There was a lot Gogh-ing on this week!

There is so much to be learned from studying the work of Vincent Van Gogh. He left school at 15 and to begin a trade, and by then he was very well read and spoke 4-5 languages. He had a near photographic memory for details that comes across in all of his drawings and paintings. He was greatly influenced by the landscapes and people of his native Netherlands, and also lived in London and Paris before settling in the South of France. In each location, he visited galleries and museums and studied the artists and styles which culminated in his distinctive brush strokes and colors. He recorded everything around him in letters and diaries, which perfected his drawing style. This week we focused on texture and layering colors using two examples, a still life and a landscape. The children were amazing in their attention to detail. For most, it was a new concept to work in stages by laying down a background color and later drawing the image and adding texture.