Learning (on the fly) to sketch with the kids

I have never taken art but have always wanted *deeply* to be able to "do" art. When we've done read aloud during the course of our home school i always got the kids to draw or do an art project while they listened. This year we got good sketch books and pencils from Staples and started watching YouTube videos to get some inspiration. Yesterday, during fiddle lessons, we drew from reference pictures i had printed off of the Internet. I am always shocked when something turns out better than i expected when it is something i have no training in doing or teaching. Anyways, here is my unfinished fish with the horrible tail and some of the kids' sketches. Carrie (10), Ellie (6) and I all did the baby face. Robin's is the birds from a folksy picture and Darren's is the eyes. Carrie did a foot that she is quite pleased with as well. I will have to take more pics as she did not think that the baby face was her best one.

Natural Eye

My daughter Robin has always had a little eye for art so a year ago when we were throwing a baby shower for a cousin in the extended family, I asked her to help me make the banner. She did a huge beautiful picture of chicks flying and a farm yard with fences and women working at the laundry line, kids on the swings, animals in the trees. I was so impressed with her shading and ended up only doing the lettering for the banner and some of the background coloring so we could have it done on time. She was in grade 1 at the time. We gave the drawing to the new mother. Robbie is the kind of girl to leave little pictures and papers all over the house with I love you's on them and small precious crafts that she has made. I've been trying to get her to work at bigger projects to cut down on the sheer number of smaller projects she creates!
This year, I asked her to draw me a picture for my wall. She started at it and right away I noticed that she had been influenced by some of the art she has been looking at. She drew the wind as 3 great swirls in the sky and the bushes were made up of curling branches. Immediately I recognized it as something I had seen in two different pictures that she really likes. In my music room is a portion of Klimt's work. The tree in the background is made up of huge swirling branches. One of her favourite art books sits on the mantle with VanGogh's The Starry Night on the front page. His chilly wind depicted in swirling icy blues. I'm thrilled that she is picking up little elements of art that catch her eye. So much fun to see each child find passion in something they love and grow in their passion whether or not I am a great teacher in that area or not. Today, she started an ocean scene for Grannie influenced by the illustrations in a book we read about St. Columba. This afternoon we hung her sweet new picture in the livingroom as praise and encouragement for a whole weeks worth of work. May God multiply her little loaves and fishes in the area of creativity to bring herself joy and Him honor.