Tuesday, April 29, 2014

The Crossmaker - See The Light :: Homeschool Review and Giveaway!


The boys and I were absolutely delighted to be given the opportunity to review The Crossmaker by See The Light. They provided us with the DVD in exchange for an honest review. That is exactly what you will find here. My honest opinion. 100% true and 100% my own!

I really wasn't sure what to expect from the DVD except that it was The Easter Story and art lessons. But, in the homeschooling world, if something is good, word gets around. I'd heard several people talking about how good these art lessons by See The Light are. We were given the option to chose whichever lesson we wanted to try out. Since it is very close to Easter, we decided to would go with The Crossmaker. I'm very glad we did! 
I rounded the boys (and the dogs) up and we all settled in to watch.

 *The DVD in it's entirety is 150 minutes. The Crossmaker is 16 minutes long and the lessons are approximately 25-35 minutes each. *
Bailey is 12 and Dalton is 8.
The Crossmaker is the story of "Dominic, the son of a carpenter, (who) finds himself drawn into the unforgettable trial of the man called Jesus." 
I wasn't certain how well the film would hold my boys attention because it is told with the drawings of See The Light chalk artist, Gloria Kholmann. 
There is no animation. However, none is needed.
My boys never moved a muscle, never even flinched. OK, well maybe they flinched, but they didn't move from the couch the entire time The Crossmaker was playing. It was gripping, stunning, breathtaking. There just aren't words to describe it. I literally had tears running down my checks. It was perfect. But nothing that wasn't OK for even my 8 year old to view.

After The Crossmaker was finished, we immediately jumped to He is Not Here! He is Risen! This are lesson finishes up the Easter story with the resurrection. See the Light Master Art Teacher, Pat Knepley, gives a step-by-step drawing lesson using chalk pastels.

Dalton decided he wanted to give this lesson a try. Yet, he is not a fan of getting chalk on his hands. So he decided he would do the drawing with pencils and crayons. 
This lesson would have probably been better suited for Bailey, but Dalton was determined to give it a go. I think he did a fantastic job. Don't you? 
(He didn't want to use purple on the hills and insisted on using green!)
After Dalton finished up, Bailey decided he would give Jim Pence's mixed media, Three Crosses on a Hill, a shot. Probably because it was quick and easy. Pre-teens!

We didn't have water-colors on hand, so he decided he would use his oil pastels. 
I think he did a fantastic job! 
Heidi Short also has a lesson on the DVD called Glory that teaches the art of creative lettering. 

I honestly can't give this DVD enough praise or a positive enough review. I will certainly be purchasing the other Bible stories as we get the money. Bailey, Dalton, and I absolutely loved this!
If you would like to purchase The Crossmaker or any other See The Light art lesson, stop by their web page and be sure "Like" their Facebook page also.

Would you like to WIN a copy of The Crossmaker?

To ENTER the giveaway
Stop by and "Like" my brand new Bull Rock Barn and Home Facebook Page. Then, come back here and leave a comment.

One entry per person, please.

Good luck! I'll announce the winner on Wednesday night.
Many thanks to See The Light for the opportunity!

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED! 

***Congratulations, BECKY COLLIE! You are the WINNER!***

(Facebook is in no way affiliated with this giveaway)