Campbell shows his students a drawing he made five years ago, that prompted thinking about their own drawing. He wanted to show them how like and unlike things related to one another. (Photo courtesy of Jessica Menary).
Taking pen and ink to paper, artist Norman Campbell brings Alaska’s natural world to life. A native of Oregon, Campbell is a faculty member at the Sitka Fine Arts Camp and recently completed a two week class at Keet Gooshi Heen Elementary School on the art of “invented landscapes.” His class is a part of the camp’s Artists in the Schools residencies.
Of the class, Campbell said in an e-mail that, “[The most rewarding part is] the number of students who have retained the love of drawing, even though it can be very frustrating for them to not be able to capture the drawing they envision in their mind. If you ask a class of 5th graders if they like to draw, the majority of them answer in the affirmative.”
Merging the artistic contributions of his students, 2nd through 5th graders, the class produced a drawing that measured 3 feet by 12 feet. The drawing depicts ravens, trees, and other natural motifs and was made from simple materials: pen, pencil, and colored pencil.
Beginning tonight (3-5-15), Campbell and visual artist Marcus Gruber will be leading “Conversations with Artists” in the Yaw Center from 6:30 to 8pm. These monthly talks feature artists talking about their daily process. They are free and open to the public.
