Tag: Angela Lord

Review: Form Drawing and Colouring

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This wonderful review appeared on the blog adventureswithmonster on the 5th November. For more information about the blog, visit this link.

This new title is a refreshingly different take on the ‘adult colouring book’ and mindfulness theme. Form drawing is a very important part of the Steiner Waldorf Curriculum and holds a magical appeal for both children and parents alike so it’s great to see a form drawing colouring book just for us grown ups ‘for Fun, Healing and Wellbeing’, encouraging us to slow down and enjoy a focused, relaxing yet will building activity.

Inside the book you will find a wealth of ‘fourfold patterns of increasing challenge and complexity’ which you can work through at your own pace, plenty of freedom to experiment and choose from a bit of relaxing drawing to something more taxing and involving a higher level of focus and concentration.

There is a handy introduction section and ‘how to use this book ‘ guide at the beginning of the book which we found very informative, part of this is written in a ‘question and answer’ fashion which is engaging and fun, an especially nice touch for someone in need of some healing and wellbeing to have a friendly voice there on the page.

So, us grown ups had a go at some form drawing, and it really is great fun. We used some of Bundle Number One’s special Kindergarten colouring pencils which were ideal for this, but you can use any coloured pencils of your own choosing.

These forms drawings are a fantastic will building exercise, and give a great sense of  achievement as there is plenty of space to get them a little wrong and then try again and improve.  Do take note of the title though, and allow yourself the space to give this your full attention. Do not try this while there are little ones around, its distracting. In fact, if you look closely at the drawings you can actually see wobbles where said distractions occurred! Definitely keep this one for a quiet evening with a nice hot drink, and now that the nights are drawing in its an ideal activity to sit and immerse yourself in for a while

A few of the forms were a teeny bit tricky to follow due to the inside page creases but this was easily solved by my not being so precious about book spines, yes I am one of those people who like to keep books in pristine condition but this one needs and wants to be used ;-)

We would definitely recommend giving this new book a try, and it also makes a lovely gift for anyone you know who is in need of something just for them, ‘for Fun, Healing and Wellbeing’.

So go on, find a copy here , wrap it up with a pack of new coloured pencils and make somebody smile

Buy the book here…

More about Adventureswithmonster here…

Review: Form Drawing and Colouring: For Fun, Healing and Wellbeing

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Form Drawing and Colouring

This review appeared in the wonderful New View magazine, 4th Quarter Autumn 2016, and was written by Trevor Dance. This is an edited extract. To find out more about New View, visit their (new and beautiful!) website here. 

Form Drawing and Colouring: For Fun, Healing and Wellbeing will be available from the 31st October.

Form Drawing and Colouring: For Fun, Healing and Wellbeing is a form drawing book for adult beginners, developed as a result of requests by parents who have been fascinated by the work of their Steiner school attending offspring. Form drawing has been used in Steiner schools for nearly a century, to help pupils develop their motor skills – hand and eye co-ordination, spatial awareness and relationships – and in preparation for handwriting. Angela Lord is the author of two books for schoolchildren: Creative Form Drawing with Children aged 6-10 years Workbook 1  and  Creative Form Drawing with Children aged 10-12 years Workbook 2.

This book for adults uses ‘fourfold structures’ i.e. squares, diamonds and circles. The introduction takes the form of a discussion between Angela and a hypothetical reader, who is told: “ A fourfold structure is stable, regular, balanced, and easy to line up. So it’s a good place to start.”

This would seem to be true. I did some of the exercises and found myself to be at ease with the book. Form drawing is in a way akin to meditation – ten minutes a day, when purposefully executed, confers considerable benefits. For those who like the right brain/left brain (creative side/logical side) theory, it definitely engages the right brain functions. In anthroposophical parlance, the drawing and colouring especially benefit the etheric and astral bodies. In this book the author encourages the reader to, if they feel so inspired, strike out on their own and improvise, creating their own forms, thus engaging other soul aspects.

Angela Lord’s books are usually well-structured and this one is no exception. There are three parts. The easiest forms – which are accessible to all, no matter how adept (or inept!) with a pencil you may be – are at the very beginning, and the more intricate final stages are gradually worked up to. It is particularly helpful to have unfettered access to a photocopier, but a rubber will suffice to repeat the tasks for extra practice.

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This is a stimulating book and, partly through the encouragement to use colour and partly through the way the forms metamorphose from simplicity to intricacy, it feels more user-friendly to its adult audience than others in this particular realm.

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There is a pleasingly multi-cultural element to the forms. Christian symbolism is intermingled with imagery derived from Islamic art, Buddhism, Native-American sources and Hinduism. The forms and colours are original, but the sources relate to world religions covering a lengthy time span. This development of work that is entirely relevant to contemporary culture, but rooted in such rich traditions seems especially commendable.

Many of the forms are derived from the world of nature. In the words of the author: “In turn nature (especially flowers) provides inspiring ideas for colour combinations and beautiful new forms so that you can develop original imaginative drawings of your own. In this way drawing and colouring become integrative healing processes which provide focus and harmony through form, colour, beauty and balance with the potential to cultivate individual creativity.”

More about New View here…

More about the book here…

Review: Creative Form Drawing with Children workbooks 1 and 2

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This wonderful review appears in issue 45 of Juno Magazine, and we are very grateful for it. If you are able, we do recommend picking up a copy of this magazine as it is bursting with fantastic articles, including one on men and anger, self-care for mothers, becoming a forest school assistant and a guide to choosing a menstrual cup! Definitely worth reading.

Creative Form Drawing with Children aged 6-10 & Creative Form Drawing with Children aged 10-12 by Angela Lord – Reviewed by Saffia Farr

Creative form drawing was developed by Rudolf Steiner and is widely used in Steiner schools. Angela Lord believes that creative form drawing helps children develop hand-eye coordination, spatial orientation, observation skills, attention and confident movement and is a foundation skill for handwriting. These books are designed to help teachers plan creative form drawing lessons, covering “the why, what and how”. They are beautifully laid out with diagrams, guidance, and evaluation points. It is fascinating to see how simple lines and curves can develop into beautiful patterns, and in doing so can help children develop confidence in their creativity.

More about Juno here…

Buy Creative Form Drawing with Children aged 6-10 here…

Buy Creative Form Drawing with Children aged 10-12 here…

Review: Creative Form Drawing with Children Workbook 1

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This wonderful review of Creative From Drawing with Children aged 6-10: Workbook 1 was written by @thePNDmonster and published on her blog. She reviews all sorts of lovely treats, and we recommend a visit: https://adventureswithmonster.wordpress.com/. As always, a big thank you to @thePNDmonster for her review, and for letting us use it. All text and photos belong to @thePNDmonster.

Creative Form Drawing workbook 1 cover

What is Form Drawing?

For those who are unfamiliar with the concept, form drawing was introduced as an important part of the Steiner/Waldorf curriculum by Rudolf Steiner. Form drawing supports the child’s learning process by integrating several senses while keeping the lesson alive and meaningful to the child, fully addressing ‘thinking, feeling and willing’. Form Drawing is introduced in First Grade in Steiner/Waldorf schools.

Bundle Number One is about to reach his 5th birthday and so we are not actually ready for form drawing yet, rather we are reading and researching in order to bring form drawing to him at the appropriate age. 

What is included in the book?

Within this large, hardback volume, you will find a detailed introduction to form drawing along with an explanation on how to use the book and information on teaching methods. There is plenty here to ensure that even those with no prior knowledge of form drawing will feel ready to have a go.

Creative Form Drawing workbook 1 Class one

The main body of the book is split into three sections; Class one 6-7 years old, Class Two 7-8 years old, and Class Three 9-10 years old. Each section introduces and explains the appropriate forms it’s age group fully supported by  plenty of colourful illustrations.

What did we think of the book?

As I have already mentioned, we are not at the form drawing stage yet with Bundle Number One, but we found this book to be an excellent resource in our own quest to understand the concept. We will be using the book to familiarise ourselves with, and practice the forms for Class One so that we are confident in bringing them to him when he is ready (and he was very interested to have a look at the forms and see what he has to look forward to!) I would highly recommend Creative Form Drawing with aged children 6-10 years, Workbook 1 to other home educating families, especially those interested in Steiner/Waldorf education.

Creative form drawing with children workbook 1 spread

Buy the book here…

Read about the companion book here…

Read the original review here…