The Retelling Of A Story: The Wizard Of Oz In China

I have been working on our homeschooling curriculum for next year.  After completing a year of homeschooling successfully (by which I mean we are all still alive!) I am empowered to delve deeper into certain subjects.  I enjoy the concept of the recreation of a myth or story influenced by various cultures.  I came across this artists rendition of the Wizard Of Oz with an Asian perspective.

I think it is important for children to realize that there is no 'right way' for a story to be told and that one culture is as significant as another.  Far from Kansas, Billy Nunez, a Boston based artist created the illustrations for this book titled The Wizard Of Oz In China.

What are some of your favorite retellings of familiar stories? 

Reusable Plastic Containers

I hate single use plastics.   I took a pledge to limit my single use plastic and Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Refuse.  Unfortunately there are still some single use plastics that I haven't gotten out of my life.  I save a lot of household items to use for our crafting so I've been saving those little plastic containers from our strawberries, blueberries and fresh figs.

Check out these cute boxes we made- They are sturdy and fulfill the motto of using the single use plastics more then once. 

We used recycled paper from the 99 cent store and newspaper, white glue, paint brushes and plastic containers. 

We cut the paper in strips and made a milk like liquid by mixing one part glue to four parts warm water

And we wrapped the plastic containers in paper

It took a few days for them to thoroughly dry and once they did we were ready for the second part-

Using Mod Podge, paint brushes and tissue paper we ripped up the tissue paper and glued it on.

We tried to seal all the edges and over lap colors to create new ones-

The results are glossy, sturdy reusable boxes- that would make cute gifts.

Questions to consider while creating:

What materials are we using? Where do they come from?  What is it made of?

Is this recycled art?  Why?

I took this opportunity to go over the concept of  Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Refuse.

What colors are we using? Are you making a pattern?

What are warm colors?  Cool colors?

What materials are we reusing and what materials are new? 

Do you have any creative uses for grocery store single use plastic containers?

Artist: David Cole

We are big Lego fans in this house.  The boys have tons of Lego, much of it mine from when I was a kid or from my cousins who are now both in college.  It is a monthly event to take photos and submit them to Lego Magazine for consideration.  The monkeys have yet to be featured but we'll keep on trying.

These taxidermy animal Lego kits by artist Davide Cole are a clever and inevitable art medium for modern artist. I have featured Lego as an art medium before, most notably with the Lego Concentration Camp kits by a Polish artist Zbigniew Libera.   Check out David Cole's blog and work where he gives an honest account of his creative process.  

Here is the NYT article about David Cole and his Lego Kits.

Click to read more about Zbigniew Libera and his controversial Lego Concentration Camp Kits

Check out this post about Occupy Lego Land- We want to be a Nation NOT a land

Do you think that Lego is an valid art medium? 

Do you still play with Lego? 

Different Type Of Learning Environment

I am passionate about educations and the current need to revamp the 100 year old system most public schools in North America employ.  As many of my readers know, we took our monkeys out of private school and are homeschooling.  For us it is the best 'system' we have access to.
I know there are school all over the world that have created systems of education that are considered revolutionary and experimental.

I saw an article about a 'free school' in Sweden called Vittra described as:

no classes or classrooms – instead, the students are taught in groups according to level based on the school’s pedagogical principles of ’the wateringhole’, ’the show-off’, ’the cave’, ’the campfire’ and ’the laboratory’ – didactic approaches that create different types of learning and teaching situations. In Vittra, they do not believe in regular classes and the school organisation’s vision is to create an everyday for the individual students where individual development, a living cultural work and challenging learning environments are most important.

Here are photos from the Stockholm location:

Here is part of the school's philosophy and mission statement:

Vittra gives every individual the opportunity…

• to find the best approach for them 
  Children play and learn on the basis of their needs, curiosity and inclination in the best ways possible.
• to learn based on experience
  Children’s learning is based on their experience which increases motivation and inspires creativity.
• to understand their own learning
  Children are equipped with the tools to acquire new knowledge and increase understanding of ‘How I learn’, which enables them to learn more easily and effectively in the future.
• to have faith in themselves and their abilities
  Children become more self-aware, aware of their strengths and potential for development which means they dare and like to be challenged.
• to develop their ability to communicate and engage in respectful interaction with others
  Children understand and are considerate to the needs and interests of others, they can express and stand for their own views as well as take responsibility for their actions.
• to be equipped for study and work in an international environment
  Children develop effective bilingualism in English and Swedish while experiencing and creating international contacts through networks and exchange programmes abroad.

Click to learn more about this school

Would you have loved to learn in an environment like this?

Would you send your children to a school like this? 

Home Education-

This week has flown by- I had great intentions of posting on both Lady Of The Arts and
Making Men Out Of Monkeys but it is just not happening this week.
I have reoccurring carpal tunnel syndrome and my therapist made me promise not to use the computer…Shh- 

If your are interested, please check out my posts over at
Making Men Out Of Monkeys- where we did this project:

If you are part of the tribe- may you have an easy fast- - 

Crayon Art

I have been looking for fun craft projects to do with the monkeys using 'recycled' crayons.  My boys don't use them much anymore- preferring coloring pencils (or if you are Canadian Pencil Crayons).  A few months ago a friend of mine was cleaning out her play room and gifted us with a huge bag of Crayola crayons.  

We finally found a great easy project when Adele from Musings On The Simple Life posted her Melty Crayon Art.  The monkeys and I did this project in an hour and they had a blast- This is definitely one we'll do again.

To make you will need: crayons, canvas, glue gun, hair dryer and newspaper.  

Sort crayons and remove the labels.
Once they were done peeling the labels they played around with various patterns
before we glued them on with the glue gun

My younger monkey decide to follow a color chart and group like colors together

We glued them on across the top 

My older monkey chose to do an abstract pattern

We took them outside- laid out the newspaper and got the hair dryer ready

They melted quickly! 

The final result was something they were both proud of

Dr. J took one look at their art and asked if he could take them to his office to hang up!

Questions to consider while creating:

What materials are we using? Where do they come from?  What is it made of?

Is this recycled art?  Why?

What colors are we using? Are you making a pattern?

What are warm colors?  Cool colors?

Read the names of the colors- why do you think they named it that color? 

What direction will the wax melt? Will it melt with other colors to create new colors?

What does the silver crayon take longer to melt than the other colors?

What are some art projects you like to do with crayons? 

Forts

My monkeys like to make forts

I found that great vintage sheet while thrifting 

My monkeys get very disappointed when their cardboard creations are recycled- but such is cycle of life

Can you picture the forts you used to build as a kid? 

The bed fort photos were originally featured at Vintage Is For Lovers

Organizing Craft And Art Space- Feng Shui Your Craft Space

Making art and nurturing creativity in yourself and others is fundamental to happiness.

I am a huge believer in creating with what you have and using recycled materials to make new things.

Having basic materials and tools is important to the creative process. 

Even spontaneous art requires having an organized platform.    

Here are some ideas I use to organize and Feng Shui our craft space:

1. Less is more- if you don't think you are going to use things, particularly stuff your monkeys have grown out of -or things you have been saving but not using- consider donating them to someone who will.  Don't be afraid to purge- giving new life to materials that you are not using, clears the way for your creative space and may inspire someone else's. 

2. Group like things together- String with string, glue with glue and glitter with glitter.  I also like grouping things with color.

3. Consolidate- As long as you have fundamental tools and material out- you can get started.  Keep extra materials or tools put away and remember what you have where. We have huge storage containers in the garage where we keep extra toilet paper rolls, fruit bag netting, jars, non- chemical spray bottles, flattened boxes, etc. 

4. This brings me to labels and lists- everything that you can't see easily- stick a label on it.
5. Finally make sure you have the basics.  If you are just starting out, make a list and go to craft stores when they have sales to get things like glue guns, fabric/glass paints, paint brushes etc. at 50% off.

I have a peg board in my office and make it my responsibility to keep it organized and stocked.
It is easy to see what we have and because it is in 'my' space- it is understood that these materials are to be used with permission.  

As monkeys get older they need less supervision but I like to know when fabric paint is being used and for what! 

I keep 'craft kits' in the monkeys rooms with scissors, water based paint, glue, coloring tools and papers.

We added these recycled cans to our craft corner peg board to hold some writing and painting tools

We painted them:

and then used clips and hooks to get them to hang on the board:

they worked out perfectly.

I like to keep some extra supplies in jars so it is easy to see-

I have this fold up table in my office beside my computer desk:

I try to keep it clear! To make it easier I make space for my sewing machine and unfinished craft projects on shelves in the office closet.  If everything has its place it is more likely to end up put away.

How do you manage/organize your art and craft supplies?