Homer

Winslow Homer 1836-1910

We played the "Memory Game." I placed the following items on a covered tray. I then uncovered the items and walked around the room quickly. I then had the children recall the items on the tray. I talked about what each item hat to do with Winslow Homer.

AMERICAN FLAG. Homer was born in Boston Massachusetts on February 24, 1836. How many years ago was that? He became a great American artist.

DOLL HOUSE OR HOME. This stands for Home-er. Winslow Homer's best friends were his two brothers - Charles and Arthur. He had no sisters. When Winslow was a young boy, even at age six, his mother would find him out in the middle of nature instead of off playing. He loved the outdoors and the country. He loved to be "home." Even upon his death, his closest friends were his family. Although he lived several places during his life, he retired back in Massachusetts, where he was born.

- (can show PICTURE of family behind pink)

-His borthers went into business like his father. He wanted to be an artist.

PAINTBRUSH. Winslow Homer didn't have any formal art lessons. He taught himself to paint.  His mother was an artist. In those days women would paint to "catch" a husband. After they were married they would put the paintbrush away, but Winslow's mom continued to paint. Perhaps this is where his love for painting came from. His mom porbably helped teach Winslow how to paint. She loved to use watercolors. Some of Winslow's best works are watercolors that he did by the sea.

- can show PICTURE of flower/sea

-He felt he shouldn't look at other artists work.

CAMERA. Winslow Homer painted exactly what he sees, like a picture from a camera. do you remember what style of painting this is called? REALIST. (Look at some of Homer's paintings) After the war, Homer painted SNAP THE WHIP 1872, 36 yrs. Look at the painting. Each boy forms the whip by holding on to the hand of his neighbor. Even though the boys are connected, Homer painted them looking outward as if they were individuals. This painting is about 12X20 and is done with oils. What season do you think it it? What might you feel or smell (sunshine, fresh air)?

FISHING ITEM. Homer loved to fish. He also loved to paint the sea. Homer's father was a hardward merchant that did trade work with sailors. He grew up close to the sea and as he got older, he moved to Maine where he painted many sea pictures. He is often called the "Great Painter of the Sea."

-show pic Green Sea

PENCIL. Winslow Homer loved to sketch with pencils. Homer would draw pictues of everything and everyone when he was young - his borhters, trees, dogs, cows.

NEWSPAPER/SHEET MUSIC. When Winslow was 18, his father was reading the paper and read out loud "boy wanted, apply to Bufford...must have a taste for drawing. No other wanted." Winslow answered the ad and began drawing sheet music covers. This was not a paying job. The reward was in learing from Mr. Bufford. After two years Winslow left. In 1857, he moved to New York to work for Harper's Weekly, a famous newspaper back then. One of the most exciting assignments he got was to sketch the inauguration of President Lincoln. Winslow also was sent to sketch the activities of the civil war. The sketches were published in magazines and newspapers for all of America to see. Although Winslow was busy doing illustrations, he had painted two oil paintings that he hoped to sell. He told his borther Charlie that if the paintings sold, he would continue to paint. If not, he would continue to work for Harper's Weekly just doing illustrations. Charlie bought the paintings without Winslow knowing because he knew how much Winslow wanted to paint. Winslow later visited Charlie's house and saw one of the paintings so Charlie had to tell Winslow the truth of who bougth the paintings.

SNAKE. After suffering from "painters block," Winslow moved to his brother Charlie's sutdio in Maine. Winslow moved in for the summer, but was constantly interrupted by curious fans. He would then put up signs on the door. One sign read, "SNAKES AND MICE." This kept the ladies from bothering him. Homer was a very private person and did not like to be interviewed by news people. There is not much written of Homer left for his posterity.

GLASSES. The year he died, 1910, Homer became blind. Homer had never married. His family was going to move him to his brother Arthur's cottage, but Homer refused. he said from his darkness, "I will stay in my own house." He lived to be 73 years old.

I then passed out the word search game and gave the children goldfish in sandwich bags tied to a pencil with an American flag on it.