One thing my family has tried to do over the last few years is to embrace the “cozy side of winter.” For us, this has meant adding in a few rituals to keep the cold months fun, creative and festive (even without major holidays.) We’ve found that candles, hot tea or cocoa, board games, and – especially – art nights can go a long way in making January cozier and more fun.

In today’s post, I especially wanted to share some creative ideas that you and your family can use to “embrace the cozy” of wintertime with your own family art night tradition! At Sparketh, we believe that staying creative is an important part of thriving in any season of life. Below, you’ll find some wintery family art ideas and craft projects straight from our team of creatives!

Maria’s Stained Glass Candle Holder 

Candles are one of my favorite things to always have at home during winter. They definitely help me through that little post New Year’s slump that many of us experience. They make the whole winter season cozier, more relaxing and more beautiful! If you like candles too (or know someone who does), you will love this craft art project from Sparketh Youtube content creator, Maria. It’d be great for a family art night, especially if you have older kids!

Maria is a talented artist in many mediums, and in this video she’ll show you how to transform something ordinary into a beautiful, stained-glass jar using art! When you’re finished, you can put a real (or battery-operated) candle inside for a luminous, stained glass effect. Even if you’re not a candle person, you can still enjoy the beautiful result as a container or decoration. (You can also gift it!) Click here to watch the video and learn how to make your own stained glass candle holder.  

Amy’s DIY Snow and Snowflakes 

Were you dreaming of a White Christmas that never happened? Don’t worry, snow doesn’t have to stick to a holiday schedule.

January- February is still a great time to get excited about snow, so why not make your own? In the links below, Sparketh’s TikTok content creator, Amy, will show you how to make DIY Fake Snow that’s fun to fidget and play with.

Click this link to see how to make your own fake snow at home! This is the perfect activity for little kids (just make sure they don’t eat it!)

Before Christmas, Amy also did a tutorial on paper snowflakes that you can use for decoration, but honestly we think it’s cool to decorate your space with snowflakes anytime during winter (or whenever you want!) If you’ve always wanted to try your hand at cutting out those perfect paper flakes, this is your moment!

Click here to watch the DIY paper snowflake video on TikTok. 

Beyond just snow-inspired videos, Amy is always sharing fun, quick art hacks and tips to try at home. Don’t forget to follow to our TikTok channel so you don’t miss any awesome tips! We strive to contribute to the creative community and offer art education via our social media platforms!

Katie’s “New Year’s Word” Art Night

Have you ever heard of choosing a single word for the New Year instead of writing a list of resolutions?

One of my friends recommended it to me a few years ago, and I love it! Instead of starting off the year with a list of restrictions or rules, starting off with a one word focus can be a very mindful alternative.  I have found that choosing one word to focus on is not overwhelming. I also don’t forget it as the year goes by!

Over the past few years, I’ve adapted the process of choosing a word for the New Year into a reflective art night. It’s a great family activity too, especially if you have kids who are old enough to understand the concept of choosing a focus for the new year.

How to do it:

First, you may want to do some reflecting and brainstorming.  What was last year like? What do you want to be different this year? What would you like to do (or be) more of in the coming year? What priorities would you like to have, going forward? Try to think of a word that describes the focus you’d like to keep coming back to throughout the year. For example, a couple of my previous words have been, “bravery,” and “Hygge” (which basically means “cozy and peaceful.”)

Once you have your word, it’s time to get creative! Using any medium you like, create a work of art that features and reflects the word you choose. This is a great way to spend time thinking about the year ahead!

Maddy’s Birch Trees at Night 

Birch Trees is a newer course in the Sparketh online course gallery! This watercolor course shows students (of any age) how to create a mysterious, wintery painting that shows birch trees at night. As is the goal with all of our courses, Birch Trees also teaches some pretty cool watercolor techniques that can be applied to original works. We think this is the perfect choice for a family art night. Just gather your supplies and follow along with our super instructor, Maddy! It could not be easier (or cozier.)

Sparketh members can login and follow this link to get to the Birch Tree Course!

Becca’s Decorative Melting Snowmen 

Our Sparketh Community host, Becca, is an art instructor in the digital and physical spaces! In addition to being one of Sparketh‘s art instructors, Becca also teaches art in the classroom. Becca shared this fun “melting snowman” art craft that she did with the students at her school. You need just a few inexpensive supplies for this one, but the kids in your family are going to love it! This makes a great winter decoration (and could be a Christmas ornament for next year, too). Follow her instructions below to create some adorable, silly melting snowmen at home!

What You Need: 

• Clear transparency sheet
• Pipe cleaners
• Beads
• Hole punch
• Black and orange paper
• Ribbon
• Shaving cream
• White liquid glue
• Glitter (white or silver)

Prep Ahead of Time (helpful if working with young/multiple kids):

• Cut transparency sheet into a square a little larger than your hand (including fingers)
• Cut brown pipe cleaners into pieces for arms
• Hole punch black paper to use for eyes, mouth, and buttons
• Cut pieces of ribbon for the scarf
• Cut orange papers into triangles for the nose
• Cut black paper into the shape of top hats

How to Make it:

1. The recipes calls for mixing together equal parts of white glue and shaving cream- roughly one cup of each material. However, from my personal experience, I found that overdoing the shaving cream made it even better! Start with the shaving cream and add the glue as you go, checking the consistency. The more glue you add, the denser (and more rubbery) the paint will be. We also sprinkled in silver glitter because- Why Not?!

2. Stir the ingredients together and then play around with it to feel the texture! Smear it, poke it, squish it! (It’s like a fluffy slime!) After you’re done playing, it’s time to assemble! Take a spoonful and place on the transparency square pieces and smear as much as desired. I recommend keeping the shape organic and wobbly like a melted snowman, so you do not have to spread it all the way to the 4 corners! And leave it thick.

3. Next, add in your pieces wherever you want. Part of the fun of the snowman being “melted” is that things can be arranged however you want. Add in eyes, nose, mouth, buttons, hat, and arms! Since your puffy paint is sticky, all the items will stay on their own! Just lightly place and give a little poke. Poke too hard, and your pieces will disappear into the fluff! Once you have everything arranged the way that you want, set your snowman in a safe space to dry overnight!

4. Use a pipe cleaner and beads of any color to create a colorful handle! Twist together the ends to keep the beads from falling off.
Once the paint has dried, trim the transparency piece to the shape of the dried melted snowman, and hot glue on your handle! We twisted the pipe cleaner together at the ends to make a loop and I only placed a dot of hot glue on the twist and then stuck that onto the back side of the melted snowman, on the transparency piece!

TAH-DAH! A textured, melted snowman decoration! So cute!

We hope that these fun art ideas prompt you and your family to have some creative and cozy nights in this winter! At Sparketh, we believe that creativity blooms at home and that art can be a wonderful way to connect as a family. If you try some of these ideas, be sure to let us know on our social media channels! We’d love to see and share your art! Happy creating. 

The post Winter Art Projects for the Whole Family! appeared first on Sparketh.

Before you start telling yourself things like, “But wait, I’m not a poet,” let me stop you there. Combining art and poetry does not have to be complicated. It’s not about perfection, or even technique. Instead, it’s all about exploration and fun.  As you connect meaningful words with visual art, you may even find yourself relaxing and connecting to themes and ideas that you didn’t even know were floating around in your brain!

Personally, I find that creative challenges (like connecting art and poetry) often give just the right amount of structure and direction to inspire and motivate me, and I hope that’s the case with you, too. Here are 5 easy ways to connect art and poetry.  Try these ideas to learn more about poetry and create your own unique masterpieces!

1. Blackout Poetry

Blackout poetry is a fun and relaxing creative activity for all artistic levels and ages. Essentially, you take discarded paper media (books, magazines, or newspapers you don’t want to read anymore) and use it as a template to guide your blackout poetry. You’ll start by choosing a page and finding the words that jump out to you most. These words will make the basis of your poem, and you’ll black out all of the other words (the ones that you didn’t select).

After you’ve blacked out the words you don’t want, you can go back over those parts of the page and create designs or artwork to complement your blackout poem! I wrote a more detailed tutorial about how to do it here, so be sure to check that out if you like step-by-step instructions!

Artist Credit: Emma Powell

2. Create a Work of Art That Incorporates a Word or Phrase

Do you have a word(s), phrase, or message that means a lot to you? If so, why not use it as inspiration for a work of art? This approach doesn’t require you to necessarily incorporate a traditional poem. However, creating visual art around a single word or expression will expand that particular word’s meaning, power and resonance to the viewer. This is something that great poetry often does as well (just in a different way).

Start out by writing your word or phrase and brainstorming about it’s significance and meaning to you. What images, colors, and feelings come to mind when you think of your word(s)?  The visual components that you come up with don’t need to be obvious (in fact, your art will probably be better and more original if it’s not), but the connections between the word(s), color choices, and images have to mean something true to you.

There are many great contemporary artists who feature words in their art to create a powerful message or draw attention to a concept or theme. You can check out some of these artists and their work by clicking this link.

3. Write a Poem Inspired by a Work of Art (Ekphrastic Poetry)

If you are an art enthusiast who wants to flex your creative writing muscles, then you may enjoy the challenge of writing a poem about your favorite work of art.  There is actually a name for this type of poem; it’s called an ekphrastic poem.

If you want to write an ekphrastic poem, start out by choosing a favorite work of art for inspiration. Study it.

What is the scene being set by the image?  What colors, textures, figures, or symbols speak to you or create strong images in your mind? What themes are at work?

Brainstorm words and phrases for your poem as you consider these types of questions, then begin constructing your poem, line by line, according to your poetry form of choice (or in free verse, if you prefer).

One tip for writing powerful poetry? More is less. That’s why poets are infamous artists of revision. So write your first draft and let it sit awhile. Then revisit and revise, taking out the words that don’t add impact to your poem.

If are a teacher (or #homeschoolteacher) this would also be a great way to include some art history into a writing activity, or some creative writing into art. Overall, I think ekphrastic poems provide a valuable way to think about what speaks to us in our favorite works of art.

4. Create a Work of Art that Represents Your Favorite Poem

This poetry and art activity is the the exact inverse of the last one! Whereas ekphrastic poems put art into words, this activity is all about creating art that visually represents a poem that you love.

First, start out by choosing a poem that speaks to you. It can be a be a well-known poem, a lesser known one, or even one that you write yourself! As you think about the poem, consider why you like it. Brainstorm about what you will draw to reflect the poem’s meaning (either an objective/literal meaning or a personal one). Two members of the Sparketh team tried this exercise at home, which you can see below!

Maria, who you can watch doing weekly art demonstrations on our Youtube channel, used part of Langston Hughes’ famous poem, “Dreams” as inspiration for the artwork below.  Her drawing (featured below) shows a sleeping girl, surrounded in a surreal haze which represents her dreams.

Artist Credit : Maria Sandoval

Poem: “Dreams” by Langston Hughes, 1922

(Watch her create this piece on our Youtube channel!) 

Becca, a Sparketh instructor you may recognize from some of  our online art courses,  shared the below piece with the students in Sparketh Community.  The poem that Becca selected reminds her of her relationship with her sister, so her drawing reflects her personal connection with the poem.

Artist Credit: Becca Scoggins

Poem by AnaSoulful

Check out the free Sparketh Community here

There’s no wrong way to do this activity (or really any of these activities). The important thing is to enjoy connecting with words and finding ways to represent them through art!

5. Create Art From Words (Concrete Poetry)

We’ve talked about ways to use words in your art, but did you know that you can create art out of words?  Concrete poetry (also known as shape poetry) involves writing poems in such a way that the shape of the poem creates a visual image.

This gives the poem visual meaning, in addition to written meaning. Poets who write concrete poetry make very deliberate choices about where each line of their poems will naturally end, so that the poem’s words, and its shape, flow together to create a unique work of art/poetry. Check out the below image to get an idea of what this can look like.

Poem:  “The Swan and the Shadow,” by John Hollander, 1966

You can have fun connecting words and poetry by writing your own concrete poetry! Especially if you’re working with kids, it is easiest to choose a simple topic, such as a favorite activity or animal.  Hint: Think about something that will visually translate well as a simple shape on the page that you can fill with words. Next, outline the shape of your topic on the page.  Brainstorm adjectives, descriptions and short lines as your words for the concrete poem. Lastly, put it all together by arranging your final word selection into the shape you outlined! If this is your first attempt at concrete poetry, remember that it’s perfectly okay to keep things simple. This is a fun challenge that is great to do together as a family–even young kids will enjoy it!

It’s always a good idea to mix things up and be creative with how we see the world around us, and these 5 ideas for connecting art and poetry will have you stretching those creative muscles and hopefully feeling inspired, too! Whether you are a student or an adult, we hope you enjoy trying these activities out at home, in your classroom, or in your homeschool! Let us know which ideas you try!

The post How to Teach Poetry with Art appeared first on Sparketh.

When you create original art for someone,  it’s always a one-of-a-kind gift, so creating art for your mom for Mother’s Day can definitely be a great idea. However,  you also want to make sure that the art you give to your mom (or aunt, grandma, etc. ) is presented in the best way possible, right? Not just any doodle will do! For most moms, I think that the thought that is put into a gift means just as much as the gift itself. With that in mind, here are 5 tips for giving your mom thoughtful art – the kind of art that will make her smile every time she see’s it- this Mother’s Day!

1. Start with a Plan

It may seem obvious, but don’t just start drawing something generic with no plans or intention! Stop and think about your mom (or other recipient). Consider things like:

• Would she prefer something she can hang on the wall,  something smaller, or functional art?
• What are her favorite colors?
• What medium does she like and/or what is your strongest artistic medium?
• What subjects might speak to her (more on that later)?

And last, but definitely not least:

• How much time do you have?

This last one is so important. It’s probably easy for a lot of us to imagine the work of art we’d ideally love to create for someone. That creative mind gets going and it can kind of seem like the possibilities are endless, right? While that’s a great feeling, creatively speaking, it doesn’t always pan out when you are trying to create a gift by a deadline. If you only have a couple of days before Mother’s Day, you want to make sure and plan something that’s realistic for you to finish…and to finish well! In other words, if you’re short on time, a bigger canvas is not always better. A simple, but well-executed idea, comes across as more thoughtful than a hurried attempt at a recreation of Starry Night (unless you’re totally confident that a recreation of Starry Night is your jam, of course.)

Brainstorming in terms of subject matter, medium, and practicality will help you get off to a good start with planning a thoughtful work of art for Mother’s Day.

2. Be Specific

A huge part of being thoughtful is being specific! In order to be specific in creating art for Mother’s Day, you definitely want to choose the topic/subject of your art with care. For example, if you have a mom who loves to garden, you may decide to draw her some flowers. That’s a great idea, and on it’s way to being specific! However, you can elevate that idea even more by being specific in the type of flowers that you draw. What are her favorites? What colors does she love?

You can also think outside of the box of typical Mother’s Day topics, too! For example, do you have a mom who loves coffee? You could paint her the perfect cup of coffee. Or do you have special memories of being with your mom at a particular place? Whether it’s your favorite restaurant or a beach vacation where you both made good memories, painting or a drawing a specific location that means a lot to both of you is a great example of being thoughtful and specific. You could also take a favorite photo of the two of you together to try to recreate with art!

Here are some more possible topics/subjects to get you thinking about being specific as you choose a topic for your thoughtful Mother’s Day art.

• What is your mom’s favorite book or movie? Could you draw inspiration from either with your art?
• Does she have any hobbies you could highlight in a fun way with your art?
• Does your mom love music or poetry? Could you use lyrics/words in your art? (Here are some ideas for using words in art).
• If you were to arrange a table with items that represent some of your mom’s favorite things, what would be on the table?

With a little brainstorming, it probably won’t be too hard for you to come up with some ideas about how to create thoughtful, meaningful, and specific art for your mom this Mother’s Day.

3. Consider Functional Art

Art isn’t always something you hang on the wall–it can come in many forms! As you plan and think about your mom’s specific interests, one thing to consider is whether or not she’s someone who would enjoy a functional work of art. This can be a particularly good idea if your mom doesn’t have a lot of wall space, or if you’ve already given her several pieces of traditional art. There are a lot of fun and creative ways to make art that your mom will use/interact with everyday!

For example, if your mom loves being outside and gardening, consider painting something for her garden! Instead of a canvas, you could paint a large rock or paving stone, a statue, elevate a birdhouse, etc.

Over on Sparketh’s Youtube channel, we have a couple of examples for DIY functional art that you can watch to get inspired! The first is a hummingbird feeder adorned with gorgeous, colorful, painted hummingbirds.

You could also create a one-of-a-kind frame that can hold a photograph of you and your mom. In the video below, you can see how Sparketh’s Youtube artist transforms a basic frame into a personalized masterpiece,  using air dry clay and paint!

If you like the idea of functional art, here are a few more ideas to get you inspired:

• Hand paint clay (or polymer clay) beads and use them to create wearable jewelry art!
• Create a miniature drawing or watercolor painting, laminate it, and gift it as bookmark.
• You could also create your art on a small canvas and use hot glue to attach magnet strips to the back. Voila! The most artistic magnet ever.
• You could take a basic lamp/lampshade (check your local thrift store for best results) and paint the inside of  the lampshade with acrylic paint. When the light is off, the lampshade will appear normal. Turn it on and your beautiful artwork will shine through the lampshade!
• Use your artistic skills to create a one-of-a-kind Mother’s Day card that your mom will want to keep forever.

4. Use Helpful Resources

When you’re creating art as a gift, you obviously want to do your best! One thing you can do to can ensure you are presenting your best effort is make use of helpful resources like the professional online art courses we offer at Sparketh. If you are already a Sparketh member, then you know that we have a large variety of online art courses that can help you sharpen your skills when working with a particular medium or trying to learn how to draw something new.

It’s amazing what a big difference step-by-step instruction can make, especially if you’re wanting to draw or paint something that you haven’t tried before. Many of our students are amazed by the artwork they are able to produce when following along with Sparketh courses and learning through a step-by-step approach.

Our course library includes courses on how to draw a variety of different animals, still-life objects, portrait styles, abstract art, and more. If you’re a member, and already have something specific in mind to create for your mom,  you should definitely check out our course library. We probably have at least one course that will give you valuable tips and techniques to elevate your Mother’s Day art!

5. Add Finishing Details

Once you’ve planned and created your beautiful work of art for Mother’s Day, it’s time to think about the finishing details –also known as the presentation. A thoughtful presentation is the perfect finishing detail to show your mom that you were intentional about every aspect of the work of art you’ve made for her.

For example, if you used pencils, pen or watercolor to create your art, “finishing details” might mean finding a pretty frame to protect and go with it.  If you created functional art, or art on canvas, you might want to take a little bit of time to wrap your gift carefully.

Don’t forget to write a few special words to your mom, too, possibly even describing what inspired you to create you work of art for her! (The ultimate finishing detail is always the note!)

Moms (and stepmoms, grandmothers, aunts, and other honorary moms) are already likely to love any work of art that you’ve taken the time to create for them. Hopefully these 5 tips will help you create an extra thoughtful gift for the special woman (or women) in your life this Mother’s Day!

The post 5 Tips for Giving Your Mom Thoughtful Art This Mother’s Day appeared first on Sparketh.

For homeschooled families, there are also times when online classes can be a lifesaver. For example, if you’re a homeschooling parent who teaches kids of multiple ages, or you work from home, online classes can be a resource that makes all the difference. Online classes can also provide quality instruction and structure on a topic that you may not feel comfortable teaching.  One area that we at Sparketh feel really passionate about bringing into the world of online classes? Art!

Online art classes for homeschoolers are a wonderful way to bring creativity and variety into the school day. Our online art classes at Sparketh provide structure within a self-led format. Students can login each day and choose the online art class (or classes) that he or she will complete. Each pre-recorded class includes several short videos, which allow students to follow along with the art instructor, step-by-step, at a pace that is comfortable for that student.  Making creativity and art a regular part of your child’s everyday routine can have all kinds of benefits. Here are just a few of the reasons we think that online art classes for homeschoolers are a great way to learn!

1. Online art classes give variety to the school day.

Some kids can get burned out out focusing on traditional subjects like math, language, and science all day. However, creative learning is always fun! Online art classes for homeschoolers can make it easier to create a space in the schedule for creative learning everyday, which can have a multitude of benefits. (Read about just a few of the benefits of art classes for students here).

In addition to helping your child grow his or her love of art, and art skills, online art classes for kids can help boost critical and creative thinking skills, and provide some relaxing learning time into their daily schedule! Online art classes are a great way to build some variety and creativity into your homeschooler’s daily routine. (And because the art classes on online, this takes a lot of pressure off of busy homeschooling parents, too.)

2. Online art classes for homeschoolers aren’t intimidating.

Not every kid feels comfortable with this or her own art skills, and some kids may feel intimidated if they have to compare their work to others or work one-on-one with an instructor in person. Online art classes, like those offered by Sparketh, allow kids to hone their skills and gain confidence from the comfort and privacy of home.

Kids and teens don’t always feel safe expressing themselves in public, and art can be very powerful mode of expression. Online art classes for homeschoolers allow kids and teens to develop and embrace that art skill in comfort and privacy, and let them set their own pace to learn and practice.

3. Give a child an expanded art education–the easy way.

In online art classes  like the ones offered by Sparketh, kids can do the kinds of art that they enjoy, and learn how to draw and paint in a variety of subjects and styles! This self-guided approach will help them grow at their own pace and find new art styles to love. Many of our online art classes and styles also feature bit of art history, and all of our videos contain tips and tricks that will help students to expand their personal “art toolboxes.” The more online art classes your child completes, the more his or her art knowledge will grow…but it all starts with a self-paced experience that is fun and beneficial for your young artist.

Another benefit of online art classes is the experience of a supportive community via a “virtual art tribe.” Sparketh actually sponsors a free online art comm

4. Online Art Classes Open Up the World Online. 

It’s no big secret that being comfortable with computers and virtual learning is becoming a constantly more important life skill! More and more people are learning and working from home than ever before, and it’s a trend that is very likely to grow. Online art classes can be a fun, safe, creative and engaging way to show your kids how technology can facilitate the learning experience.

If you’re a homeschooling parent, you can expand your child’s online art learning even further! Did you know, for instance, that you can take virtual field trips to the Louvre in Paris, or to see the Museum of Modern Art in New York? You could even use some of the art styles your child has learned on Sparketh to recreate a famous work of art in that same style.  Be creative and discover that there are so many ways to make online learning a safe and rewarding adventure!

5. Online Art Classes Help Kids Find Their Tribe–Safely!

Of course, kids and teens who love art love to connect with other kids and teens who love art! Parents want this too, but we also want it to be safe, right? That’s why Sparketh decided to sponsor the Sparketh Community.  The Sparketh Community is a totally free, safe online space for artsy kids and teens to share their work, connect, and talk about art! There’s a brief screening process and it is fully monitored by a Sparketh art instructor and team members. Our community is not just safe; it’s also super friendly with an emphasis on encouragement, art tips, and positive vibes. We also have monthly art challenges with art-related prizes!

We hope you’ll consider making online art classes a regular part of your homeschooler’s routine. Creative learning has so much value in a child and teen’s life, and we think that online art classes are a fun, safe and effective way to make it happen–everyday! If you’d like to try out our online art classes to see if they could work for your kids, or in your homeschool, you can learn more here! Want a safe online space for your artsy kid to meet other young artists? Check out our free community at community.sparketh.com. 

The post Online Art Classes for Homeschoolers are a Great Way to Learn appeared first on Sparketh.

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Sparketh’s online art classes have been such a great resource for my daughter this summer. Over the past year, it’s been awesome to see my daughter reach an age where she can start using Sparketh‘s online art classes independently and loving them (she is almost seven.)

As a work-from-home parent, online art classes have also made it easier for me to find life/work balance in the summer season, when our family has been on a less structured schedule. Online art classes are something I feel great about my daughter doing when my attention is needed elsewhere– not just because she enjoys them, but also because art has so many powerful benefits for kids!

If you’re looking for something fun, (semi) structured, and educational for your kids to do this summer, you really can’t go wrong with online art classes for kids. Here are a few reasons that summer is the best time to start Sparketh’s online art classes!

1. Online Art Classes Offer Fun, Structure and Independence 

The structure of any kind of classes can be great (for both kids and parents) during semi-aimless summer months, but Sparketh’s online classes also give kids the opportunity to learn how to draw or paint what they want, in the styles that appeal to them most.

Sparketh‘s courses are also self-paced, which means that your child can complete 1 course per hour, or day, or week (you get the idea.) Courses also range according to level of difficulty. Some days your kid or teen may want to do a longer, more involved course and other days they may want to do something quick, fun and easy. The blend of structure and independence that comes from Sparketh’s online art classes can be a great way to offer your child both structure and independence…doing something they’ll love!

2. Online Art Classes Have Mental & Emotional Benefits

Regularly practicing art is the perfect way to keep those creative and critical thinking skills active this summer (all while keeping things fun!). Check out these article on How Art Supports Good Mental Health in Kids and Teens and Students Need Art: Here are 10 Reasons Why to learn about some of the amazing mental & emotional benefits of art for kids and teens.

Just to give you a quick summary, some of the mental and emotional benefits of consistent art practice include increased:

• Self-awareness and self-expression
• Confidence
• Regulation of emotions
• Communication skills
• Critical and creative thinking skills
• Focus
• Self-confidence

Essentially, online art classes can help make art a regular habit for your kids because they are available as often as your child would like to learn! This can have some pretty powerful long-term benefits: mentally and emotionally.

3. Online Art Classes are a Portable and Cost Effective Alternative to Traditional Art Classes (Perfect for Summer)

One thing that students (and parents) love about Sparketh’s online art classes is their portability. If you have a laptop, a tablet, or even a smartphone, you can take your art classes “to go.” This is especially great during summer, when travel plans would disrupt traditional art classes.

Sparketh is also a LOT less expensive than traditional art classes. Many people don’t realize that each Sparketh membership comes with two individual student accounts, which keep up with student courses and portfolios. This makes it even more affordable for families with two (or more) children who are interested in art.

The portability and affordability of Sparketh’s online art classes is a perfect fit for summer. While you want your kids to be engaged and learning, you also likely want the ability to take some trips this summer!

4. It’s Something Your Whole Family Can Enjoy to Make Summer Memories

I already mentioned that each Sparketh membership comes with two student accounts. Each of these accounts keep track of which courses students have completed, and gives that child an online portfolio for his or her artwork/progress.

However, as a parent, I’ll admit that I also love sitting down with my daughter to complete a Sparketh online art class, together! It’s a really fun way for us to do something creative together (that requires zero planning on my end.) Doing art together as a family is seriously just so relaxing, and it’s a great way to make memories together.

Of course, anytime of year is a great time to get creative, relax, and make memories. I’m not saying summer is the only time you can or should do these things— just that it’s a good time to do them!

5. Summer is the Perfect Time for Your Child to Dive Into His or Her Passion for Art!

During the school year, kids are busy learning a huge variety of subjects. Summer can be the best opportunity for kids to learn more about something that they are interested in!

Most parents are drawn to  Sparketh because they have kids and teens who want to learn more about art.  The online course library offers a variety of classes which can help kids discover more about different art techniques and styles in an easy to follow, step-by-step approach.

These summer months are the best time to help your child dive into something he or she loves! And if art is something your child loves, Sparketh is an awesome, self-paced, portable, non-intimidating way to learn more about it!

If you’ve been thinking about trying out Sparketh’s online art classes for your kids, summer is a great time to get started. There’s really no better time to see how it works for you and your kids.  Plus, you can currently get the first 30 days of your membership for free! (What better time to try Sparketh for free than summer, when your child has more free time than usual?)

Click here to check out Sparketh’s 30 Days Free Offer.

The post Try Online Art Classes This Summer! appeared first on Sparketh.

For all of that, though, watercolor is actually a really rewarding and fun medium! With watercolors, you can create an effect of lightness and flow in your art that no other medium quite captures. For many artists, there’s also something really fun about the looseness of the medium, because the art that you create seems to have a little bit of a life of its own.

John Singer Sargent. “Muddy Alligators,” 1917. (Photo: Public Domain)

If you are thinking of trying out watercolor painting for the first time, don’t be scared. While it may be different from other types of painting, watercolor painting is beautiful and fun. It’s just something you have to play with a little bit to get comfortable! To help, here are 10 basic watercolor tips for beginners (of all ages) that will help get you started. Happy painting!

1.Use real watercolor paper.

When it comes to watercolor painting, paper makes all the difference in the world. Most of us probably remember those cheap watercolor booklets from very early childhood. You know, the ones that came with a little watercolor set and brush that you could use to paint the Disney illustrations on the coloring paper? While that was a fun way to spend a few minutes when you were five, those materials (especially the paper) won’t hold up when you’re really wanting to watercolor.

Nope, you need watercolor paper. Watercolor paper is heavier and it will absorb the paint and water. This is important for a couple of reasons. Firstly, regular paper literally won’t hold up once you start putting water on it (which means that your art will be destroyed). Secondly, the thickness and absorbency of watercolor paper will help direct the flow of the water and the paint.

And just because I’m telling you to spring for real watercolor paper doesn’t mean you have to buy the most expensive kind, especially when you are first getting started. There are definitely some very nice (and pricey) watercolor paper brands out there, but there are also some inexpensive brands that are ideal for someone who is just starting out with this medium. Some types of watercolor paper are smooth, and others are more rough. (I like watercolor paper that has a little bit of “tooth” –a gripping texture.) I’d suggest starting with a less expensive brand and moving up from there as you get more comfortable with watercolor painting!

2. Pick the right paint and brushes.

In addition to watercolor paper, you obviously need watercolor paint (which is what makes it watercolor, right?) You’ll also want brushes that are designated for watercolor (especially if you do other types of painting)! There is a huge amount of variety when it comes to different types of paint and brushes, so it’s important to find ones that work the best for you. Below are some tips and suggestions for choosing what you’ll need to get started.

Watercolor Brushes:

You don’t need to spend a ton of  money, but you will want more than one shape or size brush for your watercolor endeavors (again, you are not looking to recreate those Disney watercolor booklets from your childhood).

Try starting with:

• a very small brush (for details)
• a large round brush
• a flat brush (for washes)
• a medium sized brush (any shape)

This will give you a good amount of diversity for a beginner! As you paint more, you can see what else you may want or need. Be sure to clean your brushes and let them dry after each painting session.

Watercolor Paints: Pans, Tubes and Watercolor Pencils

Watercolor paints come in many different  types, price-points and colors! Two of the most common are pans and tubes. Watercolor pans offer a full range of color options in a portable little set that you can swirl your wet brush in to pick up color. Tubes are – well they are what they sound like! With tubes of watercolor paint, you can squeeze out a little bit of paint onto your own custom-made palette.

Both are good choices, depending on what you want. I personally like the portability and ease of using a watercolor pan set. I also think it’s probably the easiest method for the beginner who is interested in watercolors. Tube paints, however, offer richly pigmented colors and greater opacity. They are also ideal if you prefer working on large pieces because you can get more paint on your brush at one time.  (Of course, you can also play around with using a mixture of both!)

Another option to consider is watercolor pencils. Watercolor pencils act like a regular colored pencils until you add water, and then they immediately get that “watercolor effect.” This can also be a good option for the beginning watercolorist because it offers more control and a higher level of detail than watercolor paint.  The only con is that perhaps it doesn’t offer as much of the traditional “watercolor experience,” as paint does.

3. Play around first.

One of my favorite things about watercolor is how it is a little bit loose and has a mind of it’s own, which is something you’ll definitely come across as you play with watercolor paints!

Let go of the need to create super-detailed art.  Don’t put any pressure on yourself to make a masterpiece. Just give yourself some time to play and see how watercolor paints blend and move on the water. See what happens to the colors when you mix them off the page versus on the page, or when you add different amounts of water. Play with blending different colors and adding a drop of water to see what happens! Playing with watercolors like this can be incredibly fun, and it doesn’t really matter if you come up with anything you want to keep.

Sparketh instructor, Amy, posts daily art tips and tricks on Sparketh’s TikTok channel. Recently, Amy shared an awesome idea for playing with watercolor by making random shapes and designs and going back in later with a pen to make visual connections and add details. This is a perfect idea for playing with watercolor, as it’s truly in the watercolor spirit of “going with the flow.”

And you can watch the short video below to see how she did it!

@sparketh

Have y’all tried this? What did your mind make you create?? #artistsoftiktok #myart #watercolor #artblock #arthelp #arttips

♬ Lofi Coffee – Sampladelic

4. Experiment with basic techniques and textures

If you are a Sparketh member, this Sparketh course will show you several different watercolor techniques for beginners to try and talk you through different scenarios in which you might want to use each of them.

These include:

• Wet on wet technique
• Wet on dry technique
• Dry on dry technique
• Dry on wet technique
• Flat wash technique
• Gradient wash technique

The below example by student artist,  Alyssa H.,  comes from the Sparketh student gallery and shows the techniques that this student experimented with in the basic watercolor techniques course.

Salt-Resist Technique

Another technique that is really fun to try when you are getting started is to try creating a wet spread of paint over your watercolor paper and then sprinkle some salt on top! The salt will soak up the paint/pigment, and when your paint is dry you can brush off the salt crystals to reveal a really cool texture on your paper!

5. Start with a Light Sketch.

Starting out with a light pencil sketch is a great strategy to use with watercolor art. In addition to sketching out the details that will guide your painting, you may also want to designate areas of your painting that you want to leave white, keep light, or go darker with.

One of the things that a lot of people have trouble adjusting to with watercolor is the fact that you can’t just paint something white. If you want something in your painting to be white or a lighter-color, you have to leave it that way! And once there is a lot of pigment in a certain area, it’s there to stay.

Therefore it’s important to think about composition of your lights and darks before you start painting. Mapping this out with a sketch can be super helpful! Just be sure to follow the cardinal rule of sketching: keep it super light.

7. Work from Light to Dark.

This one goes hand-in-hand with the last point. In watercolor painting, you aren’t really able to undo, or paint over, color. Once your painting gets dark, adding more paint only makes it darker. That’s why one of the most important tips to keep in mind when working in watercolor is to work from light to dark.

Think about this as being similar to cooking. You can always add more salt to a recipe if you need it, but once you’ve added too much it’s hard to go back and fix your dish!  The same principal applies to watercolor, so it’s important to start out light and layer on darker colors gradually.

If you’re just starting out with watercolors, this mindset may take a little getting used to. However, it is kind of a meditative and relaxing process once you get into it!

8. Have These Things Nearby

You can paint with watercolors as long as you have the brushes, paint and paper. However, you probably have these other supplies at home already, too, and they can help make your experience easier and more fun!

Paper towels

Definitely keep paper towels nearby when painting with watercolor. In addition to cleaning up accidental spills (it happens), they are the exception to the rule when it comes to fixing mistakes. If you put down color somewhere you didn’t mean to, you can add water and press the area with a paper towel to lift it in a hurry. You can also use a paper towel to clean your brush when switching colors.

A special glass jar or cup for painting

This one may seem obvious, but you’ll need a glass of water handy anytime you are painting with watercolors. It can be nice to have a designated cup or jar with your watercolor supplies at all times! You can empty it and store your brushes in it when you aren’t painting. I use a glass vintage cocktail shaker that belonged to my grandparents, and it always makes me smile!

Masking tape

There are (at least) two cool things you can do with masking tape and watercolor painting. Firstly, you can use 4 pieces of tape to create a boarder around your watercolor paper before you get started. This will hold your paper in place on your work surface, and it will also create a cool “frame effect” after you pull the tape off (when your painting is finished and completely dry). Secondly, you can “mask off” other parts of your paper that you want to leave white before you even start painting.  Many art stores carry a masking fluid that you can also use to get this effect with a little more control, but masking tape is a great way to try this technique using something you probably already have at home.

9. Check out some of Sparketh’s online art classes and Social Media Resources

Sparketh  is all about giving your child the best art education at home, so we want to be a resource that helps you learn more about whatever kind of art medium you are interested in! This includes watercolor, of course! We have several online watercolor classes that are perfect for beginners.

(If you are interested in starting a membership and getting access to online art classes, you can find out more, here!) 

We also provide free art resources on a regular basis via our social media channels! The professional artists on our team offer art tips and support via our various channels on:

• TikTok 
• Youtube
• Instagram 
• Facebook 
• The Sparketh Community 

So be sure to follow Sparketh on social media (click any of the above links to go to that respective page)! It’s free, it’s fun, and it’s all about art! There are tips for working in every imaginable medium, including watercolor.

10.  It may sound dumb, but trust me: it’s important…

You may think you don’t need this tip, but it is one of the most important things I can tell you about working with watercolors.

At some point, you will be drinking a beverage from a glass. You will think to yourself, “I’d like to do some watercolor painting.” You will get out your paints, paper, and brushes. You fill up a glass with water. You will take your beverage with you as you sit down and start painting.

After you’ve been painting for awhile, you will reach for your cup, take a drink.

It will be disgusting. You will realize you just drank paint water.  It happens. It happens to us all.

My tip is two-fold:

1. You may want to switch to drinking from a water bottle while painting.

2. If it happens, consider yourself officially initiated into the world of watercolor.

I hope these basic watercolor tips help you get started in your watercolor journey! For more art tips and education, be sure to follow us on social media and check out Sparketh’s online art courses! 

The post 10 Basic Watercolor Tips for Beginners appeared first on Sparketh.

Creativity is one of the most important qualities to nourish in kids for a huge list of reasons, but here are just a few:

• Creative activities foster essential parts of child development, such as: critical thinking skills, fine motor skills, and self-expression.
• Creativity helps children find their unique point-of-view, which helps them gain confidence and communication skills.
• Given today’s quickly evolving digital era, the ability to be creative and innovate are predicted to be some of the most sought after skills in future careers (65% of which do not even exist yet!)

I could probably come up with 100 reasons that being creative is important, especially for growing minds! But if you’re here looking for some simple ways to help boost your child’s creativity, there is a simple daily activity you can encourage your kids to do to help make that happen: drawing.

Helping your child get regular drawing practice is an easy and fun way to make sure your child is growing creatively. Here are 5 simple drawing activities to grow your child’s creativity!

1.  Schedule Time for Drawing

Like anything else, creativity can grow with practice, and the best way to make sure that practice happens is to make it a habit!

A really easy way to help foster your child’s creativity is simply to schedule some time each day to be creative. Drawing is a portable and minimalist form of art that is easy to do, everyday, so it’s the perfect form of art to work into your “daily creativity routine.” Simply pick a time of day (and an amount of time) that works for your family’s schedule, and make that time a time for drawing!

And sure, you can’t always predict when “creativity will strike,” but the truth is that creative moments will happen more often when creativity becomes a regular practice.  Sparketh offers drawing classes for kids that can be filtered by level and length-of-time, which can also become a part of your child’s regularly scheduled drawing time!

2.  Free-Drawing

Part of fostering creativity is letting go of control. Sometimes it’s good to simply give your child  a blank piece of paper and just let them draw whatever they want! They could use colored pencils and play around with shapes, doodles, designs—whatever wants to come out!

If they are stuck, sometimes an open ended-drawing prompt can be a good idea. For example, you could ask them to design an original character, or draw something they’d like to do, or come up with an imaginary creature! However, try not to guide them too in what they are doing, and definitely avoid critique!

For kids, free-drawing is an opportunity to let their imaginations run wild, and seeing their own creations come to life on the page is very rewarding! In addition, free drawing is a way that kids often discover what types of subjects capture their interest the most, and what they like to draw the most. From there, they can hone the skills that relate to drawing that subject by using our drawing classes for kids.

3.  Drawing Games

Drawing games are another fun way to incorporate drawing as a daily habit and boost your child’s creativity. Getting stuck on “what to draw” can be an obstacle for anyone getting started with art. Using games and drawing prompts can help break the ice and help your child feel at ease when drawing.

There are many ways you can make a game out of drawing. Here are a few ideas to get you started!

• Play a drawing version of “charades,” where your child has a limited amount of time to draw a picture and you get to guess what it is (the less time given to draw, the more fun the game will probably be!) For example, you could have a bowl full of bits of paper with simple prompts and a bowl with pieces of paper with different amounts of time written on them. Then challenge your child to pull out a simple drawing idea (say he or she gets something like “a baseball player”) out of one bowl, and an amount of time (such as “30 seconds”) out of another! This is a fun way to practice drawing different things and spending more (or less) time with various drawings. It’s a fun one for multiple kids to play together, too!

• A simpler version of this game on-the-fly would be to do “drawing Simon says,” where your child has to draw whatever “Simon says,” within a certain amount of time.

• You could also play a game (let’s call it “Mix-up,”) where you challenge your child to combine two objects or animals into a new creation through drawing! For example, your child could combine a zebra and a mermaid, or an elephant and a computer. (Get creative!)

• One of my favorite drawing games is something that I like to call the “squiggle game,” where one person starts a drawing, and another person adds to it, until a work of art emerges and both artists decide it is “done!” For this game, you can also pick a certain amount of turns to take.

Drawing games are a great way to inspire creativity and get motivated to do art more regularly!

4. Use Drawing Classes For Kids

Especially if you homeschool, integrating daily drawing classes is a helpful way to give your child regular drawing practice (and grow his or her art skills) everyday!

Sparketh offers drawing classes for kids that can be organized by level of difficulty, so that your child can start with beginner drawing classes and move on to intermediate or advanced classes as they progress.  Students can also browse through Sparketh’s art classes for kids and  learn to draw subjects that most appeal to them!

Another  reason that many kids and parents choose Sparketh‘s online art classes is that our course library is designed to be self-paced. This means that you and your kids get to decide when art classes fit into your schedule (instead of the other way around.) Sparketh’s online art course library is always available to kids and teens: anytime and anywhere. This makes it that much easier to make drawing classes a regular part of your kids’ routine, everyday!

5.  Inspire Kids To Draw (Even When They Aren’t Drawing)

Even when your kids aren’t drawing, they can be thinking about drawing! In any creative endeavor, part of how you grow is by shaping how you think and see the world around you. This is something that we parents can help our kids do in the small, everyday moments! If you’re interested in making creativity more of a priority in your home (or homeschool) we have a whole article that focuses just on that, here.

But in terms of simple ways to inspire your kids to draw, here are some ideas:

• Schedule periodic field trips to your local art museum, or a nearby gallery. Take time to look at, and discuss, the works on display.

• Take regular walks and point out the colors and shapes that are found in nature.

• Pay attention to ordinary things in nature like clouds and trees, noting how the real thing is different from the way we often automatically draw it it (For example, I remember the first time I learned to not draw a sky with just blue and white, and it was because my mom pointed out to me that skies are never just blue and white).

• Challenge your kids to keep a collection of pictures or drawings that they like, either physically or on a social media platform like Pinterest. Similarly, you could also encourage your child to keep a notebook of ideas. When he or she sees something interesting, jot it down in the notebook as a drawing idea for later.

• Occasionally prompt your child to notice details that he or she might take for granted while doing everyday activities, such as  the way the light changes certain shadows, or the way that a familiar building is designed, ect.

We hope that some of these tips and ideas will help you make drawing a more regular part of your child’s everyday life. Drawing is an accessible art medium that kids are naturally interested in, and encouraging drawing is a great way to grow your child’s creativity! If you are interested in signing your child up for online art classes, you can find out more here. Stay creative, and happy drawing!

The post Boost Your Kid’s Creativity Today with Drawing appeared first on Sparketh.

Let’s get straight to the answer. (Rule-lovers prepare to take slow breaths):

There is no one way to homeschool your children.

There is no ONE way and there is no BEST way.  

However, that’s actually part of the beauty of homeschooling.

The best way is what works for you, for your kids, and for your lifestyle! This is something that can take a little while to figure out if you are new to homeschooling, (and it seems like a lot of people are new to homeschooling this year!) Today, we want to share some resources with you that can help you evaluate your homeschool and figure out what YOUR best way, is.

Sparketh & Homeschooling

How are Sparketh and homeschooling related? Well, first of all, we think it’s pretty awesome.

Secondly, Sparketh’s origin story has a special connection to homeschooling.  Dwayne Walker, a Sparketh co-founder/owner and self-taught professional artist, was homeschooled for part of his childhood. He thrived on the experience, but he only wished he’d had more access to professional (and affordable) art classes. This personal experience prompted the idea behind Sparketh– an online platform for virtual art classes that homeschoolers could use anytime, from anywhere, to hone their art skills.

Since then, Sparketh has grown into a resource that many children in public and private school use, too.  However, we continue to have special connections with many homeschooled families who have been with us since we first got started, and we continue to support homeschooling – and homeschoolers – as a resource for awesome art education at home!

Especially over the last few years, homeschooling has become an increasingly popular choice. We know a lot of people are trying it out for the first time this year (or are thinking about it!)

Whether that’s you, or whether you’ve been in the homeschooling biz for awhile now, we wanted to share some homeschooling resources, tips, and ideas from our blog! The articles below have all kinds of info on homeschooling–from saving money in your homeschool to hacks for homeschooling kids of different ages! And no, they won’t tell you HOW to homeschool…but they’ll help you figure out how YOU can make your homeschooling journey work the best for you, and that’s the most important thing!

 Homeschooling Tips and Resources on Our Blog!

1. The Top 5 Reasons to Homeschool Your Child  

This blog explores some of the biggest reasons that families choose to homeschool, and discusses how homeschooling can shape important aspects of childhood. If you’re thinking about homeschooling, consider whether or not you identify with any of these 5 common reasons parents choose to homeschool!

2. Are Homeschoolers Unsocialized? 

The ever-looming homeschool question: “But what about socialization?” This blog explores the topic fully! Don’t miss it (and prepare to send it to your non-believer relatives).

3. Which of These 7 Homeschooling Methods Will Work for You? 

There are many, many ways to homeschool, but this blog post covers some of the most popular homeschooling philosophies and approaches! Which one do you align with most?

4. 5 Essential Tips for New Homeschooling Parents 

One of our most comprehensive blog posts — especially for those of you who are starting out! These 5 essential homeschooling tips will help you start out in the right frame of mind!

5. Is Homeschooling Stressing You Out? These 10 Strategies Can Help.

Okay, so homeschooling is not all sunshine and rainbows. There are days it can be stressful (and you may even ben wondering if you’ve made a mistake). For those days, here are 10 strategies that can help you troubleshoot, reassess and relax.

6. How to (Successfully) Homeschool Children of Different Ages 

What do you do with the kindergartner while you teach the middle schooler about fractions? This one is for you homeschooling parents who have multiple kids of different ages.

7. Is Homeschooling Too Expensive? 8 Ways to Save Money in Your Homeschool 

Is homeschooling actually more expensive than public school? Can you cut costs (and if so, where?) This blog breaks it down and gives money-saving tips to make your homeschool more affordable.

Whether you are a new homeschooling parent, a professional homeschooling parent, or just a parent who is kind of curious about the world of homeschooling, we hope these bloggy resources help answer some questions and spark new ideas that you can use in your homeschool. Stay creative!

The post How Do I Homeschool My Kids? appeared first on Sparketh.

Creativity is such a vital part of learning. When kids are being creative, they take ownership over whatever they are learning. Creating is about so much more than memorizing information. Instead, it requires understanding at a complex level. Creative endeavors necessitate hands-on learning until enough confidence is gained to problem-solve, make decisions, and innovate! Regular engagement in art can help your child develop creatively and even create more positive associations with other types of learning.

The resources in this post reflect our desire to bring creativity and art education to kids – anywhere and everywhere! Art education and creative endeavors play a big role part of learning. In fact, we think that creativity is one of the best tools a young person can have! We hope you enjoy exploring these creative resources as you help your student(s) move forward into an exciting new school year. There’s a little something for everyone: from wearable art,  to art tips, to a back-to-school art competition!

The Sparketh Community

If your child is looking to find an art tribe, there’s no better time to connect with one than the start of a new school year! The Sparketh Community is free and safe (it’s monitored by one of our professional art instructors). It’s also “positive vibes” only: just a genuinely uplifting place for artsy kids and teens to connect and encourage one another!

The Sparketh Community is sponsored/powered by Sparketh, which makes it totally free to you. Art-loving kids and teens from all around the world are welcome to join in to participate in art discussions and prompts. Each month, the community features an art competition that challenges students to create and submit something new! The winner receives art-themed prizes!

This month, in honor of back-to-school season, the Sparketh Community has an art challenge that is all about creating an original character. Specifically, they get to create an alter ego/Variant version of themselves (because kids tend to explore new things and redefine their interests in a new grade!) This “alter ego/Variant” challenge is also inspired by the Disney+ series, Loki, because a lot of our Sparketh Community kids are big Marvel fans! This month’s contest winner will win $400 in art supplies! Your child can participate simply by joining the community at this link and uploading a picture of their challenge submission.

The Sparketh TikTok and Instagram Channel:

One of Sparketh‘s awesome art instructors, Amy, shares seriously useful art tips and ideas on our TikTok channel on a daily basis. Amy is a fantastic artist and she’ll make you laugh, too. Definitely head over to the TikTok channel and subscribe to get daily, bite-sized art motivation that will inspire artists of all ages. You won’t be sorry!

Recently, Amy has also created several back-to-school art tips, like impressive bubble lettering and things you can sketch in the margins of your notes (and more).  It’s everything you need for those all important scholastic doodles!

(Not on TikTok? You can find Amy’s daily art content over our on Instagram page, too!)

Signing up for daily art prompts and inspiration is a great way to support more creativity in the schoolyear ahead!

The Sparketh Youtube Channel:

Another great, free art resource that you may not know about is the Sparketh Youtube Channel. Talented artist, Maria, shares art thoughts, ideas and demos for kids on our Youtube channel twice a week! Maria loves to help get kids inspired with ideas that they will want to recreate at home. Currently, in honor of a new school year, she has been putting together a few special videos that your kids will love.

One of them is a how-to  for creating this pretty and trendy Tie Dye shirt!

In another video, Maria also shows creative kids a way that they can make their backpacks stand out from the rest this year with a cool,  art-centric idea! You can watch that video here (or by clicking below).

Lastly, Maria is also prompting some fun art ideas in conjunction with the current challenge over in the Sparketh Community–she’s created videos where she draws herself in different cartoon art styles! Check these out and drop her a comment to let her know which one is your favorite!

(Also, you know what to do…don’t forget to subscribe!)

The Sparketh Blog:

Our blog (which you’re on right now) also has a ton of helpful resources on homeschooling, art education, and helping your child with his or her art endeavors! Feel free to explore the blog anytime, but here are some that we suggest starting out with (especially if you’re wanting to inject some extra creativity into your child’s daily routine!)

• How Art Supports Good Mental Health in Kids and Teens
• Students Need Art: Here are 10 Reasons Why
• 3 Simple Strategies to Spark Creativity Everyday (In Your Homeschool and Beyond)

Sparketh Online Art Classes for Kids and Teens:

Of course, Sparketh is all about offering kids the best art education–from home (or from anywhere, really!) Our mission comes from a desire to make sure that all kids have access to professional, creative instruction that fits their needs and schedule. If you are interested in making online art classes a part of your child’s routine, click here to learn more!

Our team had so much fun putting these tips, challenges, and ideas together to support your child in a creative start to this new school year. We hope your student(s) enjoy some of the these ideas, whether they end up doing portraits in cartoon styles, creating tie dye at home, and/or coming up with an original alter ego character! As always, keep learning and stay creative!

The post Back to School Art Ideas (From Our Team to Yours)! appeared first on Sparketh.

That mission is why we created our online art classes for kids. It’s also why we provide a lot of free online support for young artists through our social media channels and in the free Sparketh Community! This month, the Sparketh Community is hosting an art challenge that we are really excited about because it’s about helping kids find their own inner strength to be creative through developing a growth mindset!

What’s a growth mindset?

A growth mindset is simply a mindset that facilitates growth: something that can help keep all creative people motivated when inspiration seems to be missing.

Often, developing a growth mindset involves learning to think about things in a positive way that promotes learning and progress. This is such a vital life lesson for kids, especially for young artists who have to stay creative and self-motivated as they develop their skills and unique style! In today’s post, our team of creatives is sharing some of our top tips for staying motivated, growing creatively, and thinking positive. Whether you are a young artist, or the parent of one, we hope that you’ll share these thoughts about creativity in your family and talk about how they can help the creative process. Below our tips, you’ll also find some practical ideas for simple habits to facilitate a healthy growth mindset!

Tips for Young Artists from Sparketh’s Creative Team:

As a team of artists and creatives, we often have to motivate ourselves to keep learning and growing! Here are some of our personal tips for developing a growth mindset that will help you become your most creative self!

“Many of us practice and create privately, but redirecting yourself to a more public space (even if it’s just a neighborhood park) can really help your mental space and flow! Plus, you’ll probably get interesting bystanders who want to see what you’re doing, and make some new friends along the way.”

–Amy, Artist/Sparketh Art Instructor and Content Creator

“Never worry about creating art that other people don’t like. If you enjoy painting flowers, paint flowers, if you like to draw dogs, draw dogs, it really doesn’t matter unless you are happy with what you’re creating. Art is about having fun and creative expression, so always remember that.”

–Maria, Artist/ Sparketh Content Creator

“Modern language will never be 100% effective. There will always be some amount of ideas, thoughts, feelings that we just can’t convey with basic words or conversations.  The more creative you become and the more you master any set of creative skills, you open up a whole new set of tools to communicate with. And there’s something truly satisfying when you use creativity to successfully convey a message, thought, or experience that was virtually impossible to understand before.”

-Tim, Creative Entrepreneur/Sparketh Co-Founder and Vice President 

“Don’t fear failure. When you try and fail, ask questions. Learn. Try again. Growth isn’t about becoming ‘the best.’ It’s not even always about reaching a specific goal. Growth is about being brave enough to keep repeating this process.” 

-Katie, Creative/ Sparketh Blogger and Content Creator 

“While yes, the goal in creating is to end up with a piece we are proud of, sometimes that goal isn’t always reached. So rather than seeing it as a failure, I remind myself, ‘process over product.’ Did I learn something in the process- good or bad? Can I use that knowledge in the future? Does learning from the process actually end up being more helpful than having a successful end product? Making art is an adventure, the journey to get there is every bit as important as arriving at the destination!”

-Becca, Artist/ Sparketh Art Instructor/ Sparketh Community Host 

5 Simple Habits for Cultivating a Growth Mindset

Want to put these creativity tips from our team into action? Young artists can try a few of these tips to create helpful creativity habits! 

1. Come up with a personal creativity slogan or mantra! Now you’ve read our creativity tips, but what what would yours be? Think about what helps you stay motivated. What inspires you, creatively? Turn this into a motivational sentence or two for yourself! Write your encouraging statement on a piece of paper – or even turn it into a piece of art- and put it somewhere you will see it often.

2. Try something adventurous or new with your art. Do this just for the sake of trying it: for fun—not mastery! Go into it with the mindset that the goal is not winning, the goal – itself – is trying something new! Sparketh has online art classes that cover a huge range of courses, so go head over to the course library and pick something that’s totally new and different!

3. Tell people you’re an artist. As Amy said in her tip, it’s important to put yourself out there with your art! Creating in community will help grow confidence and it can also be a great way to connect with other artists! The simple act of telling people you’re an artist can be a very powerful creative motivator! You can also find a virtual community of artists via resources like the Sparketh Community and on social media platforms!

4. Collect inspiration. Whether it’s through discovering new art styles in online art classes, creating a board of favorite art on Pinterest, or making a physical collage of images that motivate you to create, it’s important to keep finding new sources of inspiration. Collecting them somewhere that you can access anytime will motivate you to create whenever you’re feeling stumped!

5. Practice every day! Very few people feel inspired every day, but the more you create, the more likely you are to find inspiration quickly! Maya Angelou: “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”  Probably the most important thing you can do to foster a creative growth mindset is to simply make time each day to be creative, this may involve doing a quick drawing or art class each day, or checking in with a community of creatives who can help keep you accountable. Whatever it is for you, make sure to keep your daily goals realistic so that you set yourself up for success!

We hope these tips and habits  inspire you – or your young artist- to keep growing creatively! What is something that helps you cultivate a growth mindset?

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This month, we’re doing something really special at Sparketh…Sparktober!

What’s Sparktober? It’s a daily drawing challenge for the month of October.  For each day of the month, we’re challenging our community of artsy kids and teens to use that day’s one-word prompt and create a quick work of art that is inspired by it! 

Why It Works:

Art prompts are a really effective way to inspire creativity. And there’s something about a really simple, one word prompt that provides just the right balance of structure and freedom.

The fact that this is a daily challenge (with 31 opportunities to create) also makes each individual prompt lower pressure—which can be really freeing for those perfectionist artists!

How Sparktober is Different: 

We’re not the only October-daily-art-prompt-drawing-challenge on the block, but we are the one that is specifically for kids and teens! In our Sparketh Community (which is free to all kids and teens, not just Sparketh members) we are encouraging our community of young artists to upload their doodles each day! It’s a really supportive and kid-friendly environment.

We also have prizes! Consistently creating art this month and uploading it to the Sparketh Community enters kid and teen artists for the chance to win a giftcard to an art supply store of his or her choice…so the creativity can continue into November with some shiny, new art supplies!

How to Enter: 

You can use the above prompt guide to start Sparktober right now! You don’t have to do anything else if you are just looking for a creative challenge (for yourself, your family, or your kids) to inspire you this month!

However, kids and teens who are participating in this challenge are welcome to join us over at the Sparketh Community and upload pictures of their work there for a chance to win a prize. (Our community host creates a new thread each day, for each prompt).

And if you’re just getting started, that’s no problem. Pictures for the daily prompts can still be uploaded after that day has passed, so there’s time to catch up! You can click here to join the Sparketh Community for free. (Why is it free? We’re all about fostering creativity, and community is an important part of that!)

Also, we’d love to see your art if you or your family is participating in Sparktober with us!  Please tag us on Instagram (@sparkethdotcom) or Facebook (@Sparketh) so that we will see it!

We hope you’ll join us in the Sparketh Community for daily art inspiration and monthly challenges! We can’t wait to see the beautiful things you create!

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