Wednesday, December 2, 2009

The Days of Creation - Teaching the Glory of God's Work through Art


The Days of Creation – Teaching the Glory of God’s Work through Art
Written by James and Katherine Hughes
Published at Answers In Genesis

About the book
Here is a great tool to foster in your children a love for art and the Supreme Artist. Biblical teaching and commentary about the six days of creation combined with painting techniques and tips enable your children to create their very own Days of Creation artbook. The watercolor paintings included in the book for reference are accompanied by instructions on how to paint them. You and your children will love developing new skills together. For 8 and up.

My Thoughts
I think my friend Julia would love this book. She is painting in her spare time – even though I think her spare times are limited with raising and teaching 4 kids these days... But somehow, I think she would be interesting in getting this book for her own homeschool.

I was attracted by this wonderful book just because it shows a different way of exploring the days of creation – this time using painting.  We already explored it with drawing and scrapbooking so why not experiencing it with painting?

The authors take the time to explain the reason why painting is important and give an exact list of supplies before you start. Obviously, when you read about the type of paper or paint suggested in the book, they know what they are talking about – personally I wouldn’t have a clue about which paint is better and which paper would be giving a good result for a reasonable price... So I am glad to have some guidelines to begin with. *grin* In this informative chapter, the authors also give you some general painting instructions which comes in handy for little me who does not know much about painting... (Makes me wonder how come I didn’t get the genes of painting for both my grand-mothers – I guess I just need to develop it!).

Once you have gone through the basic information, the painting can start. Each day of creation has its specific chapter with instructions on how to paint it and what to paint. Once the painting is done, the child would have to go through some penmanship exercise and copy the scriptural text for the specific day that he/she has just painted. At the end of the seven days, you will have the possibility of put the painting and the writing together and created a book. Each chapter also have a commentary section which gives you (and your child) more information about the day.

I am so looking forward to create a Creation Days painting book with my kids. But first I need to try to find the products suggested in the book. I might try checking out Wallack’s or Deserres first and maybe ask my friend Julia – she surely knows where to get painting supplies in the city – and hopefully it will be at a good price!

The images in this book illustrate exactly the project of the day. I really love the painting for the firmament, the lights as well as the one for the seas animals and birds. Beautiful. What I really like is the fact that the paintings are simple but speak a lot. It tells exactly what God did on that day. It makes you ponder on his Creation and on Him as well.

Whether you have a budding artist in your homeschool or if you want to introduce art and painting, I think these painting lessons are simply fantastic and can’t be passed on. What an interesting way to teach about God’s work and His glory. Art is an expression – a form of creation – and by using it, we tend to become a little bit more like God while we create from our hands (with painting, sculpting, drawing, scrapbooking or any other form of art). I’m so glad that God gave us creativity and we can express it in various ways!

This review was made possible because I have received a copy of The Days of Creation from Answers in Genesis

Available at your favourite bookstore – Christianbook.com and indigo.ca .

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