3rd Grade Student Art

This past week I visited the Blue Riboon Award-Winning Pontiac Elementary School in Elgin, SC, and presented cartooning programs during their arts day celebration. Students were very excited to draw Hamster Sam, Miles the inchworm and Eli the cotton boll from the book. Then they applied what they learned to create their own characters. I am frequently presented with artwork from students who wish for me to have their creations, and this visit was no exception. Seen here is what I consider to be remarkable artwork from a young 3rd grade student. Yes, 3rd Grade! "Justin" drew his own version of Hamster Sam in a (Charlotte NBA) Bobcats uniform along with "Eli" and "Miles"; and then added his own characters. I am amazed by the control he seemed to have with his pencil, and the steadiness of the lines- especially in the oval & circle shaped eyes. Of course, I am always happy to see all of the student works- no matter what skill level they exhibit. They have grins a mile wide when proudly showing me their art; which makese me smile too! But I had to share this young boy's artwork; for someday he may employ me for his comic!

Teacher Workshops

I recently led a series of workshops in cooperation with the education team at the Gaston County Museum of Art & History in Dallas, NC. "Bringing Cartooning and Puppetry to the Classroom" was a workshop series made possible through state and local arts grants, and was attended by about 20 Gaston County educators. Participants were teachers in grades K-12, and a majority were art teachers. Quite a broad spectrum of grade levels; but we managed to explore activities and create lesson plans that focused on how to integrate the art of cartooning/comic books and puppetry into the classroom. I presented cartooning techniques, and we explored the process of creating comics, and then how to incorporate the use of primary sources into the comic, in a similar way that my Hamster Sam book combines comics and historical images. Teachers worked in groups and independently throughout the workshops to create their own comic activity, and I was blown away (as I always am) by the level of creativity that teachers possess. And the cool thing is, teachers have wonderful ways of transferring their ideas into lessons that involve the students. Program director Jeff Pruett and Educator Arlena Meek from the museum shared ideas and resources for gathering primary sources, and led the group on a tour of 2 different museum exhibits to demonstrate the potential that historic documents, photographs, and artifacts have as primary sources. From all indications, (I 've not read the feedback forms yet) the group was excited about the content of the workshops, and their seemed to be a heightened level of enthusiasm as the program came to an end. I always benefit from these workshop settings as well; the sharing of ideas and excitement for learning always makes for a creative boost of energy that I really enjoy. Museum director Elizabeth Dampier along with Arlena and Jeff are to be commended; they constantly look for innovative approaches to education, and like Hamster Sam, they "Think outside the Cage!". Visit them at: http://www.gastoncountymuseum.org/ And a final word of appreciation to all of the teachers out there; thank you for what you do!!!!!