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CKwasniewski
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| Posted: Dec 18 2007 at 7:53am | IP Logged
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I'm looking for advice from someone who has used the Calvert Child's History of Art/Painting/Sculpture.
I love the Hillyer Painting book, and I'm thinking about getting all 3 books with the art prints. It's just a lot of moolah to plunk down ($50x3), without knowing what exactly is included.
I'd like to know how many prints come in the set along with the books? Are they large?
If anybody can tell me where I can get large prints for display cheaper, I'd be happy to hear it!
Thanks,
CK
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Wendy
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| Posted: Dec 18 2007 at 10:46am | IP Logged
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Hi CK,
I splurged and bought the entire set (books, lesson plans, and art card portfolios) a few months ago, but we haven’t used them yet. I’ll try to give you more detail…
The art card portfolios are about 5 X 8, but the actual pictures are smaller (some have more white space around them than others). The History of Painting portfolio has 40 pages (give or take a few – my 2yo is helping me count). A few of those are maps, not paintings. The History of Architecture has 44 pages (again, with a few maps). The History of Sculpture is only 25 pages, with 2-3 maps.
I don’t know how easy it would be to find all of them online. Some of them – the Sistine Madonna, The Birth of Venus, the Statue of Liberty – would not be too difficult. :o) Then there are pieces like an Assyrian glazed tile and the imperial seal of Emporer Kangxi from the Qing Dynasty that might be a little harder to track down. 
I know there is an Ambleside Online Yahoo group that offers 8.5 x 11 art prints in PDF: AO_HEO_PictureStudy_I. You would be limited to the artists in the AO rotation (although there are files going back several years), and I believe the prints are all of paintings, with perhaps a few sculptures. And I know some generous ladies on these boards have gathered links for a monthly artist study, but I don’t know how frequently that is happening now.
I bought the Calvert set because I wanted sculpture and architecture as well as paintings. I also liked the idea of coordinating materials – like you, I love the Hillyer book. Plus, sometimes I just want it all laid out for me. 
I hope that helps. Let me know if you need more info.
__________________
God bless,
Wendy
Wife to Chris
Momma to Grace, Sam, Ben, Maggie, Mary Cate, and Jamie
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CKwasniewski
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| Posted: Dec 18 2007 at 11:10am | IP Logged
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Wendy, Thank you!
Can you tell me what kind of material is covered in the teacher's manual? Is it historical background or art appreciation or both?
I really do like the idea of something all laid out, and no hunting around! 
It sounds like it is definitely worth the money!
thanks again
ck
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Wendy
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| Posted: Dec 19 2007 at 11:44am | IP Logged
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Hi CK,
OK, I’ve got the lesson manuals in front of me…
The History of Painting manual has 61 lessons -- appreciation lessons alternating with art “activities.”
The appreciation lessons all seem to include the following:
1) Objective (Lesson 17 is “to learn about the Old Masters”);
2) Instruction: read one of the chapters in HOP, keeping in mind key points. Then some background.
From Lesson 17: “Remember that the word Renaissance means rebirth, and the early Renaissance was the hundred years from about A.D. 1400 to 1500. Boticelli was one of the first painters to make pictures of things other than religious subjects, although he also painted beautiful Madonnas that are easily recognized by the blues he used.
Look at Boticelli’s Madonna of the Magnificat. The words of the hymn “The Magnificat” that Mary is writing in the book may be found in the Bible (Luke 1:46-56). The hymn is often sung in churches. The children holding the book and ink bottle in this tondo are Giovanni and Giulio de Medici. The boys, who lived about 400 years ago in Italy, were cousins, and both became popes of Rome. The older boy, Giovanni, became Pope Leo X and Giulio became Pope Clemen VII.
You should understand the meaning of the word tondo and be familiar with Savonarola, Fra Bartolommeo, and Botticelli. You will create a tondo in a later lesson.”
(I hope that didn't violate any copyright laws  ;
3) Art Card Connection (look at _____ in your art card portfolio), with a paragraph of background and explanation of the figures in the painting;
4) Application: questions about the chapter;
and 5) Enrichment: a website (or two or three) with more information about that lesson’s artist(s).
The activity lessons range from drawing a self-portrait, a landscape with overlapping shapes,a scene with many people in it using a photograph as a model to creating a color chart of desaturated colors and having an art show.
The History of Sculpture manual (57 lessons) follows the same structure. The activities include drawing, creating collages, mosaics, tragedy and comedy masks, and soap sculptures.
The History of Architecture manual (54 lessons) also follows the same structure. The activities include inventing a design for a royal chair, creating a family shield, designing a rose window, building a 3-dimensional castle, and creating motifs and using repetition to design a building façade.
Pretty cool. 
Also, these are intended for grades 5, 6, and 7. I would think you could use much of the appreciation part with younger (and older) children, but the activities are definitely not for beginners. A possible activities substitute (if you wanted to include younger ones) might be Discovering Great Artists. Hmmm...
If you have any more questions, just let me know. Harry Connick Jr., gingerbread cookies, and my children await.
__________________
God bless,
Wendy
Wife to Chris
Momma to Grace, Sam, Ben, Maggie, Mary Cate, and Jamie
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CKwasniewski
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| Posted: Dec 19 2007 at 11:54am | IP Logged
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Wendy, THANK YOU!! 
That is just the kind of info that I (and dh) need before making a big purchase!
It is so helpful to know what you're getting ahead of time! Sounds like it wd be fine to use this at several levels and do activities as one is feeling motivated... but certainly worth it no matter what.
We're doing plenty of hands on art, through a hs co-op, but art appreciation was going nowhere fast this year....
We cd just do that part this time around.
Thanks again, and no, I don't think you've violated copyright!
 CK
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Wendy
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| Posted: Dec 20 2007 at 8:59am | IP Logged
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CK,
You're welcome.
__________________
God bless,
Wendy
Wife to Chris
Momma to Grace, Sam, Ben, Maggie, Mary Cate, and Jamie
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Kelly
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| Posted: Jan 07 2008 at 10:25pm | IP Logged
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We love these books. I just bought them used, on-line, and we read them and find our own prints in coffee table books or other art history books we own. I've never used the lesson plans (didn't even know they existed :-)!), but the books are wonderful.
Kelly in FL
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4Real Forums : The Arts in the Everyday
Topic: Calvert Art?
