Adding Art into your Curriculum

I am not an art major. I love painting and working on calligraphy but my abilities are extremely limited. So when it comes to teaching my children how to do art, sometimes I feel overwhelmed or not know exactly where to begin. As the girls get older I want to introduce art in a more in depth way and teach them more about technique. One way to add art into the girls curriculum is by using online art courses.

ASTAR online is a wonderful site to encourage art and creativity through courses.The course that the girls and I signed up for is Mandalas. The course begins with a bit of an introduction from creator Lindy Solomon. She explains how art is medicine for the soul and is therapeutic, empowering, and transformative. After this it explains the guidelines and materials needed so that the art making process is smooth and calming. Once this is all completed, begin to dive into the 10 different videos that explain different ways to make mandalas.

I love that a number of the videos explain that by using things found in nature and/or around the house can make beautiful art. One morning we went for a walk to collect things that we would be able to use for making a mandala. This by far was our favorite mandala to make. As big fans of nature study, anything that we are able to do outdoors is a win in our book. The girls were able to meticulously place the pieces they found in nature to create this beautiful piece of art.

Another mandala we made was with oil pastels and water mixed with food coloring. The girls created their mandalas with the oil pastels. Once done they were able to use the water mixed with food coloring creating circular patterns starting from the middle and working to the outside. This made the oil pastels really pop and create beautiful colors.

Making these mandalas with the girls was super fun and was honestly very calming. The course taught not only the girls but also myself that art is truly everywhere and can be done with just a few materials. As homeschoolers I am always looking for something to add to our curriculum that would be beneficial and educational. This art course from ASTAR online did just that. We were able to learn tools that we needed for art and thinking outside the box in what we could use to make that art.

Interested in signing up for your very own art course? Head over to ASTAR online, use the code BLISSFULLYINSANE to get 50% off (first ten people)! This is such a great deal and trust me so worth doing the course to add a bit of art into your homeschooling curriculum!