WELCOME BACK TO ART IS AWESOME!

Week 3

John James Audubon

Even as a child, John James Audobon was fascinated with birds.  His father encouraged his interest by pointing out the elegent movement of the birds and the beauty and softness of their feathers.

At the age of 18 he moved to an area in New York that he considered "paradise" because of the hunting and fishing that were so close by.  He studied his surroundings carefully.  He spent much time roaming and painting in the woods.   He attempted to paint one page everyday.

He put together a collection of his paintings in a book called "Birds of America".  It contains drawings of slightly more than 700 North American birds.  He also did a book on mammels later in his life.

He mostly worked with watercolors but also added colored chalk and pastels.

You can read more about John James Audubon at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_James_Audubon

Your Audubon art project

Materials:

Catch a bug, butterfly or something else you'd like to draw

Put it in a clear jar with some foil over the top.  Punch air holes in the top with a toothpick or something small

Paper

Colored pencils, crayons, markers, or paint

Pencil

Project:

Observe the critter closely.  Notice colors, shapes, and details.

Draw the critter on paper using the whole page.  Add as much detail as you can

Use your crayons, colored pencils, markers, or paint to add color to your drawing.

When you are done observing the critter, you can let it go close to where you caught it.

Audubon liked to give his drawings a name and record the date.  Name your drawing and add the date and any other details you want to remember.  

Here are some Audubon art projects from the Young at Art team:

"Rainbow Centipede"   Kellan, Age 4

"Mystery Bug"     Emmett, Age 6

"Firelight"    Levi, Age 9

"Widow Bite"   Paden, Age 7

This is the perfect time of year to go bug hunting!!

Please send us images of your drawings, we would love to see them!
Join us next week for more art education and fun projects!

Bonus Points for Parents:

"As kids manipulate a paintbrush, their fine motor skills improve. By counting pieces and colors, they learn the basics of math. When children experiment with materials, they dabble in science. Most important perhaps, when kids feel good while they are creating, art helps boost self-confidence. And children who feel able to experiment and to make mistakes feel free to invent new ways of thinking, which extends well beyond the craft room."   parents.com

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