High School Art Appreciation - Big Thank You to Charlotte Mason

Mr. A's last artist was Mondrian. Here is his art copywork.

Mr. A is approaching his last artist and composer study of the term, the year, and his high school course. This is the final time we will officially view an artist's work and listen to a composer's music as part of his homeschooling. I pray that it will not be the last of our experiencing these sorts of things together but my hope is that we will continue sharing fine arts together informally.

What have I enjoyed about this experience that we call art appreciation?

• We can talk about art and music. 
• We have shared experiences. 
• There has been depth and substance. 
• We can agree and disagree about art.
• My children have a special "something" about them...they are more interesting people. 
• It always makes me feel satisfied inside when a composer, an artist, or a poet comes up in conversation and my children can join in with some of their own thoughts and feelings. 
• Art and music appreciation is not just a subject in school but a part of who they are as people.

Mr. A is the first of my children to really experience what Charlotte Mason talked about in her volumes as far as an intimacy with beauty of sound and color. I can tell there is a real love for art and a better understanding of how to express himself because of having this exposure and then connection with art of all kinds.

Mr. A has made his art and music appreciation his own this year and has not pushed it aside when he got busy. Even now that he is really hustling to fit his schoolwork in around his paid and volunteer work, he takes the time to slow down and really make room for his art time. I see headphones on as he works on his other subjects and when I ask what he is listening to it is many times his current composer.


I tried to save the best for last...well, perhaps not the best but certainly the most fun for this child. His composer is currently John Williams and his artist is Edward Hopper.


We are going to have some fun with these paintings and we already have enjoyed picking the focus pieces for John Williams. (We are also looking forward to focusing on Langston Hughes as our very last poet.)

You absolutely need to view this YouTube for a fun look at a medley of John Williams tunes! Guaranteed to put the tunes in your head for the rest of the day. Besides...it is a clever young man who really worked hard at putting a great medley together...gave us some ideas for Mr. B's videography course.



Thank you Charlotte Mason for all your words of wisdom and your well thought out plans for those of us who have come after you. Thank you Charlotte Mason community (including Ambleside Online, Simply Charlotte Mason,  and Blog Carnival participants) for your generosity in sharing your plans.  I honestly don't think I would have kept up our art and composer study throughout high school if it were not for all the encouragement from the Charlotte Mason volumes and her modern day torch bearers.

It has enriched our lives.

You can read more about our high school art plans in this entry:
Homeschool Art Appreciation- Charlotte Mason High School Examples 

Sincerely

Barb-Harmony Art Mom