3 Reasons This Month's Master Artist Makes Me Cuckoo

This month's master artist drives me cuckoo, like the "Mangrove Cuckoo" above, and I mean "cuckoo" in the nicest of ways.  His work makes my heart sing like a bird!  And his name?  Why, John James Audubon, of course!

  

Who is John James Audubon?  

Once upon a "real" time, in 1785, John James Audubon was born in Haiti.  His mom died before his first birthday.  His dad remarried and sent him to France to be raised by his step mother.  When he was 18 years old, he moved to his father's estate outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and lived there for a few years.  Soon, he met his beautiful wife in 1808 and they were married.  The happy couple then moved to the state of Kentucky where Audubon tried to sell things, but he also dabbled in portrait painting, gave art lessons, and did the work of a taxidermist, which means he practiced the art of preparing, stuffing, and mounting the skins of animals for display.

Twelve years later, in 1820, he met American ornithologist (a person who studies birds) whose name was Alexander Wilson.  He gave Mr. Audubon confidence in his abilities to draw birds, so with a bird song in his heart, he decided to undertake a massive publishing project, life-size illustrations of the birds of America!  Do you know how many birds are in America?  

Audubon illustrated 1065 birds!  He and other nineteenth-century bird artists did not usually draw living birds. They sketched mounted bird skins. Audubon preferred to wire recently shot birds in life-like positions and to draw them right away. To make them look like they were flying, he hung birds upside down so that the wings opened!  Even though it says "Drawn from Nature" on the plates, it doesn't mean the birdies sat for hours posing for him.  He did observe them in their natural habitat however and then worked hard both in the field and in his studio to finish all of his drawings and paintings.

Why does Audubon make me cuckoo? 

Reason #1 - PERSEVERANCE.  He decided to draw every single bird in America. I gasp at the thought of painting every single bird known to mankind.  Audubon painted 1065 birds.  That's a whole lot of birds and a whole lot of paintings!  His perseverance under great odds makes my shake my head in amazement.    

Reason #2 - ATTENTION TO DETAIL.  The 435 engravings from his book, Birds of North America, including the one above made from his watercolor drawings, show birds life-size in natural habitats.  He would need keen observation skills to complete his task of accurately depicting these beautiful birds.  

Reason #3 -  FAITH.  It took a leap of faith to take on a project of this magnitude. "Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you."  Matthew 17:20 NIV.  John James Audubon believed he could, so he did!

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:    

1.  What kinds of character traits do you need to have to be an artist like John James Audubon?  (Perseverance, attention to detail, and faith!)

2.   How many birds did Mr. Audubon draw/paint?  (1065.  If you put his engravings from his book end to end they would span about a quarter of a mile!)

3.   Did the birds pose for him?  (No, they were "stuffed" and hung immediately so to recreate their natural habitat.

APPLICATION:
You may wish to google image search the Audubon engraving of your state bird from the internet to show your student.  Our state bird here in Florida is the Common Mockingbird (below.)  

Here are 3 facts about our Florida state bird, the Mockingbird you may share with your student along with the picture of the Mockingbird and the story of Mr. Audubon:
1.  They like to sing all day and even all night!  
2.  They are called Mockingbirds because they like to mimic the sounds of other birds, even frogs!  They learn new sounds all their lives.  
3.  Their songs are a series of phrases which are repeated 2 to 6 times before they shift to a new sound and they can go on for 20 seconds or more.   

This is a great way to make a connection with your little one to Audubon the artist, the science of birds, and a history lesson about the state they live in. You children probably have seen and/or heard these birds many times, and, now, every time they see their state bird their recollection will be refreshed as to this great artist, John James Audubon!

The funny thing is, in closing, I have been the target of many jokes in my lifetime because I was born with the last name of Bird.  "Bird Brain" is what I was endearingly called by my friends, especially when my slightly creative cuckoo-ness kicked in.  To my dad, however, I was always his little "Tweety."  When I married, it felt sad to leave my Bird identity behind, so as an artist, I decided to incorporate my identity with my new last name and thus Laura Bird Miller, Artist was born.  Lynda Bird Johnson was the reason for many of my nature paintings when I was a little girl.  If you want to find out the rest of the story and see my art go to www.laurabirdart.com.   And if you want to "tweet" with me, connect via Twitter at laurabirdtweets.  Yes, I know.  What can I say?

Enjoy and God bless!  

Laura Bird Miller, Artist/Art Instructor

  

The "Art" of Gratitude - Jean Francois Millet

Jean Francois Millet painted gratitude, if ever I dare to say such a thing!  I have often thought to myself, "How would you paint gratitude, Laura?"  And my "self" answered and did paint one painting entitled "Gratitude," which you can find here, but it is not an easy task I found.  I guess most of what I paint is that which I am grateful for, but to actually paint the meaning of the word is another story.  To really convey the topic of gratitude, one must really put on one's thinking cap.  This might be a great activity for your child.  Ask him/her to paint gratitude after they understand what it means, and see what they come up with.  Please share with us; we would love to see their inspired artwork! 

The French realist painter, Millet, (1814 -1875) painted three paintings I want to share with you that speak to our hearts on this topic.  Let these paintings speak louder than words and enjoy.  Here are some questions to ponder over this first famous painting above entitled, "The Angelus:"

1.  What are these people doing in the painting?  (Praying.)
2.  What is in the basket and laying near the man's feet and the pitchfork?  (Potatoes.)
3.  Why do you think they are praying?  (They are probably thanking God for the crop of potatoes they are digging up and perhaps asking God to bless it and multiply it.)

Here is another painting of gratitude entitled "The Gleaners:"

 A "gleaner" is a person, generally a poor person, who is allowed to pick up the wheat that was missed from a field after it is harvested.  Ruth, from the Bible was a gleaner.  She gleaned from Boaz's field.  God blessed Ruth, and her attitude of thanksgiving and gratitude for being able to glean from Boaz, gave her favor in his sight.  After explaining what a "gleaner" is to your child and sharing the children's Bible story of Ruth and Boaz with them, share this painting and ask these questions:

1.  What are the women doing in this painting?  (Gleaning the leftover wheat.)
2.  How did God bless Ruth when she gleaned wheat in Boaz's field?  (Boaz asked the men to drop extra wheat for her because he noticed her heart of gratitude.  He also eventually asked to marry her.)
3.  Do you think the women in the painting thought this leftover wheat was a gift?  (Yes.)  Why?  (Because they did not plant it or get paid to harvest it; it was a blessing to their family.)
4.  Do you think the harvesters thought this leftover wheat was a gift?  (No.)  Why?  (Because they already harvested most of the grain and this was "waste" or "leftover" to them.)

Here is another famous Millet painting, "The Sower:"

1.  What is the man doing?  (Planting or "sowing" seed.  See the seeds falling from his extended hand?)
2.  Do you think he will pray for a harvest over these seeds?  (Yes!)
3.  What does he need to do to in order for God to bless his seed?  (Water the seed, take care of it, be grateful for it, and continue to pray for it.)
  
I hope you have enjoyed these gratitude paintings by Jean Francois Millet!  I love the heart of gratitude they represent and that your children will understand more deeply what gratitude means through this master artist's work.  

Love and infinite blessings,

Laura Bird Miller, artist/art instructor
www.laurabirdart.com
www.laurabirdmiller.com

An Out-of-the-Box Masterpiece and Response

Most artists think out of the box; Louise Nevelson, our featured artist, thinks out of the box within the box!    This intriguing maze of "boxes" is filled with layers of textures and forms that make you want to take a closer look!  Wouldn't it be fun to be a little mouse and climb around inside and check out all the nooks and crannies in this piece?  It is called "Dawn's Wedding Chapel II."   

Discussion Questions:

• What is a wedding chapel?
  (It's a place where you get married.)
• Looking at the name of this art piece, "Dawn's Wedding Chapel II," why do you think she chose one color, and, in particular, this color? 
  (The color is white/off-white which is the color most brides wear.  It is one color to show unity, like the unity in marriage where the two become one.)
• When you look at how the "boxes" are balanced, does it feel good to you, like the you are confident the boxes are going to stay "put" and not topple over?  
  (Yes!  It has a feel of formality in its balance. Weddings are often very formal.)
• Do you think if you divided this sculpture down the middle each side would be equal? (No, not exactly equal like a mirror image, but it IS equal around the outside shape.)

A Fireflies' Visual Response to
Nevelson's Dawn's Wedding Chapel II

Want make your own Louise Nevelson inspired sculpture?  Let's give it a try!

Here is what you will need:

• One (1) recycle bin full of "stuff"  -- including Two (2) egg cartons!

• Some adhesive to glue the egg cartons and "stuff" together
• Spray Paint - white, off-white, silver, grey, whatever you have on hand -- you just need a single color
• "Woodsies" popsicle sticks and various shapes
• Tooth picks
• Scissors

  I LOVE glue dots for this project! Please, please please let your kids use them! 
Kids love that they can glue, like hot glue but cold, all by themselves!

It took me a while to gather all the "stuff" and figure out how to put it all together. 
Then, I cut...

With the help of a little curious furry friend...  

Next it's time to glue dot or tape it all together ...

See how the base is the top of an 18-ct egg crate?  The rest is just parts of a regular styrofoam egg crate and a take-out tray,  all from the trash!  Gotta love to recycle!

 Checking it out with the computer image:

Once you get the pieces cut, let children tape the sections where they want after looking at the picture of Louise Nevelson's "Dawn's Wedding Chapel II" and see what they come up with.  It doesn't have to be perfect; they may come up with something entirely different!

Have children peel the glue dots from the sheet and stick on the end of popsicle stick, "woodsies," toothpicks and other recycled "stuff" to finish their sculpture.

You can even cut the popsicle sticks.

Snipping and glue-dotting, put recycled "stuff" and woodsies in layers in the boxes until you're happy with the outcome.  Time to spray paint!

Here's the sample finished project:

Isn't this cool? Can you see the bird on the left, sitting on top of the toilet paper roll?
Just had to put my own "signature" in there just for fun.  I cut him out of a box that was in the trash. What will you add to make it "yours?"

"I always wanted to show the world that art is everywhere,
except it has to pass through a creative mind.”—Louise Nevelson

Have fun learning about Louise Nevelson, enjoy recycling, and letting your little ones glue-dot "stuff" everywhere till the cows come home!  You will teach them to think out of the box within the box!

Who is Louise Nevelson?   

Our artist was born on September 23, 1899, in Pereyaslav near Kiev, Russia.  When she was 6 years old, her family moved to the United States where her dad established a lumber business, building and selling houses.  She studied voice, drama, and art in college.  She worked as an extra in films in Berlin and Vienna.  She traveled in Europe and eventually became an assistant to Diego Rivera, helping with his famous mural for The New Workers’ School, New York.  She studied sculpture as well and much of her work is done in wood like the one above.  Being that her father worked with wood, isn't it interesting that her sculptures were often in wood?

For older students, see my post at:  www.laurabirdart.com

Love and blessings,

Laura Bird Miller, Artist/Art Instructor

February Masterpiece - Unconditional Love

Warm.  Welcoming.  Unconditional.

What leaps to mind when you think of warm, welcoming, unconditional love?

The love of Christ?        No doubt!

The love of parents?      Of course!

The love of our pets, namely, mans' best friend?        Naturally!

The Dog
Artist: Edouard Manet

Conversational Prompts

1.  Do you like dogs?
Let your child engage and make it personal.

2.  What kind of dog do you think this is? 
A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, most likely.  Please comment if you have any input.  This breed of spaniel was popular in the 16-19th century as a lapdog for ladies to generate heat for them. King Charles II could not travel anywhere without his spaniels, so he made a decree which supposedly is still in effect that the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel would be allowed in public places.

3.  What do you like about Manet's painting and what do you dislike?
Expand the discussion involving colors and textures.

4.  Where are the areas of emphasis?  Where do your eyes go when you look at this painting?  
The dogs eyes, due to the black/white contrast.

For older children

5.  What do you know about Edouard Manet?
He was an Impressionist painter?  Can they recognize the style of the Impressionists?  

On our next post, little ones will have fun learning how to draw
a cute little puppy with oil pastels or crayons.  

Until then, live, love, paint!

God bless,

Laura

Laura Bird Miller

What is another question you would ask your child while discussing "The Dog" by Edouard Manet?  Please share in a comment below to be eligible for a free give-away and help us add to our list of 
 Fireflies Conversational Prompts.

The MASTERS: Art Appreciation - Each month Laura Bird Miller introduces an art masterpiece to share with PK - 2nd grade children.  No worksheets, no tests - just exploration, discussion, awareness and fun.  We promise you, her love of God and art is infectious.  She assists in conversation by providing parents age appropriate questions and prompts to use when exploring the featured masterpiece.   Laura also provides a visual art project to go along with each Masterpiece chosen.   

Please visit Laura's website for more information.

Masterpiece of the Month - "The Magpie" by Claude Monet

"The Magpie" by Claude Monet, 1868.

When we think of Claude Monet we think of impressionism, but does this look like Monet's typical impressionism to you?  It looks perhaps like a beautiful snow scene many contemporary artists might even paint today.  In this painting created in 1868, the "Father of Impressionism," Claude Monet, shows us his more realistic side.  "The Magpie" was painted before his famous "Impression Sunrise" painting, below, which first exhibited in 1874 in Paris in what became known as the First Impressionist Exhibition,

Notice the difference in the color palettes of these two paintings.  "Impression Sunrise" is mainly a warm color palette, reflecting the warmth of the sun with its colors.  "The Magpie" is mainly a cool color palette, displaying icy cold blues, violets, greys, and white.  Monet was living off the coast of Normandy with his family in Etretat at the time he painted this beautiful snow scene of "The Magpie" in 1868 plein air (French, meaning "in the open air.")  My fingers are cold just thinking about painting this outdoors!  

The cool blue-violet shadows in "The Magpie" angling downward to the right instead of cutting straight across the picture plane, give us something to lean into and chew on for a bit, happily digesting its truth.   The pie-sliced sunlit snow in the front or foreground shows us footprints in the snow that stop just before the ladder the raven sits on.  Your little students will giggle if you ask them this question:  "I wonder what happened to the person whose footprints we see?"  They will probably come up with all sorts of funny stories you can write down in your teacher's journal or parent/grandparent diary!

Did they disappear into the snow or perhaps take a leap of faith off of the ladder into the snow and then wander off the page?  I am sure Monet added them for visual interest and did not expect such us to wonder such things!

The lone raven on the ladder is assuredly our focal point.  His singular black figure against the white snow in the position of authority falls directly in one of the golden sections or sweet spots of our composition.

Contrast "The Magpie" painting to one of Monet's snow paintings completed five years later in 1873 entitled "Train in the Snow:"

Here are a few more questions for you to engage with your student(s):

• In the painting "The Magpie," what colors do you see?  How about the colors in the "Train in the Snow" painting?  (Note both use similar colors, but the values, or how dark and light the colors are, remain different. ) 
• Do you think "The Magpie" painting was painted on a sunny day or a cloudy day? 
• How about the "Train in the Snow," painting?  Was it painted on a sunny day or cloudy day? 
• "Which painting, "The Magpie" or "Train in the Snow," do you like better?"  "Why?"

Enjoy sharing these paintings with your student(s) and learning more about the Father of Impressionism, Claude Monet!

Blessings,

Laura

Laura Bird Miller, artist/art instructor
www.laurabirdart.com

Christmas Masterpiece

"Adoration of the Shepherds," Gerrit van Honthorst 1622

We must not despise humble beginnings.  

A lowly stable.  A babe in a manger.  A risen King.  The Savior of the world.  

Even if we can only draw a stick man, we honor what we have been given.  That which we bless, increases.  That which we curse withers and dies!  Sharing the joy found in this beautiful rendition of the Adoration of the Shepherds, please note the facial expressions in the painting.  Linger on them awhile.  Let them draw you into the scene as if you were there.  

Don't you just love how Joseph is fondly clutching the cow's horn as if the animal were part of the family?  How would you describe Joseph and Mary's expressions? 

Loving and kind.

Where is the light reflecting the brightest, after baby Jesus?  

It appears that Mary's face is lit the most and Joseph's,

standing to Mary's right, is lit up second-most.

Can you feel the chill in the air, yet feel the warmth of the light illuminating baby Jesus?  

How would you describe the youngest shepherd's expression? 

Excited.  

The other shepherd's expressions?  

Awestruck, amazed, loving.

This Dutch Baroque artist, Gerrit van Honthorst (1590-1656), used the technique of chiaroscuro (pronounced key - ar- uh - SKEW- row), developed by the artist Italian Caravaggio.  Chiaroscuro is simply using the dramatic effect of light and darks to create form and space.  These bold contrasts can be seen because in this case van Honthorst used a single candle in an evening setting.  This is very typical of the Baroque period of the 1600s in art.  Van Honthorst also shares the use of expressive faces like Carivaggio which, with the bold contrast of lights and darks, makes this nativity scene quite dramatic.  Whenever you see a single candle lighting a night scene, you can probably guess the it was painted in the 1600s during the Baroque period!

This is a beautiful effect, especially as we ponder the Light which was born into a dark world.  Enjoy this masterpiece and share with your children.  May they be drawn into the scene as if they were there.  May we all realize how beautiful, how glorious is the Light, born in a manger, our Redeemer, the Savior of the world.

May you be exceedingly, abundantly blessed this Christmas season...

Laura

Laura Bird Miller

Artist/Art Instructor

www.laurabirdmiller.com

   

  

November Masterpieces: Henry Bacon and Jennie Brownscombe

Landing of the Pilgrims 

by Henry A. Bacon, 1877, oil on canvas

Can you image what it would be like to land on the shores of a new land, far from your home, with no cell phone, little food, no shelter, no heat, indoor plumbing, or air conditioning, with no idea where in the world you were?  How would you feel?  Excited?  Scared?  Cold?  Lonely?  Surviving a very rough boat trip and experiencing a very challenging first winter, the Pilgrims' story of courage and perseverance inspires American hearts and is an important part of our heritage. 

The First Thanksgiving, Plymouth,
Jennie Augusta Brownscombe,
1914, oil on canvas

The Pilgrim's First Thanksgiving of 1621 at Plymouth is not recorded with photos; however, this painting by Jennie Brownscombe painted in 1914, 300 years since that major event, is a beautiful and historic reminder of the Pilgrim's story, God's grace, and the importance of thankfulness.

Young students are used to colorful animations, cartoon drawings, and perky graphics. Here are some questions and activities to get them engaged with these historic paintings:

1.   How would you feel if you arrived in a new land with no phone, air conditioning or heat, running water, bathroom facilities, house, job, food? (Answers will vary.)

2.  Notice the colors in these photos.  What colors do you see?  Are they bright or dreary?  Do you think they reflect how the Pilgrims felt?  (Neutral colors, greys, blues, browns, golds, greens.  The colors are drab and somewhat dreary, perhaps reflecting the somber tone of the paintings.  The top painting is a little brighter, showing expectancy with formality.)

 3.  Do you think the Pilgrims/Pilgrim children in these paintings were scared? What do you do when you are scared? (Hide, pray, run to parents, cry, freeze, etc.)  Draw something you are afraid of. (Notice the colors they use and what they are trying to communicate.  Art is a powerful tool that can help children express their thoughts and emotions long before they can fully express themselves with words.)

 4.  In the first painting, we feel a sense of movement along with the feeling of expectancy with formality.  The oars are up, and the young girl, Mary Chilton, is getting off the boat.  You can almost feel the cold wind and the boat rocking with the waves against the rocks!  In the second painting, we feel a sense of stillness and reverence as everyone is still and praying.  Even though the color schemes are similar giving a tone of somberness, one painting shows movement and the other shows stillness. Which painting do you like better?   Why?

Relax and watch your little ones engage with you through these important historical paintings as you dig deeper with them!  Your engagement with the paintings and curiosity about the masterpieces and their subject matter will be contagious.  They take their cues from us as their teachers, parents, authorities, so if you get excited about the Pilgrims and this elegant historic art, they will too!  I hope it is meaningful to you and yours.  And, by the way, happy thanksgiving; I am so grateful for you readers!  Blessings to you and yours, and stay tuned for our super-fun masterpiece connection/response activity in our next post!

Love,

Laura Bird Miller

Artist/K-12 art instructor

Orlando, Florida

Laura Bird Miller - http://wwwfacebook.com/laurabirdart

 

"Still Life with Apples," Cézanne - October Masterpiece

"Still Life with Apples"  Paul Cézanne 1895-1898

We've been talking a lot about apples here at Fireflies!  Above is a masterpiece by Paul Cézanne to connect to our apple-themed stories, songs, apple recipes, and "A" is for Apple family puppet theater night!

Every year when we look at various artists and their artwork I will often ask my PreK-Ks:  "What is a "still life?"  I more often than not get a roomful of blank stares!  Naturally, the next question might be, "What does it mean to be still?"  Little ones all know what it means to be still, not that they ever are, but they at least understand what it means!   

Usually, when artists take the time to paint a still life, they calculate their composition carefully.  Their subject matter is not moving so they can take however long they want to create it.  Artists will make great efforts to push the shape, value, color, form, space, line, texture -- all the elements of art -- to the degree it may almost even look like a photograph.

In the still life painting above, would you say this looks like a photograph?

Even our little budding artists might question the drawing skills of this artist.  However, this was created by the French artist Paul Cézanne who is considered to be the most influential painter of the late 19th century!  Even Pablo Picasso, who never praised anyone except himself, admitted his great debt to Cézanne.  Cézanne could draw very well, but he chose to purposely rock the art world by creating still life paintings that almost resembled that of a young child.   Cézanne's work explored new ways of laying down paint in a free yet calculated way.  His bright shapes of color, dark outlining, and playful brushstrokes lead the way to a new genre of art, bridging the gap between impressionism and cubism.

Reflection questions:
1.  What is a still life?
2.  What do you see in this painting?  (Do they notice the napkin on the plate, the trumpet and door in the background?)
3.  How many apples are there?  (7 and a half!  This is a great lesson not only on math, but on composition.   Perhaps, by studying this painting a seed will be laid to realize they don't have to "fit" all the objects of a still life into a painting.)

In my next post, we'll be putting the apple "still life" into motion!  Stay tuned and see you in the next post!

Written by Laura Bird Miller
Artist/Art Instructor, Circle Christian School
Orlando, Florida
www.laurabirdart.com

  

September Masterpiece: Peaceable Kingdom by Edward Hicks

Peaceable Kingdom by Edward Hicks, oil 1833

Election year, 2012.

Peaceable Kingdom, 1833. 

Art can convey emotion, tell stories, and teach.  This is a great masterpiece to open communication with our little ones about America's providential history and even the topic of Biblical peacemaking.   

Notice the contrast between the children petting the wild animals in the foreground and in the background William Penn is making a treaty with the Indians.  Striking contrast, yet, childlike in its feeling. 

This is a beautiful painting based on the Bible verse: "The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them."  Isaiah 11:6

Hicks painted at least 60 versions of this painting from Isaiah 11:6.  He was mostly self-taught and studied the Bible along with his art.  

Perhaps you wish to use this wonderful masterpiece to introduce your young student(s) to the history of America during the colonial times, or at least to William Penn, the Quaker who founded Pennsylvania and treated the Indians fairly and kindly.  It would also be a great painting to help students understand the heart of peace and the concept of Biblical peacemaking or resolving conflict through the 4 G's:  Glorify God, Get the log out of your own eye, Gently restore, and Go and be reconciled.   

Edward Hicks was also a Quaker who lived in Pennsylvania.  He was originally a coach maker but became an artist and an art teacher later in his life and lived to be 69 years old.

1.  What does "peace" mean to them?     

2.  Why did the artist paint the children petting the animals?       

3.  Why do you think the artist painted the people in the background (Indians and the colonists) making an agreement in the background?

4.  How can they be a "peacemaker" in the classroom or in their home?  What should they do if someone hurts their feelings?

It is never too early to help our students not only experience great art but also learn about America's providential history and/or Biblical peacemaking where they seek first to understand and then to be understood.  What a beautiful painting to introduce this topic to them and to share ways they might think of to help bring peace to their world and God's kingdom on earth!

 by Laura Bird Miller, fine artist and art instructor Circle Christian School www.laurabirdart.com