Monday, August 15, 2016

Art & Japanese Classes Begin in September!!

Starting September 23rd, every Friday after school at 3:30 pm, 
Kids Kreate will resume at Hobby Lobby 
in North Logan, Utah. 
We're really excited to greet the holidays with art projects!! 
Scroll down to view images of what we'll do for the first 4 classes, 
using paint (& treats), pastels, water colors, & tissue paper!
 Register now: $45 for 4 classes, or $40 each with a friends/family discount. 
Class size is limited, so Email: artworkbyjoanna@gmail.com to sign up!
Call or Text: 385-207-6623.
Make "Cow Pies" with paint & treats!
Tissue Paper Collage Kites, Windows, Fish, etc...
Water Color Holiday Scenes
Cute Pastel Spooks and more...!

AND the Intro to Japanese DVD is available for purchase
for $10 each (plus any applicable sales tax and shipping)

Google Hang Out &/or local classes to accompany the DVD
are available by appointment,
Monday through Friday 1-1:50 pm
beginning the week of September 19th through 22nd! 


Classes run for 12 weeks (skipping Thanksgiving week), ending December 16th, which will be the date of our presentation for family and friends.
Cost per student for classes will be determined by the number in attendance. 
Sign up with friends for as low as $85 for all 12 classes!! For more info,
check out my "Let's Learn Japanese" page on the right side of this post
and/or
Email: artworkbyjoanna@gmail.com for more details and to sign up!
Call/text: 385-207-6623

Friday, August 5, 2016

Wrapping Up & Moving Ahead: Art and Language Classes

It's slow going, but my broken elbow is gradually mending.  In the process, sometimes large blocks of time vanish in sleeping and trying to find some way to alleviate the pain of the physical therapy designed to remind my arm how it's supposed to move.  That limb seems to have little to no memory of ever having been able to do what the right one can...Anyway, my deepest apologies for being slow in posting what's next in this coming up.
However, I'm gaining a deeper appreciation for people who struggle with chronic pain.
 Conclusion: I'm not good at it.

Back to business, starting with a clarification of what that means,
recognizing that it might seem a little ambiguous.

Simply put, Artwork by Joanna is Art & Language.

My blog/website has quite a few samples of mural and faux finishing
jobs from over the years (just glance to the right & click on any page). 
YES! I'd love to help you transform any space in your home or office,
so check out what's there, & remember, I can design something new for you!
It's also a rather literal embracing of the common term "language arts."
It's about children's books in English and Japanese, 
and educating with the Arts as tools and mediums of expression.
These blog posts will focus primarily on upcoming classes:
 stuff we've done & will do!
Having taught English in Japan, S. Korea and the states, 
North Carolina Virtual Public High School has also employed me
as a Japanese language coach for 3 years.
From this combination, the idea to use original 
stories, art and music to introduce an seemingly complicated language is evolving.

So, when Cara Rector, a long-time friend who's very involved in Home School Education, 
suggested I set up a booth at the LDSHE convention 
held in Logan at Utah State university,   
 I signed up.  
 
While there, I met home educators and suppliers, and made some great connections! 
I'm currently organizing local and on line small groups to learn Japanese hiragana,
along with some vocabulary and simple sentences.
Cara bought the DVD, and upon returning to Pennsylvania, here's what happened (quote): 
"My little girls spent...their morning using your DVD, then they started drawing some characters and writing the English translation underneath."   
The DVD includes each of the 46 characters in ひらがな with an explanatory page like this one, along with practice sheets, activities and suggested cultural learning opportunities, and more.
 It can be purchased separately
(It's only $10.  I'd love to get a copy to you: artworkbyjoanna@gmail.com).
But it will also be part an integral tool for our on-line and local 12 week course.

It's time to sign up & move ahead, since classes need to begin by no later than mid-September.  
If you and/or your child are interested in Japanese lessons, either on line or in person,  please email, text, or call at your earliest convenience concerning what times work best for you. 
That way, we can organize small groups of learners
for optimal fun & a cost-effective learning experience!
Many, many thanks to Amber Bowden for helping create a powerpoint 
to bring Twinkle and Luna alive in Japanese (part of our young learners' final presentation)!
Yep, it's on the DVD!!!
Again, Japanese classes, both on line and in person, will begin in September.  
We'll meet virtually, or in real time,
once each week, for a 50 minute class, wrapping up in early December. 

ALSO, what about coloring, cutting, pasting and painting = ART??
Autumn Art classes will resume at the end of September.  
We had so much fun; let's keep it up!
(Psst!  Our next project: Cow Pies!  Don't worry, no actual poo involved!)
I'll offer 2 different classes:
Kids Kreate, for children ages 4 and up, 

and hands-on mural painting & finishing for teens and adults!

A "faux" finish just means a painting technique that makes something
ordinary look like extraordinary: 
It can be elaborate or subtle, depending on the project. 
For these faux finishing classes, we'll work on sight--
the 2nd level of a town home in Bridgerland Meadows, which
includes an open stairwell.
I'm looking forward to hearing from you and setting times, dates, and locations!
Email: artworkbyjoanna@gmail.com
Phone: 385-207-6623 (leave a message or send a text if you miss me!
--even if it still says I'm in Asia--I'm home now.)

Monday, July 18, 2016

National Home School Conference...

...is in TEN DAYS!!!  If you home school, or just want ideas for teaching, this is the Western Region's conference & it'll be held right here in Logan, Utah!  Go here to check it out:
https://ldshe.org/conference-west
And here to register on line (there are only 2 days left to do this online!):
https://ldshe.org/conferences/2016-west-conference-pricing
Twinkle & Luna (トウィンクル と ルナ), along with Twinkle's friends, 
will debut sung in Japanese on a powerpoint to follow along 
at this conference in my little booth. :-)
Artwork by Joanna has 2 more Hobby Lobby Art classes: 
this week and the first week of August on Wednesdays (9:30 to 10:30 am)
& Thursdays (9:30 to 10:30 am and 11 am to 12:30 pm),
The NATIONAL LDS HOME SCHOOL CONFERENCE
comes in between those 2 final classes.  
Several parents have asked if we'll still be holding art classes in the fall.
  My dream has always been to really embrace Language as one of the Arts.
We call it that, but treat these subjects as separate.  Are they?
Every Chinese & Japanese character began with a drawing 
and language is a big part of how we express appreciation 
along every thought, feeling we have.  
So, why not embrace the "Arts" more fully 
when we teach a new language?
Not only will every class will include some form of artistic expression, 
every student will conclude the 12 lesson/week J1 course having 
a binder with materials he/she can review, which will include 
all of the first phonetic alphabet: ひらがな。The lessons are not
meant to be "kids only," and
activities will depend on the age, skill levels & interests
of the each group.
The words we learn with those characters...
...greetings, sentences and more...
We'll do fun stuff, to help us remember and...have fun!
To culminate we'll present Twinkle & Luna 
in Japanese for family and friends!
So, are classes over?  Hardly!  Starting in September, I'll be offering
Introductory Japanese classes through Home School, after school and preschool,
using Art, Activities, Singing, Stories and Drama!



Saturday, June 25, 2016

Hobby Lobby Art Classes: Week 3


~ROCKS~
Who doesn't love them?
Oh what they can become...
when creative young minds get involved!







Hobby Lobby Art Classes: Week 2

Week Two:
Painting Sky

...and what's up there!





Hobby Lobby Art Classes: Week One!

week one: 
HAND-MADE GREETING CARDS
Presented with an array of materials to play with,

...each creation is as unique...
...as the creator!