This blog started with small daily paintings then changed to a more personal sharing of projects, events and photos. Enjoy!

Thursday, February 25, 2010

The Art Teacher Cartoon

Click picture to read the small print.


When I was an artist in residence for elementary schools, I would travel not only from school to school, but also from classroom to classroom. One of my fellow art teachers called it schlepping from class to class. Our lessons were 45min long, so we had to have everything totally prepared to set up, explain the lesson, pass things out, help with the lesson, clean, pack and off to the next class with only minutes to spare. Dealing with paints, glue, printing supplies, pallets, brushes, containers and more made this a very challenging task! Many times we would be going into an entirely different grade level from the last, so there would be a whole different set of supplies for a completely different lesson! We could do up to six classes a day! That's really pushing it. Wow, hats off to all the art teachers out there still doing this!!

The artists in residence would get together for meetings to share stories, lessons and sometimes gifts. This was one of the gifts I made. One of my schools gave me a roll of this heavy brown paper they wanted to get rid of--(that's another thing, I had a garage just full of supplies I'd collected over the years--too much!)

I made the folders, then tried creating a cartoon. This is what I came up with. You might have to click on the picture to read all the little things the characters are saying. In the end, the art teacher, while soaking in the tub, is reading a thank you card from one of her classes. Aww! I think that's the only part that didn't come out too clear.

I've been in very many classrooms with very many teachers and I'd have to say that most of the teachers, (maybe 90%), conduct their classes beautifully. They are caring, thoughtful and always have the child's welfare in mind.
So...I apologize for depicting the teacher as lazy and not very caring, hence the name, Mrs. Hohumm. She's drinking her coffee while on the computer (hey! that's me!) I put Mrs. Hohumm in for comic effect because all the art teachers have experienced that teacher who's in the 10%, not a fun class to try to teach. If the teacher doesn't have a handle on the class there's not much hope for a visiting art teacher!

At the time of this creation, I was burnt out and at the end of my teaching career, but I DO still love children's art work!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

susan,
loved your post, very interesting. gave me new perspective into the importance of art to children, to the child in all of us.
hence the importance of art teachers. way more fun to be the child, rather than the teacher, but somebodies got to do it, and you did it so well. thanks for making the world a better place. now go play.
denzel

Dean Grey said...

Susan!

I always wanted to be a comic book illustrator so you know I LOVE this!

This cartoon/comic book page is awesome!

I didn't know you could draw in a comic book style too!! Do more please!

I'm so jealous!

Both my mom and my aunt are teachers. They rule!

-Dean

Susan Beauchemin said...

Welcome Denzel! Thanks for the wonderful comment--wink wink--nudge nudge

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Oh thanks Dean! You know more about drawing in the comic book style than I do--I was just trying it out, and I found it was tougher than I thought it would be, but fun to do.

No reason to be jealous--you are doing an awesome job with that superhero who throws out that atomic beam from his eyes--(I can't remember his name and I might be wrong about what actually comes out of his eyes)

teachers DO rule!

Dean Grey said...

Optic blasts! LOL

Silly you!

-Dean

martha miller said...

love it, love mine!

Susan Beauchemin said...

Oh yes of course, optic blasts--silly me!

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I had forgotten that I sent you a folder---what do you keep in it?