Art in Homeschool: Through the Ages

The Masters of Art in Style and Through Time

I had been wanting to do art in our homeschool for many years now. We hadn’t completely neglected art but it was put on the back burner a bit due to the necessity of other subjects. My husband is not a huge art person – the most he can do is stick figures. But he agreed that it needed to happen but had no idea where to start.

Homeschool is a process, a learning experience and like anything else, you have to have patience. Who knew we would need a little dose of our own medicine and listen to what we preach right?

I initially wanted to do a basic art curriculum, one I found online that had quick and simple steps to teaching the very basics like lines, portraits, colors and watercolors (K-5th).

While our boys are almost too old for these simplistic lessons, I believe they are amazing and would prove as a better starting point. I was struggling with starting anything. Not knowing what I wanted to teach them and what they would be interested in.

Finding Motivation for Art

I couldn’t make a decision. I was looking for that passion or deep interest in a particular direction and then my son motivated me. It was a usual night of getting the boys ready for bed and usually our ADHD, highly thoughtful middle son, will ask me questions and tell me his random thoughts for the day as we are winding down and getting ready for bed.

As he sat in his bunk, he asked, “why is the Mona Lisa so famous?” I was stumped. I knew about it but then I realized, why not teach it? Let’s learn together. I loved art growing up and took extra art classes in high school and did art club after school most weeks of my entire high school career.

Art is for Everyone

Very few people will tell you that art is easy. Why? Because it not only uses the right side of the brain but also requires a sense of introspection. It asks for analysis of the world. It requires insight. Creativity. However, don’t worry. It’s not complicated. ANYONE can do art. It can be as simple as a cartoon sketch, a watercolor swirl, a bookmark, a collage, or coloring with markers in a coloring book (my favorite are mandalas)

So I reached back into my old teaching days of 3rd grade and remembered my interdisciplinary interwoven curriculums I had created. And I went to work: Art Through the Ages was born- (I had some help!)