ode to Christo

We started the spring semester of
the homeschool co-op last week. Thankfully, joyfully, wonderfully,
I am teaching art again instead of history or science. Don't get me
wrong; I enjoy those as well, and so do the students, since we do
the hands-on, messy experiments and projects that no normal person
wants to do in their homes. It's just I'd really rather be teaching art.

Anyway, the teen class is drawing,so there's not much to show there
yet. Kind of combining techniques/ideas from Drawing on the Right
Side of the Brain and The Artist's Way.

In the other class, we study an artist,or style, or something from
history, and then emulate the art in some way. Last week
we learned about Christo--not one of them had even heard of him, so it was a nice introduction. There were some fantastic books from the library, with great pictures.

We wrapped people in different fabrics, to get an idea of how we
respond differently to different colors, fabrics, cording, etc.
Then we wrapped vases (yes, vases--work with me here!) with tissue
paper and glue. After last semester's Jackson Pollock experience with the teen class, it seemed prudent to do the spray painting
myself. At home. (Twelve 10 to 12 year old children with spray paint.
Not a pretty picture.) They did, however, get their choice of colors.
Here are their creations. The last is our own little ode to Christo--the
last gingerbread house of the season, complete with little gingerbread
man, contemplating the meaning of:
House--Wrapped.