Cherry Blossom Water Colors

Hello Friends,

I am very behind on blogging this month.  With baby number 5, I have lost track of time and even signed into the HHH on Wednesday last week...no wonder I couldn't log in!  I hope you take the time to check out my last couple posts on organizing my curriculum mess and one on  Childhood of Famous Americans.

Here is our latest water color project, Cherry Blossom Water Colors.  These are some of my favorite trees and I remember doing a pastel of cherry blossoms when I was in 3rd grade.  Just this past week, we had a huge storm blow over us and I watched as my blossoms were blown from the trees and covered the grass like the snow.  We were supposed to get a rare sprinkling of snow, but the storm just headed up to the mountains.  Thankfully most of the blossoms are still there.  When we completed our fall paintings last fall, I decided to have the kids paint seasonally as we discuss and celebrate the changing seasons.  If you haven't done so, I hope you check out the fall and winter ones too!

Amie

Joy-Joy is supposed to be fishing the chocolate chips out of the raisins but finds great pleasure in yanking the clip out of her hair...

Kids working on thier horizon lines, grass and sky.

Adding the tree and giant roots!

Adding the blossoms and other details...

Seasonal Watercolors

This year we have been focusing on using watercolors for our main art medium.  They are inexpensive and in my opinion produce a better product that tempera.  The kids have enjoyed using the watercolors and brushes to create different lines and hues.  Since the fall, the kids began hounding me that we needed to create "Winter Watercolor Art" in addition to our regular Christmas Decorations.  So over break (a little later than planned), we took down our fall watercolors paintings and replaced them with the winter ones...Notice that the kids are focusing on creating a horizon line and are quite proud of how their pieces turn out.  Next season...blossoms.

Note:  We used Prang Watercolors which come in palates in many shades: primary, earthy, metalic and glitter.  Also used was Strathmore Watercolor Paper to prevent buckling when the paint dried.

Here are their fall paintings: http://ahandfuloffun.blogspot.com/2010/10/fall-has-arrived.html

Yes the baby girl HAD to paint too.  In the big chair, with paper and real paint.

The snow is a little difficult to see but the kids added that element to their paintings for the winter effect.

Now for the "Winter Watercolor Art."