Art & Music Education

In her book The Hidden Art of Homemaking, Edith Schaeffer argues that everyone has a talent or skill ready to be discovered and put to use for the glory of God. Often, that talent lies dormant, and the individual is frustrated by the empty spot in their life it should fill. Finding your talent should be a priority, though it's no drudgery—discovering what God has made you good at is a joyful and exciting process.

Similarly, Olympic gold medalist Eric Liddell never put his running before his duty to Christ; instead, he used his talent as a sprinter to glorify God. As he expresses in the brilliant film Chariots of Fire, "I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure." God gives us talents to use in His name, and our joy in them is really our joy in Him.

Eric Liddell's talent led him to compete internationally; the "hidden art" Schaeffer describes is a little more modest, though no less glorifying to God when pursued humbly and gratefully. For Schaeffer, one's hidden art can be something as simple as arranging flowers on the kitchen table, or as elaborate as writing a story or painting a landscape. Everyone has different strengths, and each should learn to cultivate their own.

Our goal in teaching our children art and music isn't to raise a bunch of Van Goghs and Mozarts. If your child is a creative genius that's wonderful, but even if she can barely stay in the lines when coloring, her gifts are just as valuable to the Lord, and her discovery of them is just as important for her growth and personal happiness.

There are a few books in this section designed to help kids appreciate great art of the past, to learn about composers, or to identify the work of different painters and architects. However, most of what we offer is intended to help students across the whole range of ages to acquire and develop whatever skills they may have in sketching, painting, composing, instrument-playing, sculpting, acting, etc.

It's important to remember that no one will ever do anything perfectly, and first attempts are generally met with complete or near-total failure. Failure is often seen as an enemy, or simply as a hurdle to be overcome. Real failure, however, is integral to eventual success and (more importantly) to learning and character development. If a child managed to get everything right the first time, there would be no room for improvement, no reason to work hard.

Exercising one's creativity is essential. Humans were created in God's image, which means in part that we are creative beings, and whenever we're creative in ways that honor God, we're imitating Him. To the extent we can train our kids to do this, we should. Encourage them to do the best they can, because in the end they're doing it for God, and He expects nothing less.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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228 Items found Print
Active Filters: 11th grade (Ages 16-17), In-Stock Books & Materials
1000 Artists' Books
by Sandra Salamony with Peter & Donna Thomas
from Quarry Books
for 9th-Adult
in Art & Drawing Reference (Location: ELE-ARTREF)
$15.20 (1 in stock)
1000 Dot-to-Dot: Animals
by Thomas Pavitte
Csm from Thunder Bay Press
for 7th-Adult
in Dot-to-Dot (Location: COL-D2D)
$12.71
101 More Hymn Stories
by Kenneth Osbeck
from Kregel Publications
for 6th-12th grade
in History of Hymns (Location: XCH-HYMN)
$16.99
101 Things I Learned in Architecture School
by Matthew Frederick
from MIT Press
for 9th-Adult
in Architecture and Sculpture (Location: ELE-ARC)
$5.60 (1 in stock)
20 Ways to Draw a Mustache and 44 Other Funny Faces and Features
by Cara Bean
from Quarry Books
for 3rd-Adult
in Clearance: Art & Music (Location: ZCLE-ART)
$14.00
20 Ways to Draw A Shoe and 44 Other Sneakers, Slippers, Stilettos, and Slingbacks
by Julia Kuo
Csm from Quarry Books
for 3rd-Adult
in Clearance: Art & Music (Location: ZCLE-ART)
$14.00
20 Ways to Draw a Strawberry and 44 Other Elegant Edibles
by Zoe Ingram
from Quarry Books
for 3rd-Adult
in Clearance: Art & Music (Location: ZCLE-ART)
$14.00
3-D Designs - Coloring Book
by Wil Steganga
from Dover Publications
for 4th-Adult
in Abstract & Mosaic Coloring Books (Location: COL-ABS)
$3.39
365 Promises From God's Word In Color: Scripture and Coloring Pages
from Christian Art Publishers
for 6th-Adult
in Adult Coloring Books (Location: COL-ADULT)
$8.49
Advent Coloring Calendar
Clr Csm from Paraclete Press
for 3rd-Adult
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
$10.19
African-American Arts: Music
by written by Angela Shelf Medearis and Michael R. Medearis
from Millbrook Press
for 6th-Adult
in Music Appreciation (Location: ELE-MUSAP)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Alexander Hamilton - Coloring Book
by Steven James Petruccio
Clr Csm from Dover Publications
for 2nd-Adult
in History of America Coloring Books (Location: COL-HISA)
$5.09
All About Maps
from Gingko Press
for 6th-Adult
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
American Barns and Covered Bridges
by Eric Sloane
1st edition from Wilfred Funk, Inc.
for 5th-Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
An Introduction to Medieval Ivory Carvings
by Paul Williamson
from Her Majesty's Stationery Office
for 6th-Adult
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Anatomy Coloring Book
by Wynn Kapit
4th edition from Pearson Education
for 9th-Adult
in Anatomy Coloring Books (Location: SCI-ANACOL)
$28.04
Annotated Mona Lisa
by Carol Strickland
from Andrews McMeel
for 11th-Adult
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$11.20 (1 in stock)
Annotated Mona Lisa
by Carol Strickland
3rd edition from Andrews McMeel
for 5th-12th grade
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$25.49
Annotated Mona Lisa (old)
by Carol Strickland
2nd edition from Andrews McMeel
for 5th-12th grade
in Clearance: Art & Music (Location: ZCLE-ART)
$16.00 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Arrow Pointing to Heaven
by James Bryan Smith
Revised from B&H Books
for 10th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Art of Art for Children's Books
by Diana Klemin
1st edition from Clarkson Potter Publishers
for 9th-Adult
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Art of Interpretation
by Nicholas R. Elledge
from Institute for Cultural Communicators
for 9th-12th grade
in Speech & Debate (Location: SPEECH)
$10.00 (2 in stock)
Art of the Graphic Memoir
by Tom Hart
from St. Martin's Griffin
for 9th-Adult
in Advanced Drawing Instruction (Location: ELE-ARTDRAD)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Art of the Renaissance
by Peter and Linda Murray
1999 reprint from Thames and Hudson
for 9th-Adult
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
ARTistic Pursuits High School Book 1
3rd Edition Classic Series from Artistic Pursuits
for 9th-12th grade
in ARTistic Pursuits (Location: ELE-ARTPUR)
$45.60
ARTistic Pursuits High School Book 2
3rd Edition Classic Series from Artistic Pursuits
for 9th-12th grade
in ARTistic Pursuits (Location: ELE-ARTPUR)
$38.36
ARTistic Pursuits Sculpture Technique: Construct
by Brenda Ellis
from Artistic Pursuits
for 4th-12th grade
in ARTistic Pursuits (Location: ELE-ARTPUR)
$35.00 (1 in stock)
ARTistic Pursuits Sculpture Technique: Model
by Brenda Ellis
from Artistic Pursuits
for 4th-12th grade
in ARTistic Pursuits (Location: ELE-ARTPUR)
$35.00 (1 in stock)
At Play: Teaching Teenagers Theater
by Elizabeth Swados
from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
for 7th-Adult
in Theater, Drama & Film (Location: ELE-THEAT)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Baby Blessing
by Welleran Poltarnees
from Laughing Elephant
for Kindergarten-Adult
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Beatles vs The Rolling Stones
by Jim Derogatis and Greg Kot
from Voyageur Press
for 9th-Adult
in Music History (Location: ELE-MUSHIS)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Beginning Painting DVD - Mini Course
for 1st-Adult
in How Great Thou Art (Location: ELE-ARTHGTA)
$28.00 (1 in stock)
Best Known Gilbert & Sullivan Operas and Bab Ballads
by William Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan
from Halcyon House
for 9th-Adult
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
BFB Art Appreciation Family Study Pack
from Beautiful Feet Books
for 2nd-12th grade
in Beautiful Feet Books (Location: HISCUR-BFB)
$109.95
BFB Art Appreciation Family Study Pack
from Beautiful Feet Books
for 2nd-12th grade
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$109.95
BFB Music Appreciation Family Study Pack
from Beautiful Feet Books
for 2nd-12th grade
in Beautiful Feet Books (Location: HISCUR-BFB)
$84.95
Big Book of Geometric Designs and Illusions to Color
by Koichi Sato, Spyros Horemis
illustrated edition from Dover Publications
for 2nd-Adult
in Abstract & Mosaic Coloring Books (Location: COL-ABS)
$6.76
Blank Graphic Novel
by Jeff Zeiss and Danny Morgan
from Pitchblank Comics
for 3rd-12th grade
in Cartooning (Location: ELE-ARTCART)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Bless the Lord, O My Soul - Coloring Devotional OSI
by Christian Art Publishers (Compilation)
from Christian Art Publishers
for 7th-Adult
in Adult Coloring Books (Location: COL-ADULT)
$12.74
Book of Music
by Gill Rowley
from Bounty Books
for 8th-Adult
in Music Appreciation (Location: ELE-MUSAP)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Book on the Bookshelf
by Henry Petroski
from Vintage Classics
for 10th-Adult
in History of Books & Language (Location: HISV-BOOK)
$14.41
Botanical Line Drawing
by Peggy Dean
from Watson-Guptill Publications
for 3rd-Adult
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Brit. Lit. Volume 7
by Oscar Wilde, George Sullivan
from Logos School
for 10th-12th grade
in Logos Brit. Lit. (Location: LITCUR-LOG)
$9.34
Brunelleschi's Dome
by Ross King
from Penguin Books
for 11th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation (Location: HISW-REN)
$5.60 (1 in stock)
Built to Last
by George Sullivan
from Scholastic Inc.
for 8th-Adult
in Architecture and Sculpture (Location: ELE-ARC)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Calligraphy
First Steps Series
by Don Marsh
from North Light Books
for 6th-Adult
in Calligraphy (Location: HAN-CALLIG)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Carl Larsson's A Home
by Carl Larsson and Lennart Rudstrom
from G.P. Putnam's Sons
for 3rd-Adult
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Castles of the Western World
by Armin Tuulse
from Dover Publications
for 8th-Adult
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
$5.60 (1 in stock)
Celebration Series Perspectives - Piano Repertoire 4
Piano literature for ages 12-18
in Piano Literature (Location: ELE-MUSPI)
$8.00
Celebration Series Perspectives - Piano Repertoire 5
from Frederick Harris Music Co
Piano literature for ages 13-18
in Piano Literature (Location: ELE-MUSPI)
$9.00
Chapels and Meeting Houses
by Kenneth Lindley
from John Baker
for 8th-Adult
in Architecture and Sculpture (Location: ELE-ARC)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Christ Is Born
by Laura Marr, illustrator
from Dover Publications
for 3rd-Adult
in Holiday Coloring Books (Location: COL-HOL)
$13.59
Classical Music
by Phil G. Goulding
1st edition from Fawcett Books
for 8th-Adult
in Music History (Location: ELE-MUSHIS)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Color the Pacific Northwest
by Zoe Keller
Clr Csm from Timber Press, Inc.
for 5th-Adult
in Adult Coloring Books (Location: COL-ADULT)
$11.89
Color Your Own Impressionist Paintings
Dover Masterworks
by Marty Noble
from Dover Publications
for 3th-Adult
in Fine Art Coloring Books (Location: COL-ART)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Complete Color-Coded Music Flash Cards
from Alfred Publishing
for 7th-12th grade
in Music Theory (Location: ELE-MUSTHE)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Complete Decorated Journal
by Gwen Diehn
from Lark Crafts
for 6th-Adult
in Art & Drawing Reference (Location: ELE-ARTREF)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Complete Plays of Gilbert and Sullivan
by William Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan
from W. W. Norton and Co.
Drama for 9th-Adult
in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
$25.46
Complete-A-Sketch 123
by Mel Peterman
from Insight Technical Education
for 6th-12th grade
in Complete-A-Sketch Technical Art (Location: ELE-ARTCAS)
$19.00 (1 in stock)
Complete-A-Sketch Advanced CD-ROM
from Insight Technical Education
in Complete-A-Sketch Technical Art (Location: ELE-ARTCAS)
$19.00 (1 in stock)
Concepts of Piano Theory - Level 2
from ReSa Publications
Piano theory book for ages 10 and up
in Clearance: Art & Music (Location: ZCLE-ART)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Concepts of Piano Theory - Level 5
by Ron Sadler
from ReSa Publications
Piano theory book for ages 10 and up
in Clearance: Art & Music (Location: ZCLE-ART)
$5.60
Create Your Own Artist's Journal
from North Light Books
for 6th-Adult
in Art & Drawing Reference (Location: ELE-ARTREF)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Creative Haven Arabesque Designs - Coloring Book
by Nick Crossling
First Edition, Fir from Dover Publications
for 7th-Adult
in Adult Coloring Books (Location: COL-ADULT)
$5.94
Creative Haven Beautiful Birds - Coloring Book
Creative Haven
by Dot Barlowe
First Edition, Fir from Dover Publications
for 7th-Adult
in Adult Coloring Books (Location: COL-ADULT)
$7.99
Creative Haven Dogs - Draw and Color
by John Green
from Dover Publications
for 6th-Adult
in Adult Coloring Books (Location: COL-ADULT)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Creative Haven Fabulous Fashions of the 1950's
Creative Haven
by Ming-Ju Sun
from Dover Publications
for 5th-Adult
in Adult Coloring Books (Location: COL-ADULT)
$7.99
Cry from the Earth
by John Bierhorst
from Four Winds Press
for 6th-Adult
in Native American History (Location: HISA-19NAT)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Dancing for Fun - Book 1
by Mark Greathouse
from Great House of Music
in Dance (Location: ELE-DANCE)
$14.41
Dancing for Fun - Book 2
by Mark Greathouse
from Great House of Music
in Dance (Location: ELE-DANCE)
$19.51
Dazzling Designs - Coloring Book
by Koichi Sato
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-Adult
in Abstract & Mosaic Coloring Books (Location: COL-ABS)
$3.39
Decorative Tile Designs Coloring Book
by Marty Noble
Clr from Dover Publications
for 4th-Adult
in Abstract & Mosaic Coloring Books (Location: COL-ABS)
$3.39
Dore's Illustrations for "Paradise Lost"
by Gustave Dore
from Dover Publications
for 10th-Adult
in 17th Century Literature (Location: LIT4-17)
$15.29
Draw Horses
by Lee Hammond
from North Light Books
for 5th grade-adult
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$7.60 (1 in stock)
Draw Real People
Discover Drawing Series
by Lee Hammond
from North Light Books
for 5th-Adult
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$13.59
Draw the Titanic
by Andrew Staiano, illustrated by Jason Pederson
from Scholastic Inc.
for All ages
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Drawing Cute Birds in Colored Pencil
by Ai Akikusa
from Quarry Books
for 6th-Adult
in Advanced Drawing Instruction (Location: ELE-ARTDRAD)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Drawing Lessons
by Willy Pogany
from Dover Publications
for 9th-Adult
in Advanced Drawing Instruction (Location: ELE-ARTDRAD)
$12.71
Drawing Made Easy: Flowers & Botanicals
by Diane Cardaci
from Walter Foster
for 9th-Adult
in Art & Drawing Reference (Location: ELE-ARTREF)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
by Betty Edwards
4th edition from Penguin Putnam
for 7th-Adult
in Art & Drawing Reference (Location: ELE-ARTREF)
$19.55
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain (really old)
by Betty Edwards
2nd edition from Jeremy P. Tarcher
for 6th-Adult
in Clearance: Art & Music (Location: ZCLE-ART)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Drawing Realistic Textures in Pencil
by J. D. Hillberry
from North Light Books
for 6th-Adult
in Advanced Drawing Instruction (Location: ELE-ARTDRAD)
$21.24
Drawing the Head
by Walter Foster
from Dover Publications
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$11.01
Drawing with Pen and Ink
by Arthur L. Guptill, edited and revised by Henry C. Pitz
1968 Printing, Revised Edition from Reinhold Book Corp.
for 9th-Adult
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$19.20 (1 in stock)
Drawing, Design, and Craft-Work
by Frederick J. Glass
from Yesterday's Classics
in Art & Drawing Reference (Location: ELE-ARTREF)
$16.96
Drawing: Buildings
Learn to Draw Step by Step
by Gene Franks
from Walter Foster
for 6th-Adult
in Advanced Drawing Instruction (Location: ELE-ARTDRAD)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Engineering the City
by Matthys Levy, Richard Panchyk
from Chicago Review Press
for 8th-12th grade
in Architecture and Sculpture (Location: ELE-ARC)
$12.71
Enjoy Your Recorder
by Trapp Family
from Magnamusic Distributors
for 3rd-Adult
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$6.40 (2 in stock)
Enrichment Studies Volume 1: Lesson Plans for Grades 1-12 (old)
by Sonya Schafer
from Simply Charlotte Mason
for 1st-12th grade
$10.20 (1 in stock)
Enrichment Studies Volume 2: Lesson Plans for Grades 1-12
by Sonya Schafer
2nd edition from Simply Charlotte Mason
for 1st-12th grade
in Simply Charlotte Mason (Location: CUR-SCM)
$14.88 (1 in stock)
Essential Dictionary of Music
by Lindsey C. Harnsberger
2nd edition from Alfred Publishing
for 4th-Adult
in Music Education & Reference (Location: ELE-MUSREF)
$2.80 (1 in stock)
Exploring Papier-Mache
from Davis Publications
for 3rd-12th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Floral Borders on Layout Grids
by Stefen Bernath, designer
from Dover Publications
for 6th-Adult
in Crafts & Hobbies (Location: SS-CRA)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Floral Fairies - Coloring Book
by Carol Craig
Clr Csm from Dover Publications
for 4th-Adult
in Literary & Fantasy Coloring Books (Location: COL-LIT)
$4.24
Francis W. Edmonds
by H. Nichols B. Clark
from Smithsonian Books
for 7th-12th grade
in Clearance: Art & Music (Location: ZCLE-ART)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Frederic Chopin
by Victor Seroff
from Macmillan
for 9th-Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Getty-Dubay Italic Calligraphy
by Inga Dubay
from Getty-Dubay Productions
for 6th-Adult
in Getty-Dubay™ Italic Handwriting (Location: HAN-ITALIC)
$23.96
Gift of Music
by Jane Stuart Smith & Betty Carlson
3rd edition from Crossway Books
for 6th-12th grade
in Music History (Location: ELE-MUSHIS)
$23.99
Give Me a Hand! History Skits 1942-1945
by Rebecca Locklear
for 8th-12th grade
in Theater, Drama & Film (Location: ELE-THEAT)
$10.20
God & the History of Art - Package
by Barry Stebbing
from How Great Thou Art
for 4th-12th grade
in How Great Thou Art (Location: ELE-ARTHGTA)
$40.00 (1 in stock)
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