Pastel Painting by Jessica

"Pastel Painting"

by Jessica
11/12/07
Pastel on Newsprint
9" X 12"
Age 7
West Chester, PA

The Colorful Words Contest

The “Colorful Words” Contest
Short Story and Drawing
by Kristina
10-17-2007

It was a sunny morning in Thompsonville and an exciting buzz was sweeping throughout classroom 101 in Thomson Elementary. Their teacher had just told them they were going to have a “colorful words contest”. “What’s that?” I blurted out. “Raise your hand next time, Grace.” Said Mrs. Wendy. “Anyway, a colorful words contest is when I give you a sentence with a “blank spot” in it. You fill in that blank spot with a colorful or descriptive word. Then when you go home you write an essay, or short report, on descriptive words. Does everybody understand?” “Yes, Mrs. Wendy,” said the class. “Then let’s begin!”

Now before I tell you what we did, I want to tell you about my teacher. Mrs. Wendy isn’t like any teacher you’ve ever known. She’s a very nice teacher, only strict when she needs to be (which is hardly ever). Mrs. Wendy is a tall lady with long wavy blond hair. She has almond shaped blue eyes, and a nice glossy pink smile. Her teeth are the whitest, brightest, straightest teeth I ever saw. She’s very pretty and she’s 30 years old. She always dresses in clean and tidy clothes, but not boring ones. Mrs. Wendy always wears earrings depending on the day and high top purple and silver sandals on her feet. Sometimes she even wears high heels. Well, enough about my teacher. Let’s get back to the story.

“Okay… the first person that knows the answer pop up, alright?” Mrs. Wendy said. “Yes Mrs. Wendy”, chorused the class. “Good, ready, set, go! I was blank in the bushes.” Michael, Katlyn, Maddie, Aaron, and I popped up. “Maddie!” called Mrs. Wendy. “Conspicuous”, said Maddie. “Correct!” It was like that for a while. I heard words like casual, deluxe frequent, gracious, hospitable, celestial, precise, and jealous. It went on and on. Finally the contest was over. Every kid out of 24 kids had at least one point. The first place winner was Rachel, second place Tommy, and third place, Maddie. “That was a fun contest.” Said Mrs. Wendy. “I have prizes for everyone.” She handed each of us a pen that could change four different colors. For the first, second, and third place winners, though, they got a really neat prize. A homework pass. As the school bell rang to go home she reminded everyone to write an essay.

As soon as I got home I got started writing. Of course, I used words like adaptable, colossal, identical, persistent, inquisitive, and ecstatic. I also wrote this story, and when I turned it in Mrs. Wendy was thrilled and I got an A+. I know one day I’ll grow old and ready this story, and remember Mrs. Wendy.


About the Artist
Kristina
age 11
Wilmington, De

*

Pink Unicorn

Pink Unicorn
by Jessie

About the Work:
Created: 10/16/07
Computer Generated Drawing/Painting
Medium: Microsoft Paint
Format: bitmap

About the Artist:
Jessie
age 7
West Chester, PA

*

Sea Monster of the Deep

Sea Monster of the Deep
drawing

About the Artist
Anna
age 9
Wilmington, De.

*

A Little Boy's Dream

A little Boy's Dream
Photograph
by Jerald
2/2007

About the Artist
Jerald
Age 8,
7 when he took this photo.
Felton, De.

Back Story
Jerald snapped this picture of his six year old brother, Rocklin, as he gazed upon the Space shuttle enterprise for the first time. Rocklin has dreamed of being an astronaut since he was a toddler and was thrilled to finally be able to see the space shuttle up close. In this photograph Jerald captures not only the moment, but also the awe and wonder and excitement they shared.

*

"Three Billies in Fall" by Teddy

Three Billies in Fall

October 8th, 2007
18" x 24"
oil pastel on paper

About the Artist
Teddy
12 years old

Wilmington, Delaware

*

Watercolors by Jessica

Energy - Blended
August 2007
9x11.5 inch landscape
Watercolor on textured 140 lb paper

Energy - Cool
August 2007
9x11.5 inch landscape
Watercolor on textured 140 lb paper

Energy - Warm
August 2007
9x11.5 inch landscape
Watercolor on smooth 140 lb paper




Funky
August 2007
9x11.5 inch landscape
Watercolor on smooth 140 lb paper

About the Artist:
* Jessica
* age 10
* Newark, Delaware

*

Pencil Drawings by Madison

Crying girl

Young Boy

Dark Haired Girl

Puppy

About the Artist:
Madison
12 years of age
Ardmore, Pennsylvania

About the Work:
Pencil drawings on paper
8" x 11"
Rendered between April, 07 and Sept, 07

Some of the drawing were done when she was 11, some while she was 12.

*

Calling for Submissions: Autumnal Reflections!

Marker on White Pumpkin - Rotting
by Billie Rose
age 5
12/11/2004

Now that Autumn is officially here I thought perhaps we could get those creative juices flowing by calling for work appropriate to the season.

Lets see work that includes an autumnal theme!
Photographs should be especially abundant and beautiful this time of year with all the pumpkins, hay bales, falling leaves and other signs of this season of change. The change of weather, colors and waning daylight offers a myriad of opportunities for inspiration, reflection, and introspection. Perhaps a poem? A leaf rubbing? A painting? An Organic Sculpture? A ghost story?

Whatever your muse, consider submitting your work to be published in Wit, Wonder and Whimsy. Be sure to review the submissions guidelines and include the submission form when sending your work!

I am looking forward to a harvest of creativity!

*

Working at their easels...

About the Artists:
Homeschoolers,
Billie Rose - 8
Teddy - 12
August, 2007
Wilmington, Delaware

Photo by Connie

*

Home Schooling for Goofballs

Home Schooling for Goofballs

Tired of questions/comments about why you're distinctly NOT starting school this week?

Here are a few suggestions:

Count to ten in garbled Pig Latin.

Wax poetic.

Wax the floor and then slip around in your socks.

Dangle a participle or two.

See how many sentences you can end with a preposition.

Go on a quest for that ever-elusive socialization
(hints: wear clothes, don’t drool, if possible avoid barking and licking people, DON’T bring purple crayon.)

Sit in a row, stand in a line, pee with permission - just to see how the other side lives.

Drizzle glue on mustache-shaped anything; stick under nose or above lip, whichever is most convenient; do a wee dance.

Procrastinate with gusto.

When speaking insert the word “like” every third or forth word.

Speak very slowly and make every phrase you utter sound like a question?

Insist on coloring within the lines until you fall off your chair/fall off to sleep/go into a coma.

Fry eggs in a purple tutu. Eat them very very fast so you don't miss imaginary bus.

Bleat like a sheep (if you are a vegetarian bleat like a nice, conformist broccoli.)

Glance furtively at grandma until she casts you a withering look.

Call your Aunt Mildred.

Roll yourself into a ball and suck your toes with your baby brother/sister.

Twirl your nose ring to see if it improves your eyesight.

Make your own dress code; revise it daily; feel the magic.

Stitch things together then rip apart as a character building exercise (perhaps complete this task before attempting quest for socialization.)

Read a book you don’t like. Read another. And another.
Be happy about it.

Say ketchup over and over again until you feel dizzy.

Drool pretty-colored spittle down your chin after eating water ice at a non-designated time.

Rhyme things with sheep (or lamb if you’re squeamish.)

Suck cream out of donuts in local Wawa; put them back when someone’s looking. (perhaps avoid this pastime if you are contemplating above-suggested quest for socialization.)

Stare down your cat.

Start a yipping contest with your dog.

Worry about disgruntled giraffe but only on Tuesdays at 10am.

Avoid speaking to anyone outside your age group between 7am and 4pm unless it’s a designated adult.

Draw faces on the undersides of your toes.
Soak feet in jello. Try to make sense of it all.

When you feel the urge to say something,
wave your hand in the air and squeak and/our bounce until someone says your name.

Compare apples to oranges.

Squish your sandwich to get that organic lunch-traveled-to-school-via-book-filled-backpack experience. (PB&J works best.)

Practice cool-sounding karate noises.

Yodel in desperately mismatched socks.

Sweep marbles and hairballs around the kitchen floor.

Stifle feelings of utility without yawning, crossing your eyes or shaking your head.

Catch bugs on tongue and chew thoughtfully
(see bleating exercise above for vegetarian suggestion.)

Crinkle your nose at warp speed.

Cultivate a lifelong interest in wienerschnitzle.

Visualize Engelbert Humperdinck.

Read A Fiddler‘s Foot and Other Folktales.

Whistle Dixie with a kazoo.

Don't laugh, giggle, squirm, sing, gloat, simmer, bubble or boil unless someone insists.

Remember to set time limit for every activity.
When time is up STOP and leave task hanging in midair like dandelion fluff.

There, that should keep you busy for a while. Next week - homework.

Jenny

Reclaim September - go to the beach!

Artist Information:

Essay by Jennifer

* Homeschooling mom
* Brookhaven, Pa

* 9/4/07

*

Wonders of Nature by Paul

The Wonder of Nature

wet, wobbling
like penguins on their bellies
out of eggs
yellow feathers
peeping voices
baby chicks


Artist Information:
Haiku - poem
Created 9/24/06
Paul
*Age 14
*Wilmington, DE

Congratulations and thank you to Paul for being the first Poet and Poem to be Published in Homeschool Happening!

*

Photo Art by Joe

Warhol Jr

Created: 5/31/07
Medium: jpeg image produced with built in mac camera

George

Created: 8/8/07
Medium: produced on a scanner - 8.5 x 11

Sunboy

Created: 5/21/07
Medium: jpeg image produced with built in mac camera

About the Artist
Joe
8.5 years old
Collingdale, Pa

Congratulations and thank you to Joe for being the first homeschooled artist featured in Wit, Wonder and Whimsy!

*

Blurring Time and Place in Venice by Roberta Smith

Artempo
This is a review in the art section of the New York Times of an exhibit at the Fortuny Museum in Venice Italy entitled "Artempo: Where Time Becomes Art." The exhibit is eclectic and unusual. This New York Times online review includes a really interesting slide show of selections from the exhibit.

*

Room of Wonders!

Room of Wonders was developed for FRAMES, the French Regional and American Museum Exchange, a coalition of 23 museums that exchange works of art, technologies and resources. The game, Room of Wonders, is stocked with objects from these museums, antiques, are missing from the cabinet of curiosities belonging to Christophe-Paul, Marquis de Robieu. The player must search the globe for the mission object and learns all sorts of things relating to the artifacts, arts, antiques, history, geography and anthropology, along the way! The objects sought include a stone sculpture of a Chinese sea monster, a decorated shield from the Solomon Islands, and African mask and a Hopi kachina doll.

This wonderful game is part teaching tool, part Where in the World is Carmen Sandiago meets I Spy. The target audience is 6-12 year olds but I think it is a fun way to pick up some interesting information and is entertaining for all!

Room of Wonders
http://www.framemuseums.org/sites/room_of_wonders/intro_en.html

*