This is from various sources I’ve read on the internet and in books. The timeline is mostly from the wiki page found here.

Katsushika Hokusai
born: September 23, 1760; Edo, Japan (now Toykyo)
died: May 10, 1849 (at 89 years old)

Hokusai was best know for his wood block printing, specifically his book Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji and the work called Under the Wave Off Kanagawa he created in the 1820′s. He began printing around the age of six, and he changed his name at least 30 times over the course of his lifetime. Near the end of his life he called himself, “The Old Man Mad About Art.”

He became an apprentice wood carver at the age of 14 years old, and he was 18 when he was accepted into Katsukawa Shunsho’s art studio. There he learned to master Ukiyo-e. (Ukiyo-e means “pictures of the floating world” and are wood block printings that feature landscapes, history, and theater.)

He married twice. His first wife died young. He remarried and his second wife died a short time after that. He had two sons and three daughters between his two wives. His youngest daughter later became an artist.

His artistic style was influences by French and Dutch copper engravings. He was expelled from Shunsho’s school after Shunsho’s death, and he then changed his main subjects from Kabuki actors to landscapes and daily life from a variety of social classes. He then began producing surimono (privately commissioned block prints made for special occasions) and was associated with the Tawaraya School. He later gave up his ties to a school and set out as an independent artist.

Hokusai taught about fifty students over his lifetime. He became more famous through his artwork and his ability to advertise or promote himself. He produced illustrations for books and made art manuals. The manuals helped to bring in income and attract students for him to teach. He also produced twelve volumes of “manga” (drawings that have influenced modern comics now called manga).

He produced over 300,000 works of art, and he was at the height of his career at sixty. His famous book (mentioned above) was produced around this time. His studio was destroyed by a fire and much of his artwork was lost to it in 1839.

He seemed a humble man and didn’t consider himself to be a real painter. He died at the age of 89 years old.

Quotes

• “From around the age of six, I had the habit of sketching from life. I became an artist, and from fifty on began producing works that won some reputation, but nothing I did before the age of seventy was worthy of attention. At seventy-three, I began to grasp the structures of birds and beasts, insects and fish, and of the way plants grow. If I go on trying, I will surely understand them still better by the time I am eighty-six, so that by ninety I will have penetrated to their essential nature. At one hundred, I may well have a positively divine understanding of them, while at one hundred and thirty, forty, or more I will have reached the stage where every dot and every stroke I paint will be alive. May Heaven, that grants long life, give me the chance to prove that this is no lie.”
• “If only Heaven will give me just another ten years…Just another five more years, then I could become a real painter.”

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As I searched for videos for my art class, I found these that may spark an interest in learning more. They are also safe to watch with no “recommended videos” to worry about. :D

A video of some of Hokusai’s artwork set to music:

Watch a Japanese Wood Block Printers at work:

Watch a more modern form of wood block printing:

Make an easier version of relief printing with tools you may have in your own home:

Interested in making your own stamps? Here’s a couple videos to help:

Make a traditional rubber-like stamp:

Make simple stamps out of craft foam:

Comments welcome.

I find Dr. King’s powerful, peaceful message worth sharing today as our country celebrates the holiday in honor of him. Please take a moment and remember him. Then I encourage you to take a moment and ask yourself, “What is my dream today? What difference can I make in my circle of influence? What injustice, problems, or challenges do I see that I can help solve, even in small ways?” Then make a goal, write it down in detail, pray for inspiration, and then follow the inspiration you receive and do it!

My kids and I enjoyed watching this brief informational video from BrainPop about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. Then we watched Dr. King’s speech starting at about 12 minutes 15 seconds in (for the attention span of my younger kids, the older ones could handle the whole thing just fine).

I’m teaching an Art class this year for my Art class for my daughter’s Excelsior Scholar group. It’s not something I’m necessarily talented at, but I have enjoyed learning about different artists and their styles of art. Practicing it has also been enjoyable.

In November, we learned about Roy Lichtenstein as well as the type of drawing and painting he did. Something that has interested my daughter as well as some of the other girls is drawing comic strips. Even though Mr. Lichtenstein didn’t write his own comic strips, he did, however, turn a few frames of a comic strip into gigantic paintings using Ben-day dots such as this one found here. I’ve taken that and gave the girls an idea of coming up with their own comic strips. Several girls shared their own comics last time and seemed to really like it.

Many websites on the internet in reference to drawing aren’t necessarily wholly appropriate for sharing with the youth, so I’ve found these links that I believe to be safe to view and use for learning material.
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For those who are interested in learning more basic drawing techniques, here are some links that may be helpful. If you find an appropriate link to share or a book that has been helpful to you, please comment at the bottom of this post.

Learn Basic Drawing Techniques

• Basic Drawing
• Comics and Cartooning Links
• Drawing and Painting Lessons Links
• Free Art Lessons

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If you would like to learn more about how to draw a comic strip or to improve your skills in this area, the following information, videos, and link may get you started:

Tips for creating a comic strip or book*

• Story Idea – What story would you like to tell? Who are your characters
• Design your characters – What will your characters look like?
• Write your story – Write out your script. Who will say what? When? Where?
• First Draft/Rough Sketch – With pencil, roughly sketch out what you would like the comic to look like. Make it large enough to add some details.
• Penciling – Make a cleaner, penciled drawing of what you want the final to look like. Keep the pencil marks light or they will be difficult to erase.
• Inking – Draw over your penciled lines with ink, usually in black. Erase pencil marks and color as desired.

If you would like to share your comic, you can scan it into your computer or use a copier.
* These steps are summarized by me, but I learned them from Bruce Blitz.

Learn more about how to make comic strips:

Make a Flip book:

Make your own comic book:

More videos from Bruce Blitz found here.

I love gingerbread cookies. End of story…

…okay, not really. This year I wanted to do begin a few new Christmas traditions with my children as well as make a treat I could eat. That usually leads to changing a recipe I already had into a new one. So, several weeks before Christmas, I got down my gingerbread recipe and altered it, and the kids and I got to work cutting out and baking cookies.

These gingerbread cookies have sucanat and honey as the sweetener. I replaced honey for some of the molasses because the sucanat already has the molasses in it. They were super yummy without frosting, and I’m embarrassed to say how many of the little guys I ate myself through the following week or so…

You can use this recipe to cut into any shape you desire. I haven’t tried it as a gingerbread house recipe, but I bet it would work well for it. One batch makes several dozen small to medium gingerbread cookies.

Gingerbread Cookies

• 1 cup Sucanat
• 3/4 cup Molasses
• 1/4 cup Honey
• 3/4 cup Butter
• 1/2 cup Hot Water
• 2 large Eggs
• 6 cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Ginger

In a large bowl, cream together sucanat, molasses, and butter. Add in hot water until smooth. Stir in eggs. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Stir into batter to make a soft dough. Add more flour if really sticky still and sticking to the side of the bowl. Add just enough that it doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl. (I double the recipe and use my bosch mixer.) Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or until firm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness on parchment paper or waxed paper (a floured surface will also do). Cut into desired shapes. Place onto ungreased baking sheets (I use parchement paper), and bake for 10 minutes or until cookies appear dry in the center. Decorate as desired after cookies have cooled.

It’s my birthday today, and I’m so grateful for the life I have been blessed with. I have a loving Father in Heaven, my Savior Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. They guide me in my life and keep me on the right track so I can live my life’s mission and then return to live with them again. I’m so grateful for my dear husband, David, who completes me and is an amazing and loving companion, friend, and love. I am thankful for my five beautiful children who teach me so much about patience and love. I am grateful for my dear friends and family who love and support me. I am truly blessed to have such wonderful people in my life! Thank you to all of you! You make my life wonderful and worth living!