January 24
Hoola Coola Day
This is our annual day to “laugh at the cold” with a luau dance and art party highlighting a morning of FUN! Put away your winter parkas, unpack your summer swimsuits and flip flops for it’s limbo time!! This adventure is always popular because it is fun to dream of being warm again. We reach for the SUNSHINE - paint it, create it and enjoy it today. Aloha! Sunglasses, a must!! A beach towel, if you would like. Hawaiian leis are going to swing around our necks… for it ‘tis a HOOLA COOLA DANCE and art party day!!
January 31
Medieval Times
Let us go back in time and explore all the adventure and excitement of the medieval world - fire-breathing dragons, knights in shining armor, princesses, queens, kings and castles. We will make intricate mosaics and medieval designs and sketches of costumes. We will dance and sip tea, nibble on cookies, as if we were at our own Renaissance Fair!
February 7
The Dolphin Way
Of all animals, there may be none so creatively expressive as the dolphins, with their whistles, chirps and clicks. Remember the story of Winter, a true story of a dolphin given an artificial tail. Well, Miss Lani visited her in Clearwater Florida, 2 years ago, - and all is true about Winter’s amazing resiliency, zest and life. Pictures will be shared and portraits painted of this loveable species that children rank first; first in their hearts!
February 14
Charles Darwin - a Children’s World Hero
An international celebration of science and humanity combine today to honor Darwin’s birthday, February 12. Science literacy...humanization of such and adventurous spirits will be the broad scale discussed with the children today.
Internationally, scientific work by the Charles Darwin Research Stations in the Galapagos Islands will be shared. Remarkable and important - their studies of tortoises astonish children as to the amount of creative force these creatures on the small, barren and rocky Galapagos Islands exude. Miss Lani will offer photographs of her travels there, three years ago. Let us never forget that some things DO NOT need to justify their existence, because they are priceless. Too much in our world is measured by economical value - National Parks whether in the Galapagos Islands or in Yosemite are fighting for survival; as are Marine Reserves all over the world. May we be mindful...and CARE...care about animals, art and science.
February 21
The Year of the Ram - Chinese Lunar 4713
Chinese New Year is here. With special inks, we will try to sketch and portray our rams much like Henry Moore loved to do. All eyes will be on the city of San Francisco as they salute this Chinese Year right through the mid part of March. Calligraphy will be our main art form today - using beautiful and colorful asian ink. Cards to keep - yes, like keepsakes, these will be rendered and penned with delight.
March 7
To You, Young Artist: Youth Art Month
Since 1961, March is a commemorative time set aside to emphasize the value and importance of art and art education in the development of all children and young people. The Council of Art Education is delighted that we are paying attention to the self expression of our youth at Featherstone.
You are all number 1! Talent number 1! Passionate about sketching, number 1! And number 1 in Miss Lani’s heart.
An assemblage will be created by each artist today incorporating every art medium that you choose, that works for your imaginative mind and fingers today.
Get Smart with Art...You are – smart.
March 21
National Puppy Day
Today we celebrate puppies for all the joy they bring to our lives. We hope to learn, as well, how to educate ourselves about the need for more Americans to adopt animals in need. Kittens are also going to be sketched and included, for the puppy’s barking, bounding and bellowing is often associated with meows – meows! Rascals – yes! Calder will inspire us to do some wire sculptures - similar to the Clarabelle piece done by Steve Lolhman. Animals in Art - we love the dynamics. Bring your hearts and stories about your puppies and kittens…and we shall listen.
March 28
Spring Spring Double Fun!
We plan to hold a spring fling! Wreath and garlands will be woven from flowers. Our children’s garden will be laid out - a sketch, a plan from each artist’s view will be created. Seeds will be planted in peat pots in order that we may observe the beauty of the sprouts and their reach to the sunshine. (Our indoor planting will be transferred to our children’s garden in early June.)
We will create wreaths for animals - woven with ethical food as well - and place these in the environ here for our animals to nibble on; for it is Be Kind to Animals Week. Our wild friends, as they flutter their wings and as they fling their hooves, claws and paws need sustenance at all times of the year. We shall surprise them, now and as they approach our “treats”, they will undoubtedly sense children are near. A walk on our Red Diamond Trail will round out our fun morning...do come...do join our beautiful spirit, here, for the animals need us.
April 4th
What’s Up Doc?
Over seventy years ago, when your grandparents were children, a fine film company created a “wascally bunny” called Bugs Bunny! Porky’s Hare Hunt was the theatrical short - and a cartoon was given birth. Shortly, thereafter came Bugs’ famous quote, “What’s up, Doc?” and the rabbit’s noisy carrot chewing was based on another actor’s carrot chewing, Clark Gable. The film with the noisy carrot eating, also made in the thirties, “It Happened One Night”, might also be remembered by your grandparents. We do not focus on the commercial aspects of art, as a rule, but today, we shall celebrate Bugs’ birthday and paint carrots and rabbits in a comical sense to recognize the art of cartooning. All children love cartoons. The creation date: April 30, 1938
High Five - Warner Brothers! FUN, SILLY, BILLY MORNING.
April 11
We Love Books - An Especial Author’s View
Celebrating International Children’s Book Day
April 12 is the birthday of Hans Christian Andersen and today we commemorate this great story teller and the international aspects of children’s literature. Illustrations will be viewed of this famous author/illustrator! While on sabbatical in Europe, Miss Lani visited the author’s home and village and enjoyed the Danish people’s love for this great man of literature. Miss Lani’s college roommate was from Skona, Southern Sweden. The love of the Scandinavian culture runs deep in her heart...some of which will be “given away” to you today! Every child will go home with a book, today, by Hans Christian Andersen. This gift mirrors your art making today.
April 18
Let’s Remember: National High Five Day!
It is as simple as it sounds!! April 16, a day devoted to giving and receiving high fives!
Annually -the third Thursday in April - the kindness - the “giving” of self is the focus!
Keith Haring’s fun and comically oriented and artful contemporary art ideas will guide us as we paint posters to give to our island school classrooms and to our homeschool friends. FUN - it may be a hilarious morning, however sincere giving is no joke. It is wonderful for our hearts and brains.
April 25
World Penguin Day
A day of awareness for these amazing creatures celebrated by many conservation groups. Penguins spend 75 percent of their life at sea. They can dive to 1,850 feet. There are 17 species of these flightless birds. Annually on April 25, the Adelie penguins begin their northward migration in Antarctica. One of our own young artists, Broden, is our research expert on Penguins! We will ask his wise assistance and also enjoy the NEW Princeton Press book, Penguins.
May 9
Think Flowers...Tulips...The Netherlands
O, the splendor of the colors, past and present!
Dutch virtues - simplicity, routine, the care of home and farmland.
Rembrandt’s contribution to this Golden Age of Art Making is also very significant.
Alexandre Dumas’ paintings of tulips showcase the colored flowers that span landscape after landscape today, when in the 1600’s it was considered a real challenge to grow just one tulip- a tan-colored tulip.
Many artists have married Dutch art designs based on the painting and rich, deep color chords of Piet Mondrian; Yves Saint Laurent is an example of these inspirations.
We will embark on a journey of sorts and while painting, let us not only learn “how to do” Dutch masters - old and new, but let’s visit the “new” Rijksmuseum after its completion last year of a 500 million dollar renovation. Miss Lani and many of our families have visited this magnificent museum and look forward to return to beenriched by this 10 year renovation of a treasure for all. We have families in our “art family” who live in the Netherlands and families here who visit their “homeland” regularly who presently have children enrolled with us. We honor their heritage.
Paintings - in acrylic and oil will be mounted on our easels as we take to the joy of learning from
Amsterdam’s masters. We are ready to be inspired, once again. Art fulfillment is our gain.
May 16
Color your World with Collage Robots
A recognizable shape - we will vary the size, shapes and colors, backgrounds and embellishments - however our robots will “rock”. Ten collages each will be created - children will delight in a series so original and colorful to enjoy and use to play.
Absorbed...happy...we may catch ourselves having way too much fun!
Beach houses, hearts are possibilities if we may find ourselves unable to stop the joy these variations propose for us. Spontaneous - intuitive - art making fills our hearts, tickles our hands!
May 23
Painting with Mosaics
Mosaics are a free, expressive and forgiving medium. Using mosaic tesserae (glass, stone, pottery, found objects, mirror and china) we will create painterly compositions that children love.
Realistic or abstract - each child will imagine their design and enjoy their result. Self-expression at its best. Art is in our HeARTS!
June 13
A Painter’s Paradise
Monet loved the hills and flowers that surrounded the Seine versus all the noises and lights of Paris. For Monet, urban life had lost its appeal...and Giverny became his paradise. Humble and private Monet never expected that many European and American artists would find inspiration at Giverny. The paths of the French Master and these artists did cross and surprising results ensued. He invited friends to make the trip, visit him and paint together. The artful beauty ~so abundant!
We will look at John Singer Sargent’s painting, Caillebotte, Cezanne and Renoir’s works of art. We, in our Children’s Studio, celebrate daily the sparkling freshness of color! As if in his garden, children will paint what “they see” from the gardens at Giverny that touch their hearts. The Beauty we will then view from these young artists’ works of art.
July 11
Eagle Days
We shall learn together more about the magnificent bird that is our national emblem!
The bald eagle and golden eagle will be our focus. With binoculars and spotting scopes, we will glimpse at the ways they roost and soar. Several nature centers have helped us to make our art experience authentic and meaningful. Their research makes us smart… and as we paint our eagles, we will be mindful of the enormity of their might and beauty. Our American and mighty bird – soar, soar, soar.
July 25
Fantasy ~ Form and Color
Form and color captures and attracts our eyes like magic.
We will create beautiful tissue paper transparencies. Appearing to move, even though fixed to windows...our creations stimulate our thinking. Is it a sparkling star? Is it the sun’s ball rotating slowly? Does it radiate warmth? Is it a cold blue snowflake?
We will use tissue paper and fold and fold and fold. Calm and astonishment lead one’s endeavors. Beauty the result.
