God's Special Surprise from See the Light: Review

One of our favorite traveling ministries to visit our church for several years was Parables in Pastels. The artist was a personal friend of my husband's from childhood and we thoroughly enjoyed his presentations. Through chalk art and black lighting we were blessed with encouragement and always a presentation of the gospel. Rose was especially riveted the last time we saw his presentation. The beauty of art combined with the truth of the Word of God captured her heart. She already loves all things artistic and has expressed how she wants to honor God with her artwork and crafts

When I found out I was going to get to participate in this review I knew Rose (7) would be thrilled. We were privileged to use God's Special Surprise from See the Light. This Each DVD in the Bible Stories Series costs $14.99 or you can purchase the entire 5 DVD set for $74.95 and contain three projects aligned to the same Bible story. The high-quality video engaged even my girls who weren't participating in the art! This particular DVD in the series is designed for students six and up.

Before completing the art projects Rose, Beth, and Grace watched the beautifully illustrated story of Moses. They loved this and have asked to watch it again several times! You would think in our high-tech, flashy world that a picture only story-telling venue might not hold a child's attention. I don't know about anyone else, but I really think this refreshing style was why it captured their attention. It was sort of like having a book read to you with such beautiful illustrations you didn't want to turn the page.

Project #1: Surprise!

(A lesson in creative lettering)

The first lesson we worked on was creative lettering. The letters were intended to look like letters chiseled into rock. Beth (5 years old) joined us for this one! The DVD instructor clearly explained in kid-friendly language how to create this unique ancient looking lettering. After writing the letter the girls traced them with extreme colored pencils to create a really cool effect under the black light. The girls also each chose a word to write with their newly practiced chiseled lettering. Rose chose FAITH and Beth chose LEAH (we've been enjoying another DVD with a character named Leah!)

Project #2: Hope for a Nation

(A lesson in chalk pastels)

This lesson was the hardest of the three for Rose, but even at that she did great! The biggest problem Rose has right now is with size perception. This is something I could work on her well with the DVD. The instructor would explain and draw. She typically wanted to start drawing before the explanation was over and would sometimes have extreme proportion issues. I was pleased to see that when I talked to her about it and walked her through looking at the example compared to her own she was very calm. In the past she would become frustrated from her art not being exactly like the original. This problem with perfectionism was one reason we started homeschooling in the first place. It still rears its ugly head sometimes, but this was a great test of her patience and giving herself grace in the face of mistakes. 

This is the picture with and without the black-light. I again think that this looks much better in person, but I couldn't find a setting to capture the enhanced picture to my satisfaction. Grace liked this artwork a lot and did her own version on the chalkboard opposite Rose! 

Project #3: Moses in the Nile

(A lesson in water colors)

This lesson was by far our favorite! Both the simplicity and beautiful end artwork made it very fun.   The beautiful blending techniques with the watercolors were amazing to watch come together. A large part of this piece included using permanent marker. I was pleased at the effort Rose made with this portion. I was wondering if she would get bored, but she did  great job. I also learned the right way to use water color paint and how to keep the colors from mixing or becoming too watery. 

These pictures turned out to be the most stunning although the black-light version is still not nearly as beautiful as in person. 

There are many aspects to this series I loved. I appreciated the historical references and information included in each lesson. The artists also thoroughly explained each step, suggesting to pause the DVD at different points and explaining not only how to complete the steps, but why it needed to be done that way. Am I the only one with a seven-year-old who wants to know the reason behind everything before she does it? It was nice to have everything so clearly explained. 

I especially loved the tie-ins with Scripture. Art is beautiful and enjoyable. Art for the purpose of glorifying God takes it to an entirely different level. 

This DVD gets a fabulous review from Rose who completed all of the projects. She asked me just this morning, "Would it be okay to go back and make those same pictures again sometime?" I also know it is spectacular because as my other girls watched Rose complete her projects they were inspired to create their own work. 

Art that inspires more art...what better compliment is there?

Want to see more? Check out other reviews from my Crewmates by clicking below!