February 2004
I'm working on a speech I have to give at the closing session of The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators' Mid-Year Conference in New York City in early February.
My ideas for the speech have started me thinking about some of the wonderful teachers and "grown-ups" in my life that gave me encouragement to follow my dream to be an artist who creates books for children.
Some of these people are obvious choices - to me at least. First of all, my family. My mother, Flossie, and my father, Joe, were supportive in so many ways. They made sure I always had plenty of plain paper (no coloring books in my family), crayons, colored pencils, and as I got older, every kind of art supply there was.
They always had time to look at my latest drawings. My dad even took some to the barber shop where he worked and taped them to the mirror by the barber chair he used when he cut people's hair. |
|
 |
But, others in the family were encouraging, too - in little and big ways. My grandfather, Tom, let me draw some pictures on the white paper in which he wrapped our weekly meat order. (He also used to give me chicken feet, but that is another story.)
|
|
My uncle, Charles, was always giving me art "stuff," too. Once he gave me a package of pipe cleaners, so I could make circus animals for school.
My twin cousins, Franny and Fuffy, were at Pratt Institute studying to become real artists. They gave me the best advice. "Practice, practice, practice," they said, "and don't copy."
One Christmas when I was about nine or ten years old, EVERYONE in the family gave me ART SUPPLIES. It was fantastic. (I'll be writing about THAT Christmas in my chapter books. That's right - I'll soon be continuing to write more about the "SAGA of TOMIE" in the "26 Fairmount Avenue" chapter books.) |
Of course, some - not all - of my teachers in school encouraged me too. Especially Mrs. Beulah Bowers who was the Art Supervisor.
Mrs. Bowers went around to all of the public elementary schools in Meriden, Connecticut one school at a time. She stayed in each school for a week or so teaching ART to each classroom beginning in Second Grade and continuing through Sixth Grade.
I remember how excited I'd be when I'd see her car parked out in front of the school. Mrs. Bowers and I were BEST friends. You can read about that in THE ART LESSON and in my chapter book, THINGS WILL NEVER BE THE SAME. |
|
 |
I also remember that I never understood why we didn't have ART with Mrs. Bowers in Kindergarten or in First Grade.
I now have some ideas why, but maybe you have some ideas, too. If you do, write me. Who knows, I might even post the best ones on tomie.com. Write them on plain white paper using a Sharpie or another black pen. If you write your letter that way, I'll be able to scan it. Put MRS. BOWERS' ART LESSONS on the front of the envelope. Send to...
update! check the responses Tomie received here
Now, to get back to one of the BEST THINGS that happened to ARTIST TOMIE when I was younger.
The Christmas I received all of the art supplies as gifts, my mom and dad said to me, "Tomie, we've decided that you need your own place to do all of your art. So, we are giving you half of the attic where you can put up your easel and have all your pads and paints and books on how to draw. Your brother and sisters will not be allowed to snoop around your 'studio' unless you invite them."
Well!!! That was really the best thing of all. And I'm sure you can imagine all the time I spent in my attic studio. In fact, that half of the attic at 26 Fairmount Avenue was my studio until I went away to Brooklyn, New York to study to become a REAL artist at Pratt Institute in 1952 after I had graduated from high school!
I'll have to tell you all about the other teachers and "grown-ups" who also encouraged me. But, that will be at another time.
Enough for now.
I'll continue my ramblings in a few weeks. |
