Really need help with poetry watercolors in CtC

[miracleone]

Are there visual guides or pictures on how the watercolor paintings should look like? We are struggling with understanding the directions on the guide. We tried doing Unit 14 but don't know if we're doing it right. Now we're doing Unit 15 and one of the directions is to twist a paper towel into a very tight rope to rub on the paper to create white caps. This didn't happen on ours and when we moved to painting the waves on Day 3, we were second guessing what we're supposed to do. Please advise as this is quite frustrating especially when I am not very creative. Thank you.

[miracleone]

any suggestions or advice? Thank you!

[my3sons]

I'm no painter myself, though I enjoy other people's paintings very much! My oldest ds is not naturally artistic, but my middle ds is more so. However, neither is all that gifted in the area of watercolor painting. It helped me to focus on the fact that the watercolor painting lessons in CTC are meant to be a creative outlet for students to individually express their artistic bent uniquely, rather than for students to create a painting that looks a certain way. For this reason, there is purposely no visual given for the watercolor painting lessons in the CTC guide. When students look at another person's completed watercolor painting of the very lesson they are doing, they are very apt to try to paint it exactly like that, which completely negates the underlying purpose of the lesson. I admit, this took me a little bit to get used to when I first did CTC years back with my oldest, and I have had to remind myself of this again now as we are doing CTC a second time with our middle ds! However, the result is each of my ds's paintings are theirs and theirs alone - they look different from one another, and that is what makes them a true artistic expression of their thoughts and ideas personally.

That being said, Tansy is doing some very neat posts with pictures that are helpful to us mamas especially. I like that they are a help for us as teachers, as opposed to just a finished product that we are striving for our dc's piece to mimic. You can look at her posts, but I believe she is not as far as Unit 15.

In general, these notes have been helpful to me from CTC's introduction...

Go over the following helpful notes with students prior to doing the painting lessons for poetry:
Use one water container for mixing washes and one for clear water to rinse brushes. When painting, first wet the brush to prepare it for the color. Then, load the brush with paint moving it back and forth across the surface of the paint in the pan. Do not dig into the paint. Use either the plastic lid of the paints or the mixing surface on the palette to mix the paint. Then, apply it to watercolor paper. If the paints in the wells get muddy colored, dip the brush into clean water and dip the brush tip in the paint well to lift out the muddy part of the color. Or, use a pointed bit of paper towel to lift out the muddy color. Do not stand brushes on their tips or store them in water overnight. When done painting for the day, wipe clean the mixing part of the palette and place the lid over the paints. Clean brushes in cool water, gentle tapping or flicking off the excess water. Then, dry with a soft cloth or paper towel. Store brushes bristle side up if possible, or in a brush box.

Here is a link to the CTC photobook, which shows some students' completed watercolor paintings (I believe around page 35 or so), and you can see the varying levels of ability God has given each student, as well as their different takes on how they were picturing their paintings in their minds as they painted them...
http://heartofdakotasphotobooks.shutterfly.com/31

I just wanted to share with you that the watercolor painting in CTC was not something my oldest ds was naturally talented with. It was difficult for him at times to do, but I am so glad we kept at it. You can read my final post when we finished CTC years back here, and specifically, the watercolor painting part - I hope it can help you as you continue through your last half or so of CTC with your ds!
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=6100&p=44667

HTH! I think you are doing a good job with your ds, and I pray for the kind of growth my ds and I experienced through it years back for you and your ds too! It is now a fond memory. Blessings!
In Christ,
Julie

[annaz]

Ha...scroll down on the forum. She just posted:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=12822

She's done them all I believe up to this point.

[my3sons]

Oh good, thanks annaz!