NESPA syndicated
article archive, page 3
Artist and Author C.
M. Day
By Renee Shumake, 6th Grade
Jefferson Middle School, Jefferson GA
Did you know there is an author that lives in Jefferson? Well, there is and
his name is Charles Mark Day (or known as C. M. Day). Mr. Day grew up in Caroll
County, near the Alabama line. In Caroll County he dreamed, " I want to be
a writer!" So, when he went to school he was writing every chance he had.
His 3rd grade teacher gave him five stars on one of his stories. His education
continued at Darlington High School in Rome, GA, Mercer University in Macon, GA,
and UGA.
All
through his school years he went to writing classes. I'm sure you've already
figured this out, but he also does pencil sketching. "When I draw I like to
use a method called crosshatching. Crosshatching is making lines cross one
another and by doing that you can add depth and shape to a drawing you have
outlined..." Now you probably want to know where he does all of his work.
He has a studio with Olympic banners everywhere, a big desk, colored pencils in
coffee mugs, a pool table, and furniture. I asked how much time he spends there
and he said, "I don't spend as much time as I would like because I'm
building a house right now, but I spend as much time as I can."
As for his book, Benjamin Knucklehead had to Move Out, he said,
"In 1994 I decided to write a book. I've wanted to write children's books
since I was a child. I wanted to write children's books because if one can
influence children then they can shape the future." His childhood inspired
him to write this great book. It took him about 4 years to write and illustrate
it!!! Of Benjamin Knucklehead, he said, "The story was based on me because
I was the 4 year old who did not want to leave the sandbox."
This story was written by by Rene Shumake, 5th Grader, 98-99
School Year, Jefferson Elementary School, Jefferson GA. Credit should be as
stated: by Rene Shumake. Illustrations by C. M. Day. Illustrations are the
property of the artist and may be reproduced by his
permission in NESPA publications only. Credit should be given to C. M. Day.
M. Dean Trippe, Future Famous Artist
M. Dean Trippe attended Jefferson Elementary for fourth and fifth grade, and is
a graduate of Jefferson High School. He currently attends Gainesville College
working towards an Associates Degree in Art, after which he will attend the
Savannah College of Art and Design to major in illustration, on a scholarship
for his SAT. He lives near Jefferson, and is the drummer for Galilee Christian
Church.
nterview by Gabrielle and Mariah Yates
,
Jefferson Elementary School, Jefferson, GA
DP: You are currently planning to go to Savannah College
of Art and Design. Why did you pick them?
Dean: I chose SCAD because of its wide variety of majors, including drawing
and painting as well as sequential art, three-dimensional design, and my major,
illustration. I was really impressed with their focus on hands-on art, whereas
many art schools today are attending to more business-oriented fields, such as
graphic and web designing majors, while diminishing more classical art forms
where you get messy.
DP: Do you plan to make drawing a life career?
Dean: Yes, very much so. By majoring in illustration, I hope I can set
myself up illustrating novels, children's books, posters, and other things that
need detailed, imaginative, hand-drawn pictures.
DP: Where do you do most of your drawings?
Dean: I do a lot of work between classes while I'm sitting around with my
friends at school. I also have a large professional art table in my room, set up
right in front of two big windows, so I get all the natural light I need.
DP: Who are some of the artists who that have influenced you the most?
Dean: Classical artists that have influenced my include Degas, Da Vinci, and
Michelangelo. Degas painted really great movement-oriented pictures, Da Vinci
was a brilliant man who had great ideas and an amazing eye for subtleties, and
Michelangelo painted the very beautiful and recently restored Sistine Chapel,
and also sculpted one of the greatest sculptures of all time, David.
The modern Artists that have influenced me are Scott
MacDaniel, Alex Ross, and Bruce Timm. MacDaniel is the current artist on the
Nightwing comic book and will soon be on Batman, Ross is the premier painter of
all comics, creating superiorly realistic images (similar to Norman Rockwell,
also very cool), and Timm is the designer for the New Batman/Superman Adventures
and Batman Beyond, his costume designs are phenomenal (his style is highly
influenced by old Max Fleischer Superman cartoons).
DP: When did you start drawing?
Dean: I started drawing in the third grade, and never gave up, but it took a
long time to realize that I would never know all there was to drawing. No matter
how good you think you get, there will always be many, many more new things you
can learn to add to your art. Often, in art classes, I had to do things (like
pastels or watercolors) that I didn't like at the time, but learned a lot of
important things from working with them, and enjoy now.
DP: How has your family been supportive of your artwork?
Dean: Well, they've been seriously supportive. My birthday and Christmas
lists look like art store inventories. They have always supported my artwork,
helped me get supplies and tools, and encouraged my decisions toward art school.
I'm pretty lucky that way.DP: As a former Jefferson Elementary School
student do you have any advice for youngsters who want to be artists?
Dean: STICK WITH IT! There are so many people who draw
when they're young and give up for some reason. Most of those kids could become
good artists, if they'd just stick with it. Plenty of people have a talent in
them for art, but if they give up, they'll lose it. Those who stick with it
become the Picassos and Renoir's.
This story was written by by Gabrielle and Mariah Yates,
99-2000 School Year, Jefferson Elementary School, Jefferson GA. Credit should be
as stated: by Gabrielle and Mariah Yates. Illustrations by M. Dean Trippe.
Illustrations are the property of the artist. By Mr. Trippe's permission, they
may be reproduced in NESPA publications along with this interview, and should be
credited to M. Dean Trippe.
The Race is On!
By Jesse Thornburg
5th Grade Carolina Day School, Asheville, NC
So far there have been only “preliminary heats,”
presidential primaries to push the smaller candidates out of the race. By now it
is evident that one of two people will win: Al Gore or George W. Bush. There are
good and bad things about both of them.
George W. Bush is the son of George Bush, a former U.S.
president, and he is the governor of Texas. One of Bush’s major issues is
education. He thinks that parents and districts should have more say in the
schools. He also promises to lower taxes. “I’d vote for Bush because I think
he would make education better in some states,” says Matthew Neimkin, a fifth
grader.
Al Gore is currently the Vice President of the United
States. He has been in the House of Representatives and the Senate. “Al Gore
is now the Vice President of the United States, and he’s pretty big on gun
control and the environment,” says Johnny Lloyd, another 5th grader.
Two other leading candidates, John McCain and Bill
Bradley, dropped out on Thursday, March 9 after abysmal results in the Super
Tuesday primary elections on March 7. Al Gore and George W. Bush might be ahead
in the race because they have the most money, and are widely recognized. It may
have helped that they started campaigning earlier than some other candidates.
Although there are still several other candidates, such as Pat Buchanan, who is
running as a Reform party candidate, Al Gore and George W. Bush are prone to get
more of the votes because the Democratic and Republican parties consist of many
more people. Although a voter can support a candidate of a party different from
its own, at least in the major election, most people vote for their party’s
nominee. As the race intensifies, there will be many derogatory debates, intense
arguments, spirited speeches, and a lot of competition. This is the country’s
major marathon, and the winner crosses the finish line on November 7.
This story was written by Jesse Thornburg, 99-2000 School
Year. Credit should be
as stated: by Jesse Thornburg, Carolina Day School, Asheville, NC.
