Van Gogh Artist Study from a Non-Arty Mom
We are so happy to welcome Candace, from His Mercy Is New, to our blog today. She is a homeschool mom of three who has learned how to teach art to her kids, even though she isn't an arty person. I have referenced her blog SO many times when I need a great art project to do with my kids. Keep reading and enjoy!
"I've just kept on ceaselessly painting in order to learn painting." Van GoghSharing creative endeavors with our children is vital. Kids need art. I have come to believe that more and more with each passing year as a mom. One way that we can do that is by studying the great artists, learning more about their lives, simply looking at their famous works of art, and then creating similar projects based on those famous works. Now, before you claim that you are not an artist, how in the world can you teach this to your kids...I want to let you in on a little secret. I'm no artist either. I do have some creative genes in me, but they are mostly in the form of music. However, with no art background, I taught an entire year of art classes at our homeschool co-op! AND I'm signed up to do it again next year! WHAT?!? Why in the world? And HOW?? I created a series on my blog just for moms like us who need a little help in this department because THAT is how important I feel it is!! You can see the entire series called Teaching Art {With The Help Of Pinterest} on my blog.
Today, I'm excited to share with you some simple ideas for incorporating an artist study on Van Gogh into your homeschool. Friends, you can do this study with kids of ALL ages. Starting from those little preschoolers all the way up to your high school kids! Take a look at these resources, choose a few that fit your family and get started!
Read a few books on Van Gogh, do a few art projects, copy a few of his famous quotes. Voila! Simple artist study that is enjoyable for the entire family. Many of these books listed below have Van Gogh's famous artwork throughout the illustrations, however, if you want to view more of his artwork, take a look at this website.
Van Gogh Picture Books
- Camille and the Sunflowers
- In the Garden with Van Gogh
- Vincent's Colors
~ this is a very simple book with simple, short wording, but it's also one of my favorites because the lines in this book are Vincent's own words written about his paintings in letters to his brother!
- Katie and the Starry Night
~ These James Mayhew books are EXCELLENT, probably my favorite books to introduce children to these famous artists!
- Vincent Van Gogh: Sunflowers and Swirly Stars (Smart About Art)
- Visiting Vincent Van Gogh
- Vincent van Gogh & the Colors of the Wind
- The Van Gogh Cafe
~ this is more of a chapter book, 64 pages, but I had to include it because it was written by one of my favorite children's authors, Cynthia Rylant
- van Gogh and the Sunflowers (Anholt's Artists Books for Children)
- Katie Meets The Impressionists
- The Yellow House: Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin Side by Side
~ this is based on a true story and my art students and I had a great conversation based on this book after reading it together.
- Katie and the Sunflowers
Van Gogh Art Projects
- Van Gogh's Sunflowers ~ Part 1
- Van Gogh's Sunflowers ~ Part 2
- Van Gogh's Starry Night
- Self Portraits ~ because Van Gogh painted a lot of these!
Van Gogh Copywork Pages
I have created some simple copy work pages for your children to use as you learn about Van Gogh! These are quotes from Van Gogh on the subject of art, 4 pages total. Click on the link or on the graphic to download your PDF copy work pages!Van Gogh Copy Work Pages Set
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