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Alina's avatar

I could have written much of those post myself, also being someone who has good quality art supplies from my pre-children life, and who also majored in art history. I'm hoping this background will be useful when we get to the teen years as I haven't used it much during these early years, other than by being able to provide a range of media to create with.

I do have one idea (similar to buying an art book to cut up). I buy calendars of significant artworks/artists and then when the year is over I can cut it up and stick the pictures on the walls. Could also use for a mix and match activity where you have to guess which paintings are by which artist.

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Josh Brake's avatar

Love the hack of engaging the kids by giving them an opportunity to embrace their own agency. Those sorts of experiences are one of the many beautiful affordances of homeschooling.

PS, my favorite pens in this vein are the Pentel Brush pen (https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001WAKDGI) and the Papermate Flair (https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0B5DD7R1D/).

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Cherry McAlister Artist's avatar

When our household was sick last year we took a Quentin Blake online drawing workshop with London Drawing Group. <Disclaimer.....I was already a big London Drawing Group fan. Find them on Eventbrite.> I started doing it by myself and my little one joined in of their own free will. And they loved it. They really got into it. Especially the tip for drawing faces......start with the nose. We ended up creating loads of cute Santas. My little one drew the face & hat & I painted the hat in. I had loads of my art supplies out on the table but my little one chose a lovely black ink pen (not a biro, bit more like a roller ball) that they had got from a party bag. But oh my......it does a lovely black line!

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/london-drawing-group-11407647443

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Haley Baumeister's avatar

okay well done on the pen promotion, I am compelled and about to buy some!

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Catherine Oliver's avatar

Ha! Beautiful stationery is hard to resist - enjoy your new pens!

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