"Art is the most awesome subject"

Back in early December (or maybe November) I purchased 3 Home Art Studio DVDs, mainly because I have been wanting to do art regularly each week and these were on sale. The projects did not look to crafty and I could see many art techniques being taught. Another plus, someone else was teaching the class, I just had to supervise.
The DVDs finally came last week and we headed to Blick Art for our supplies. Just a note, quality art supplies are EXPENSIVE. I just shopped for the first 3 weeks and spent $50. I am glad the things I bought will be used over several lessons because we will become true starving artists if this keeps up. Once home we placed the new supplies with the art supplies I have purchased in the past (all still like new because the curriculum they were purchased for failed). See all the art supplies organized on the art shelf had us ready to get started.
Monday morning, bright and early, Emma is ready for school. Her goal, get it ll done quickly so she can do art. I made the mistake of telling her what the project will be, a roller coaster, so all day I was bombarded with questions about the project. FINALLY it was time for art. I gathered the supplies and we sat down to watch. Emma's excitement level was too great and even before the lesson started she was squealing and saying, "this is going to be so good". During the lesson she was riveted, actually leaning forward to absorb everything. In all honesty the lesson wasn't anything special, just a teacher showing how to do the art project, but Emma thought it was great and that is what matters. After the lesson she was ready to get started. I was sure the drawing lines on all the strips of paper was going to make her antsy, but it didn't. In fact during this part she said it was fun.
The hardest part of this whole art thing is for me to stay silent. I am a take over or "maybe we could do it this way" sort of person. But I wanted this art project (and the ones to follow) to be all Emma, so I actually stayed quiet on my input and just chatted and encouraged her ideas....I am proud of myself. I did help though but it was just holding down the construction paper strips so the glue can hold.
Emma was very diligent in doing everything the teacher said, even on how many glue drops to put on each piece. Dot...dot...dot. Another thing is Emma will usually rush these things. She will take her time on her own individual projects, but an assigned project gets a rush job. Not this. She took her time. Tried different ideas before deciding on where to put each strip. Along the way she would exclaim, "this is going to be so good". As she was working, she came up with a name for her project, The Loop-de-Looper, which we made a name tag with and added to the corner of her project. After it was finished she looked at me with the biggest smile and said, "Mom, art is the most awesome subject we have ever done!"

Her project now hangs at the top of our stairwell next to the sarcophagus we made last year. It will be our Johnson Art Exhibit hallway, featuring the art of Emma.