent of gunpowder.
In class activities:
Protection has always been a high priority among warriors. Armor started with simple boiled leather, and improved, as weapons improved, to mail. Gradually small pieces of iron were added to protect vital organs. As more and more plates were added a full suit of armor, complete with intricate joints became standard. Plate armor continued to remain prevalent until the advent of gunpowder.
In class activities:
- Learned about the evolution of armor from a historian https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNiYqmFxtI8
- Continued work on our bows
- Learned how to make soda-tab chain mail
- Discussed plans for our year-end siege engine tournament
Assignment:
- Work on your siege engine
- Practice your timeline
Art class with Mrs. Comrie
Week 14: We studied the artist; Parmgianini and looked at his artwork. Then we painted a lovely birch tree scene using masking tape for the white space and credit cards to apply the black part of the bark.
Week 15: We looked at paintings by Bruegell and painted a snow scene using watercolor resist and sand for texture.
Feb. 14:We watched videos on glass blowing and read about Murano glass. We made some paintings that were intended to help us with color mixing. The glass bottles were meant to be overlapped to show how the colors blended.
Feb. 21: We watched the short video again on Medieval art and took notes. This was to try to recall what the main art forms were. The children made lists of these. We did a painting that showed warm and cool colors.
March 7: We read about Gutenburg and reviewed the importance of the printing press for literature as well as Artwork! We used the art of printing to print with real fish on t-shirts! So fun!
March 21: We used the art of printing to carve our own design into styrofoam and make a nice design using our own prints.
Week 14: We studied the artist; Parmgianini and looked at his artwork. Then we painted a lovely birch tree scene using masking tape for the white space and credit cards to apply the black part of the bark.
Week 15: We looked at paintings by Bruegell and painted a snow scene using watercolor resist and sand for texture.
Feb. 14:We watched videos on glass blowing and read about Murano glass. We made some paintings that were intended to help us with color mixing. The glass bottles were meant to be overlapped to show how the colors blended.
Feb. 21: We watched the short video again on Medieval art and took notes. This was to try to recall what the main art forms were. The children made lists of these. We did a painting that showed warm and cool colors.
March 7: We read about Gutenburg and reviewed the importance of the printing press for literature as well as Artwork! We used the art of printing to print with real fish on t-shirts! So fun!
March 21: We used the art of printing to carve our own design into styrofoam and make a nice design using our own prints.
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