Anyone Can Teach Art | from Ridge Light Ranch

“Me? Teach art? I don’t even know how to draw!!” Many of us started there. We felt a total lack of confidence in teaching art. We wanted to give our children all the benefits of art in their education but didn’t know how. Some of us did a few colorful hands-on projects with our children, but we could see they weren’t really learning the basics of art. We had never learned the basics of art ourselves. But then, after a few years of teaching art with the classical model of education, we realized that teaching art can be as simple as teaching any other subject and we can learn it alongside our children! Now we’ve condensed our knowledge here for you. Instead of a how-to-draw book, Anyone Can Teach Art presents the scope and sequence of a classical Christian art curriculum for K-12 students. In this book, we break it all down for you. By the end of this book you’ll know: Why art should be included in everyone’s education What are the basics of art creation and art appreciation How to use the ancient, amazingly effective, classical model of education to teach art Which simple drills and exercises to include in art projects to help students advance their skills How to proceed in art education once your students have mastered the basics Learn the basics and follow the plan in this book and you’ll realize how easy it really is to teach art. Enjoy a sample of this new book!

Art Events’ is the umbrella term I’ve given to in-person events where we create art. This includes painting parties, art camps, and art classes.  We’ve talked about art events on the podcast before when we heard from Emily Magone in episode #48, where she explained HOW to conduct painting parties. Now we want to explore the topic again, but look broadly at the pros and cons of all kinds of art events! Full Show Notes: https://ridgelightranch.com/all-about-art-events-podcast-66/. 

The birth and incarnation of Christ are often featured in great works of art- but what is the significance of the incarnation for Christians?  In this Season 3 Finale and Special Christmas Episode, Julie and Deanna study John 1:1-18 and discuss how to understand this beautiful but sometimes confusing passage and what it says about the Incarnation, or Jesus being born as a human being.  Merry Christmas to all our listeners! Show Notes: https://ridgelightranch.com/incarnation-christ-podcast-65/

Whether you're buying yourself art supplies, picking out supplies for your classroom, or purchasing a gift for a fellow artist, here are some tips on how to pick which art supplies to purchase.

Deanna and I are chatting about our favorite art projects that make nice handmade gifts. We hope you'll try one or more of these! Full Show Notes with all the links: https://ridgelightranch.com/art-project-gifts/  

Vincent van Gogh is one of the best-known artists of all time. He's known for his unique style and strangely beautiful works and art, but also for his short, tragic life. Today we're talking about van Gogh and what we love about his art. -- Show Notes with links and photos: https://ridgelightranch.com/why-study-vincent-van-gogh-podcast-62/ — Visit RidgeLightRanch.com for Easy, No-Prep Art Lesson Plans. — Join our Facebook Group called Anyone Can Teach Art: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AnyoneCanTeachArt/ — Find out more about Julie’s Book: Anyone Can Teach Art; How to Confidently Teach Art in your Classical Homeschool https://ridgelightranch.com/book/ — Buy Julie’s works of art on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/RidgeLightRanch

Images and Full Show Notes: https://ridgelightranch.com/why-study-berthe-morisot-podcast-61/ — Visit RidgeLightRanch.com for Easy, No-Prep Art Lesson Plans. — Join our Facebook Group called Anyone Can Teach Art: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AnyoneCanTeachArt/ — Find out more about Julie’s Book: Anyone Can Teach Art; How to Confidently Teach Art in your Classical Homeschool https://ridgelightranch.com/book/ — Buy Julie’s works of art on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/RidgeLightRanch

Monet is probably the most famous Impressionist and he's known for his beautiful depictions nature, particularly waterlilies. Full Show Notes with photos: https://ridgelightranch.com/why-study-monet-podcast-60/

This unusual Impressionist didn't enjoy plein-air painting (painting outside) or the airy natural light. Instead, he sketched and then returned to his studio to paint. He's most famous for his paintings of ballet dancers, but he also painted everyday people in the city and action scenes from polo games! In fact, he was incredibly skilled at painting people in the midst of their activity, often from unique angles. Join us as we chat about this... irritable artist- his life and his art. Full Show Notes: https://ridgelightranch.com/why-study-degas-podcast-59/

Thomas Gainsborough ( 1727-1788) was a life-long painter who loved creating magnificent landscapes but found they didn't sell well. Instead, he paid the bills with portraits until he started combining the two into unique portraits with idealistic landscapes in the background. This made him England's most famous portrait painter and the King and Queen's favorite artist. Full Show Notes: https://ridgelightranch.com/why-study-gainsborough-podcast-58/ 

Join us as we chat about who Rembrandt was, what his life looked like, and how his the culture around him influenced his life.   

We love telling out all about our own personal renaissance activities each episode (the things we're learning and creating)- But how can we foster this mindset of a lifelong love of learning in ourselves and in our children? We've thought up a few keys and wanted to share them with you! Full Show Notes:

We love telling out all about our own personal renaissance activities each episode (the things we're learning and creating)- But how can we foster this mindset of a lifelong love of learning in ourselves and in our children? We've thought up a few keys and wanted to share them with you! Full Show Notes: https://ridgelightranch.com/personal-renaissance-mindset-part-1-podcast-55/ 

Texture is one of the 7 Elements of Art and learning how to create it can really increase the sophistication level of your artwork! Join us as we discuss how to create texture and how this integrates with the science of tree identification! Show Notes: https://ridgelightranch.com/drawing-texture-and-tree-bark/

Aerial perspective (or atmospheric perspective) is one of the methods of adding depth to your drawing. Join us as we discuss the science of this and how to use it in art! Full Show Notes: https://ridgelightranch.com/aerial-perspective-science-light-podcast-53/ 

Who was Fibonacci? Why should we learn about him? How does his number sequence relate to art? Join us as we talk about this man, his famous number sequence, and how to use it in art. Show Notes: https://ridgelightranch.com/fibonacci-abstract-art-podcast-52/

Show Notes: 

This week I'm talking about balance, symmetry and how they're related to leaves! Deanna's unavailable, so it's a solo episode this week! Full show notes: https://ridgelightranch.com/balance-symmetry-leaves-podcast-50/   

This is the 1st of a new 6-part series on integrating art with science! Show notes: https://ridgelightranch.com/the-basic-shapes-of-trees-podcast-49/  

Now that the school year is about over and we're starting to think about summer, consider hosting painting parties for adults (and kids) this summer to earn some extra income!  Emily Magone has done this for years and now she's sharing all her secrets with you in her new package: "Start Your Own In-Home Painting Party Business." Episode 48 full show notes with all the links: 

As summer is approaching and you're planning your vacations, we hope you'll include a visit to a few art museums! Join us today as we discuss the benefits of visiting museums with your kids and how to prepare for a really fun trip to the museum! Full Show Notes: https://ridgelightranch.com/successful-museum-visit/

Welcome to Season 3 of the Anyone Can Teach Art podcast!! This week we're talking about classroom management. We're focusing on the art classroom but, of course, most of this applies to any classroom with children or even adults. Classroom management can be a real challenge for all for us, but there are key principles we can turn to, to help us be the most effective teachers we can be. The keys are to: Be Prepared Be Positive Be Consistent For more details check out the full show notes: https://ridgelightranch.com/classroom-management-podcast-46/

This 'best-of' episode is a sample of about 10 minutes of each of our six episodes about Renaissance Artists (Episodes #36-41). -For full show notes visit: https://ridgelightranch.com/bestof-renaissance-artists-podcast-45 -Please note: Starting in April, new episodes will be released every other Thursday (not Mondays like season 1 and 2). -For info about our local summer art classes visit: https://ridgelightranch.com/art-classes/. -For updates on my upcoming book visit: https://ridgelightranch.com/book/.

This episode is the Best of our 6 part series on Ancient Art (episodes 28-33). -For full show notes visit: https://ridgelightranch.com/bestof-ancient-art-podcast-44/ -Please note: Starting in April, new episodes will be released every other Thursday (not Mondays like season 1 and 2). -For info about our local summer art classes visit: https://ridgelightranch.com/art-classes/. -For updates on my upcoming book visit: https://ridgelightranch.com/book/.

Episodes #23-27 were about how to use the Classical Model to teach art. We're summarizing them for you in this 'best-of' episode as a great refresher or an excellent introduction to the Classical Model of Education and how to use it to teach art.

If we're always determined to create a masterpiece with every sketch, we miss out on some of the best ways to improve our drawing skills. The best way to get better at anything is through deliberate, regular practice of a smaller skill set. In art, we use drawing drills to improve our skills. Show Notes: https://ridgelightranch.com/drawing-drills-podcast-42/ 

It's time for the El Greco episode. Just like how Giotto came before the Renaissance and helped to get it started, El Greco came at the end of the Renaissance and shows us the transition away from the Renaissance style of art.  It's the last of our 6-part series on Artists of the Renaissance. Show notes and pictures: https://ridgelightranch.com/why-study-el-greco-podcast-41/ 

Michelangelo was an amazingly talented painter, architect, and poet, but his favorite art form was sculpting. He was probably the most talented sculptor who ever lived, perhaps even the most talented artist who ever lived. His art was dramatic, detailed, and always perfect. The people he sculpted were usually twisting or displayed in striking (or maybe awkward) poses. All this drama makes Michelangelo a link between the traditional Renaissance art and the Mannerist movement which bridges the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Join us as we chate about Michelangelo, one of the most famous artists of all time... and about how to handle all the nudes when we're teaching our kids about Michelangelo and other Renaissance artists. Show Notes: https://ridgelightranch.com/michelangelo-podcast-40/

You can find the full show notes here:  https://ridgelightranch.com/albrecht-durer-podcast-39/  Albrecht Durer was known as the “Leonardo da Vinci of Germany,” but he was a Renaissance trendsetter in the whole European art world. His impact reached far beyond Germany, partially because he traveled to other countries, but more because his Woodblock cuts were far beyond what anyone had ever created! However, Durer wasn't just an artist, he was also interested in theology, science, proportions, math, geometry, and epistemology (the study of the foundation of knowledge).

We can see the Gothic-to-Renaissance progression over the years in Fra Angelico's works of art and have rich conversations about the underlying philosophies and worldviews that influenced art at this time. Fra Angelico's artwork also shows some examples of foreshortening, a key drawing skill! Click through to the show notes for all the links and a place to comment!  https://ridgelightranch.com/why-study-fra-angelico-podcast-38/  

Lorenzo Ghiberti was a famous early Renaissance artist, best known for his three dimensional bronzed reliefs on the doors of the Florentine Baptistry. By learning about his work, we get to learn about relief art and it's somewhat three-dimensional nature. We can also gain an understanding of the role of the church and religion in Renaissance art and culture and the role of architecture in art. See our full show notes here:  https://ridgelightranch.com/ghiberti-podcast-37/ 

Studying Giotto is a great way to usher in your study of the Renaissance period because he's the Father of the Renaissance in Florentine art. We chat about Giotto's life, the hallmarks of Renaissance art and some art project ideas for your study of Giotto. Here's the full show notes where you can also leave us some comments: https://ridgelightranch.com/giotto-podcast-36/  Near the end of this episode we also chatted about some Christmas gift ideas. We split that into its own blog post which you can find here: Artsy Gift Ideas:  https://ridgelightranch.com/artsy-gift-ideas/

In this 2nd half of our discussion on the 7 Methods of Perspective, we're talking about: Shadows, Angle of Lines, Degree of Detail, and Color! These skills are a little less intuitive so they're especially fun to learn and then see in everyday life! Show notes are at: https://ridgelightranch.com/drawing-depth-more-podcast-35/   

This is the first half of our discussion of the 7 Methods of Perspective. In these two episodes, we chat about all the ways to add depth to your drawings. In this episode we discuss: Overlap, Size, and Horizontal Placement. In episode 35 we'll cover the other 4 Methods of Perspective. Show Notes:  https://ridgelightranch.com/drawing-depth-podcast-34/  

We're going back to the Book of Kells and other illuminated manuscripts (as promised in episode 31 about Ancient Celtic Abstract Art)! In this episode we answer the questions: When and where were Illuminated manuscripts created? What were they? What can we learn from looking at several examples of Illuminated manuscripts? How do illustrations stack up against other fine art? What subject integration opportunities fall along side Medieval illuminated manuscripts? Full Show Notes here: https://ridgelightranch.com/illuminated-manuscripts-podcast-33/

Its time for our conversation about Greek and Roman architecture! Join us as we answer the questions: What other cultures influenced Greek and Roman architecture? How has Greek and Roman architecture influenced present day architecture? What is perspective and how do I teach it? Is Architecture really art? What other professions / industries include art? Check out the show notes here: https://ridgelightranch.com/ancient-architecture-podcast-32/

Celtic Art has such a unique look to it that most people can easily identify at Celtic, whether it's from the earlier pre-Christian eras or the later Celtic-Christian times. In this style we see a lot of patterns and drawings that look like knots and ropes. As far as abstract art goes, it's a very meticulous, mathematical style- very different than some other types of abstract art. Show Notes:  https://ridgelightranch.com/abstract-celtic-art-podcast-31/

In this episode we're chatting about Greek art, but specifically art from the Archaic period (about 800-500 BC). It's an interesting period that leads to the Golden Age of Greece and the Roman empire. It and forms a link between Ancient Egyptian art and Classical Roman art. We chat about this connection when it comes to Greek sculptures and pottery (since so much of it has lasted these thousands of years), but we leave a discussion of architecture for episode #32. We also chat about nudity in art and how to handle it in class and at home. Show Notes: https://ridgelightranch.com/greek-art-podcast-30

What makes Egyptian art so instantly recognizable? Why did the Egyptians draw and paint in this way? What kind and contributions did the Egyptian culture make to architecture? Today we chat about all these topics as we prepare for a fun art project: Drawing King Tut's Mask Using Symmetry. Here's the full Blog Post: https://ridgelightranch.com/egyptian-art-podcast-29/ ‎

  Prehistoric art, like Cave paintings and rock art, are windows into cultures before written history. In addition to the obvious historical integrations, there are so many great Prehistoric Art science integrations like the study of caves, geology, and paint materials. Join us today as we explore Prehistoric art and the many different ways to teach about it. Here's the Show Notes: https://ridgelightranch.com/prehistoric-art-podcast-28/

Today we’re completing our 5-part series on the Classical Model of Education and how to use it to teach art with a special double episode about art in both the Dialectic and Rhetoric stages of learning. Show Notes:  http://ridgelightranch.com/podcast-27-dialectic-rhetoric-art/ Art and the Classical Model Here’s links to the other 4 parts of this series on using the Classical Model of Eduction to teach art: #23 How to Teach Art Using the Classical Model of Education #24 What are the 7 Elements of Art? (Art Grammar, Part 1 of 3) #25 What are the Principles of Design? (Art Grammar, Part 2 of 3)  #26 What are the Remaining Components of Art Grammar? (Part 3 of 3) (Techniques / Media, Skills, The Purposes of Art , Art History, Art Appreciation)

Today we're talking about the other five components of the grammar (basics) of art: Techniques / Media, Skills, Purposes of Art, Art History, and Art Appreciation. You can Find the Show Notes here: http://ridgelightranch.com/podcast-26-art-grammar/ Things We Mention Episode 23: Art and the Classical Model of Education Episode 24: The 7 Elements of Art (Art Grammar, Part 1) Episode 25: The Principles of Design (Art Grammar, Part 2) Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils Prismacolor Scholar Colored Pencils Crayola’s Erasable Colored pencils, Faber Castell’s Albrecht Durer Watercolor Pencils Malcom Gladwell’s book Outliers James Clear’s short book, Mastering Creativity Podcast Episode #13: Art History- How to Go from Confused to Confident Podcast Episode #14: Why and How to Study Art History (Includes access to a nice PDF of the Free Art History Overview chartshown here!!)

Continuing our series on How to Teach Art using the Classical Model of Education, we’re moving on in the grammar of art, discussing the Principles of Design! The Principles of Design are the way the Elements of Art are used in a work of art. The Principles of Design help us to figure out why our art doesn't look like we wanted it to look and helps us articulate why we like or don't like other works of art. Here's the full show notes:  http://ridgelightranch.com/podcast-25-principles-of-design/   Questions? Comments? Comment on the Blog post, Join us in the Anyone Can Teach Art Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AnyoneCanTeachArt/ Or email me at Julie@RidgeLightRanch.com   Things We Mention Episode #23: Art and the Classical Model of Education Episode #24: The 7 Elements of Art (Art Grammar, Part 1) Episode #15: Grandma Moses and Folk Art Episode #16: Norman Rockwell Op Art  Episode #18: Andrew Wyeth Episode #19: Roy Lichtenstein and Pop Art King Tut's Mask Peggy Dean's Book, Botanical Line Drawing Peggy Dean's Book, Botanical Line Drawing: Cactus and Succulent Edition Ross King's Book, Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling (may not be suitable for all ages)

We're continuing our series on the Classical Model of Education and how to use it to teach art. This is our first episode on the Grammar of art, where we're discussing the 7 Elements of Art. Here's the Full Highlights/Outline:  http://ridgelightranch.com/podcast-24-the-7-elements-art/ Links to Stuff we Mention Episode #23 Art and the Classical Model of Education RidgeLightRanch’s 2018 art lesson plans The 7 Elements of Art Poster

What is the Classical Model of Education and how does it apply to art? What's a model of education to begin with? In this podcast episode, Deanna and Julie discuss three hallmarks of a Classical education: Valuing methods over content, the Trivium, and Subject Integration. Here's a few things we mention: RidgeLightRanch's 2018 art lesson plans Dorothy Sayer's Lost Tools of Learning The 7 Elements of Art Here's the Full Highlights:  http://ridgelightranch.com/podcast-23-art-classical-model/ ‎

There are so many reasons why art is part of education. Deanna and Julie chat about its effect on other school subjects and its inherent value in fostering creativity, visual learning, noticing details, motor skills, confidence, comfort with ambiguity, learning from mistakes, perseverance, and communication with others.  Here's a few things we mention: Project Zero (Ellen Winner and Lois Hetland) — an arts-education program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Reviewing Education and the Arts Project (REAP) Executive Summary Teaching art or teaching to think like an artist? | Cindy Foley | TEDxColumbus.  "Teaching for Creativity is all about Teaching the Habits Artist Employ." Blink by Malcolm Gladwell Ira Glass's quote about developing your skill to match your taste Willpower Instinct, by Kelly McGonigal, Here's the full Highlights: http://ridgelightranch.com/podcast-22-why-art-education

One of the most common struggles we all seem to have in teaching art, is making time for art. Join Deanna and Julie and they discuss HOW to make time for both Art Appreciation AND Art Creation for both your children and yourself!  Here's the full Highlights: http://ridgelightranch.com/podcast-21-making-time-for-art/ 

Deanna & Julie discuss Jim Davis, the creator of Garfield. Who is he? What is his art like? Why should we study him? Join us as we chat about the genre of comics, cartoons, and graphic novels and discover some great reasons to study Jim Davis and his memorable cat.  Here's the Highlights:  http://ridgelightranch.com/podcast-20-jim-davis/ ‎

  Get the Full Highlights Here:  http://ridgelightranch.com/podcast-19-roy-lichtenstein/   Lichtenstein’s Paintings we discuss: The best place to see Roy Lichtenstein's work is at his own website. The art work images are in the "image duplicator" portion of his website. Series of brushstroke paintings and sculptures Girl with Tear I Haystack series (similar to Monet's haystacks) Water Lilies (similar to Monet's Water Lilies) Bedroom at Arles (similar to Van Gogh's Bedroom at Arles) Whamm! Ridge Light Ranch line drawing of Whamm! Oooh... Alright... Things we mention Austin Kleon's book, Steal Like An Artist, and Ted Talk Previous Lichtenstein blog post Painting Primary Colors like Roy Lichtenstein Lesson plan Copyright and the Art Teacher Blog Post:

Join us as we chat about Wyeth's subdued pallet and discover what it means to train your eyes to see color. Here's the full highlights:  http://ridgelightranch.com/podcast-18-andrew-wyeth/   Works We Mention by Andrew Wyeth The best place to see Andrew Wyeth's art is at his own website: Andrewwyeth.com. Christina’s World (1948) Master Bedroom (1965) Snow Hill (1989)   Things We Mention Quiller Wheel (example: https://www.quillergallery.com/shop/Poster-Size-Wheel.html) CIRCE's Andrew Kern talks about training children toward Attention, Imitation, and Memory MET and MoMA A previous Ridge Light Ranch blog post about Andrew Wyeth The Ridge Light Ranch Lesson Plan: Painting with Neutral Colors Like Andrew Wyeth

Here's the Full Highlights:  http://ridgelightranch.com/podcast-17-georgia-okeeffe/ We Chat about: Who was she? What were her paintings like? Why study her? Did you miss something? Here are some of the things we mention:  School of Art Institute of Chicago Espionage Act of 1917 Arthur Wesley Dow (greatly influenced O'Keeffe's early work) Alfred Stieglitz (O'Keeffe's patron and then husband) Value- one of the 7 Elements of Art Modern Art Movements: Precisionsim, Futurism, Constructivism, Cubism, and Surrealism Georgia O'Keeffe Museum (I love you guys!! Thank you for allowing me to use your images in my lesson!) O'Keeffe's Art we Mentioned: The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum of Art's collection of O'Keeffe's Work is a great place to see O'Keeffe's work! Series 1, White and Blue Flower Shapes, 1919 Abstraction White Rose, 1927 Turkey Feather with Horseshoe, II – 1935 Stump in Red Hills – 1940 Untitled (Grapes) 1901-02 Untitled (seated figure) 1901-02