kids

Art must discover and reveal the beauty which prejudice and caricature have overlaid. Alan Locke

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

The Harlem Renaissance was a celebration of African American culture in the 1920s and 1930s. It was a rebirth of African American arts. Workshops highlight art by Aaron Douglas, Jacob Lawrence, Romare Beardon, Augusta Savage and William Johnson.

Thousands of African Americans migrated to the North between 1900 and 1920 to escape economic hardship and racism and to search for human dignity and financial opportunity.

The veterans of World War I who had fought “to make the world safe for democracy” were determined to make democracy work at home.

From this mass migration, urbanization, and military participation, a dynamic artistic community evolved.

The Walter O. Evans Collection of African American Art by Andrea D. Barnwel

splash and color.com

Book Review: Lily Brown’s Painting

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

Lily Brown’s Painting by Angela Johnson and EB Lewis is a positive and uplifting book that younger children will enjoy. This book highlights the creativity, strengths and love of a delightful African American girl. Lily has a zest for life, adores her family and especially her baby brother.

Lilly is a compassionate and kind girl with an active imagination. She explores the world through her art.

Children and their families will create a watercolor painting of the stars from the book, Lily Brown’s Painting.

While there is a reference to art by Van gogh, Lily also finds inspiration and appreciation in everyday occurrences and elevates them to imaginative heights. There are no limits to her creativity. Lily becomes one with her art often immersing herself in the paintings.

I love that the author, Angela Johnson shares center stage with the illustrator. There is a nice foreword by the artist, EB Lewis, about his creative progress.

Check out my website for lesson plans for this book and other art workshops.

splash and color.com

Justice Delayed

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

The painting “Bus” by Jacob Lawrence.

I love the artist Jacob Lawrence. I’m not alone —-one of his paintings recently broke an auction record to become among the most expensive works by an African American Artist. Lawrence depicted many social events in his paintings.

In the Jacob Lawrence workshop, students will learn about the US executive, legislative and judicial branches of government and discuss the role of the artist in society. Students will create a painting inspired by Jacob Lawrence. This curriculum meets National Educational Standards.

Jacob Lawrence’s painting “Bus” depicted life in the segregated South. The painting shows a bus with whites comfortably seated and blacks jammed in the back with empty seats separating the two races. It is painted in his signature gouache on paper with brown, blue and red color scheme.

To learn more about the Jacob Lawrence workshop and others, visit my website.

splash and color.com

Remember let us remember one book, one pen, one child, one teacher can change the world. Malala Yousafzai

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

The famed Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.

On my first visit to Paris, I stayed at the Hotel de la Tulipe, a wonderful inn located near the Eiffel Tower. I traveled with a group of artists headed to Monet ‘s Garden in Giverny, France.

Grab, your flip flops and imagination. Explore Miami Beach’s Art Deco District through the eyes of a child in this delightful coloring book.

During my stay at the hotel, I befriended the Inn Keeper who told me about his creative and compassionate 5 year old. It seems his son wanted to make signs so tourists would not get lost in Paris. He showed me photos of the drawings.

The next day, I gave the Inn Keeper a copy of my Art Deco coloring book, “Splash and Color,” for his son. The following day much to my surprise, he told me his son had almost finished the coloring book and was researching the Internet to see what the actual buildings looked like.

Children have an insatiable curiosity. I’m glad my coloring book inspired this young Parisian.

Explore my a new website to see this coloring book, creative lesson plans and art.

Splash and color.com

Alarm Over Black Home School Movement

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

There’s a rise in Black Home Schooling.

According to an article in the New York’s Times “Remote school may be attend to dropping out… “ The article lists a lot of data to discourage Black and Latino parents from homeschooling without addressing obvious reasons besides Covid that these parents are opting to home school.

After years of being ignored by school systems, these parents are tired of discriminatory tactics by the educational system. It’s a system that often degrades students of color and ignores parental concerns about racial insensitivity of teachers. School books and curriculum reinforce this narrative by routinely overlooking the contributions of non-whites.

All the data in the world will not convince parents whose children have faced bias treatment. This article in the New York Times proves that the educational experts are “tone death.”

The Atlantic

New York Times

Black Home Schooling passes the test

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

Studies consistently show that parental involvement in education is critical to a child’s success.

I’m delighted to read about the recent trend in Black Home Schooling. I’m for anything that empowers parents to take charge of their children’s education.

As a certified Scholastic teacher, I was taught that parents are their children’s first teacher. I really didn’t need a certificate to tell me that. It’s common sense.

Children learn how to talk and other early skills from their parents. If the pandemic has taught us anything, most parents are up to the challenge of educating their children.

A Splash of Color

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

A page from Splash and Color Art Deco Coloring Book. It features a drawing of the iconic Breakwater Hotel in Miami Beach. The front design of the hotel is inspired by a ship’s masthead.

A Splash of color.

A dash of fun.

People and dogs on the run.

Bikes to ride

Scooters to thrill.

Pirates on land,

Pirates on wheels. 

Skaters zooming by.

Parasails in the sky.

A beach to swim in

Or just to float

And those silly buildings

that look like boats.

Copyrighted by Elaine Marie Artist

Check out my website to purchase my limited edition Miami Beach Art Deco Coloring Book.

elainemarieartist.com

The Magic of Mangroves

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

“Mangroves are magical forests where we discover nature’s secrets. They straddle the connection between land and sea and nature and humans.”

I love manatees and manatees love mangroves. They provide food and a safe place for young manatees.

Mangroves help protect Florida’s coastline by preventing erosion and absorbing storm surge during hurricanes.

Sanibel Island is a place where humans and nature peaceably coexist.

They capture carbon monoxide and greenhouse gases. They serve as a habitat and refuge for Florida wildlife.

Mangroves provide a habitat for 80 percent of finfish and shellfish sought by commercial and sports fishermen.

Notifications to the city of Sanibel are always required before taking any action involving mangroves.

They improve water quality by filtering out harmful pollutants.

nature.org

mysanibel.org

worldwidlife.org

elainemarieartist.com

Literacy is one of the pillars of democracy

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

Parents are a child’s first teacher.

The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character- that is the goal of true education. Martin Luther King, Jr.

While schools traditionally played a key role in literacy, parents are a child’s first teacher and can inspire a love of reading.

Modern jobs demand a high level of literacy. I’m not talking about scanning or skimming an article on the internet.

According to the National Institute for Literacy, the ability to read, write and speak in English, compute and solve problems are the what literacy is about.

Literacy is the foundation of a democratic society and strong families are the foundation of any successful society. Without both we are in peril.