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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66 Items found Print
Active Filters: Perfectbound, Used Books & Materials
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)
All About Maps
from Gingko Press
for 6th-Adult
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Alvin Ailey
by Andrea Davis Pinkney; illustrated by Brian Pinkney
from Hyperion Books for Children
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Berta and Elmer Hader: A Lifetime of Art
by Joy Hoerner Rich, Karen Tolley, John and Judy Waller
from Joyful Productions
for Adult
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
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)
Budding Builder
by Laura Laxton, Editor
from Gryphon House
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Architecture and Sculpture (Location: ELE-ARC)
$4.00 (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)
Claude Monet: Sunshine and Waterlilies by Steven Packard
Smart About Art
by True Kelley
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 1st-3rd grade
in Artists & Illustrators (Location: ELE-ARTISTS)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Color Choices
by Stephen Quiller
from Watson-Guptill Publications
for Adult
in Art & Drawing Reference (Location: ELE-ARTREF)
$8.00 (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)
Creating Art - MP
by Lori Schloemer
from Memoria Press
for 3rd-4th grade
in Art & Drawing Reference (Location: ELE-ARTREF)
$20.19 $11.20 (1 in stock)
Creative Lettering and Beyond
by Gabri Joy Kirkendall, Laura Lavender, Julie Manwaring, & Shauna Lynn Panczyszyn
from Walter Foster
in Calligraphy (Location: HAN-CALLIG)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Diego Rivera
Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists
by Mike Venezia
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Artists & Illustrators (Location: ELE-ARTISTS)
$2.80 (1 in stock)
Dinosaurs! A Drawing Book
by Michael Emberley
from Little, Brown & Company
for 3rd-6th grade
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
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)
Draw Vintage Images Level 2
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 3rd-6th grade
in The Good and the Beautiful (Location: CUR-GAB)
$5.10 (2 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 Horses (that look real!)
by Don Mayne
from Williamson Publishing Company
for 3rd-6th grade
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
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)
Emma
by Wendy Kesselman, illustrated by Barbara Cooney
from Picture Yearling
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (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)
Etcher's Studio
by Arthur Geisert
from Houghton Mifflin
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Famous Children: Picasso
by Tony Hart, illustrated by Susan Hellard
from Barron's
for 1st-3rd grade
in Artists & Illustrators (Location: ELE-ARTISTS)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Folk Arts and Crafts of New England
by Priscilla Sawyer Lord & Daniel J. Foley
Updated from Chilton Book Company
for Adult
in History for Adults (Location: ADU-HIS)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Frank Lloyd Wright for Kids
by Kathleen Thorne-Thomsen
2nd edition from Chicago Review Press
for 4th-7th grade
in Architecture and Sculpture (Location: ELE-ARC)
$7.20 (1 in stock)
Gothic and Old English Alphabets
by Dan X. Solo, selected and arranged
from Dover Publications
for Adult
in Crafts & Hobbies (Location: SS-CRA)
$7.20 (1 in stock)
How to Draw Cartoon Cats, Kittens, Lions & Tigers
by Christopher Hart
from Watson-Guptill Publications
for 3rd-12th grade
in Cartooning (Location: ELE-ARTCART)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
In August Company
from Morgan Library
for 9th-Adult
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Learn to Draw Disney's Enchanted Princesses
from Walter Foster
for 2nd-6th grade
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$1.60 (1 in stock)
Learn to Draw Dogs & Puppies
by Robbin Cuddy
from Walter Foster
for 3rd-6th grade
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Learn to Draw: Cars & Trucks
by Jeff Shelly
from Walter Foster
for 1st-6th grade
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Learn to Draw: Celebrated Characters Collection
from Walter Foster
for 3rd-8th grade
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Learn to Draw: Pets
by Robbin Cuddy
from Quarto Knows
for 3rd-6th grade
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Leonardo da Vinci
by Emily Hahn
from Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd.
for 5th-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Let's Get Creative with Markers
by Angelea Van Dam
from Design Originals
for 3rd-12th grade
in Art & Drawing Reference (Location: ELE-ARTREF)
$5.20 (1 in stock)
Lighthouses of North America!
by Lisa Trumbauer, illustrated by Michael Kline
from Williamson Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$5.20 (2 in stock)
Linocut
by Sam Marshall
from Herbert Press
for 10th-Adult
in Art & Drawing Reference (Location: ELE-ARTREF)
$10.40 (1 in stock)
Looking at Painting: Families
by Peggy Roalf
from Hyperion/Madison Press
for 3rd-7th grade
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Make Mine Music!
by Tom Walther
from Little, Brown & Company
for 3rd-8th grade
in Music Education & Reference (Location: ELE-MUSREF)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Mary Cassatt
Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists
by Mike Venezia
from Children's Press
Picture Book Biography for 4th-6th grade
in Artists & Illustrators (Location: ELE-ARTISTS)
$2.80 (1 in stock)
Mary Cassatt
by Frank Getlein
from Abbeville Press
for Adult
in Artists & Illustrators (Location: ELE-ARTISTS)
$5.20 (1 in stock)
Memoria Press Music Appreciation I - Book One
by Patrick Fata
1st edition from Memoria Press
for 3rd-12th grade
in Music Education & Reference (Location: ELE-MUSREF)
$8.40 (1 in stock)
Monet to Moore
from Yale University Press
for Adult
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$9.60 (1 in stock)
More Than Meets the Eye
by Bob Raczka
from Millbrook Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Nature Drawing
by Clare Walker Leslie
Revised from Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company
for Adult
in Nature Study & Journaling (Location: NAT-GEN)
$20.00 (1 in stock)
Oil Pastel for the Serious Beginner
by John Elliot
from Watson-Guptill Publications
for Adult
in Painting Instruction (Location: ELE-ARTPAI)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
One-Hour Watercolorist
by Patrick Seslar
from North Light Books
for Adult
in Painting Instruction (Location: ELE-ARTPAI)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Painting Vibrant Children's Portraits
by Roberta Carter Clark
from North Light Books
for Adult
in Painting Instruction (Location: ELE-ARTPAI)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Pencil, Pater, Draw! Dinosaurs
from Sterling Publishing Co.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$2.80 (1 in stock)
Persian Designs and Motifs for Artists and Craftsmen
Dover Pictorial Archive Series
by Ali Dowlatshahi
from Dover Publications
for 10th-Adult
in Art & Drawing Reference (Location: ELE-ARTREF)
$6.40 (2 in stock)
Pierre-Auguste Renoir
by Ernest Raboff
from HarperTrophy
for 3rd-6th grade
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Pocket Manual of Musical Terms
Shirmer Pronouncing
by Theodore Baker, Nicolas Slominsky, and Laura Kuhn, editors
5th edition from Schirmer
for 4th-Adult
in Music Education & Reference (Location: ELE-MUSREF)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Problem Solving for Oil Painters
from Watson-Guptill Publications
for Adult
in Painting Instruction (Location: ELE-ARTPAI)
$5.60 (1 in stock)
Puffin Book of Lettering
by Tom Gourdie
for 6th-Adult
in Calligraphy (Location: HAN-CALLIG)
$14.00 (1 in stock)
Ralph Masiello's Ocean Drawing Book
by Ralph Masiello
from Charlesbridge
for 2nd-5th grade
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Rent Collection Courtyard
by Chinese Communist Party
from Foreign Languages Press, Peking
for 9th-Adult
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Roy Lichtenstein
Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists
by Mike Venezia
from Children's Press
Picture Book Biography for 3rd-5th grade
in Artists & Illustrators (Location: ELE-ARTISTS)
$2.80 (1 in stock)
Short Lessons in Art History
by Phyllis Clausen Barker
Revised and Updated from Walch Publishing
for 5th-8th grade
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$17.60 (1 in stock)
Understanding Modern Art
by Monica Bohm-Duchen and Janet Cook, illustrated by David Gillingwater
from Usborne
for 4th-8th grade
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Usborne Book of Art Skills
by Fiona Watt
from Usborne
for 3rd-8th grade
in Art & Drawing Reference (Location: ELE-ARTREF)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Usborne Little Children's Space Activity Book
by Rebecca Gilpin
from Usborne
for 1st-4th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Watercolor Basics: Color
by Jan Kunz
from North Light Books
for Adult
in Painting Instruction (Location: ELE-ARTPAI)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Wet-Into-Wet Watercolor
by Gail Speckmann
from Watson-Guptill Publications
for Adult
in Painting Instruction (Location: ELE-ARTPAI)
$8.00 (2 in stock)
What is a Wall, After All?
Read and Wonder
by Judy Allen, illustrated by Alan Baron
from Candlewick Press
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Wind at Work
by Gretchen Woelfle
from Chicago Review Press
for 3rd-7th grade
in Energy, Forces & Motion (Location: SCI-PHY)
$6.80 (1 in stock)
Work of Art
by Joan Chambers, Molly Hood and Michael Peake
from Belair Publications
for 3rd-6th grade
in Art History & Appreciation (Location: ELE-ARTHIS)
$4.00 (1 in stock)