Thursday

Something Magical Is Possible

"COFFEE TABLE" BOOK FOR CHILDREN BUT NOT JUST FOR KIDS!

My one-of-a-kind book, THE ART OF THE CRAYON "Something Magical Is Possible", contains images of my 40 year journey with Crayola Crayons. The book is designed to inspire and motivate children of all ages, showing them what can be created (right out of the box) with their own art medium through self discipline and imagination! Children are the future... and it takes effort to nourish their creativity and imagination. 

  • AVAILABLE AT THE CRAYON ARTIST ONLINE GALLERY IN A SIGNED & NUMBERED LIMITED EDITION AND INCLUDES MY CRAYON ART TECHNIQUES DVD  PREVIEW & PURCHASE THE BOOK 



FIRST GRADE CRAYON ART & NEW BOOK PREVIEW

Pablo Picasso once said: "All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up." I think it’s all about the magic, it’s in my imagination and the fun of crayons inspires me to bring it out.

My new book THE ART OF THE CRAYON "Something Magical Is Possible" is dedicated to my biggest fans, the kids. It’s set to contain a large collection of favorite art pieces I have created through the years as inspiration to what crayons are capable of.

In the early years of classroom visits in schools, I developed a concept of crayon art techniques that help children discover "how things work." Learning styles specialists know that encouraging their sensory and cognitive skills through the fun of coloring will also empower them to become better readers and writers. In terms of education in an age where art continues to diminish in public schools, only for less desirable forms of entertainment to flourish in its place, the future ultimately rests in the hands of the children. I think that my artwork represents a special landmark for children, that fine art can be created with a simple box of crayons that has been elevated to a distinguished level in fine art galleries, museums and national news media events.

I cannot think of anything more constructive, wholesome and creatively satisfying to the soul than a simple box of crayons.  The secret lies in strengthening the current of creative flow by empowering a child’s creative spirit. The Art Of The Crayon serves as a solid platform which is sophisticated enough to continue building upon for independent and creative thinking.

WHY KIDS LOVE LEARNING MY CRAYON SECRETS

Upon entering the art gallery Wednesday evening for art night, I observed a young couple with two young children who were next to my artwork busy coloring with Crayola crayons. They were excited to discover that I was "The Crayon Artist" they had been waiting for to arrive. Jonah was five years old and his sister Etta was four. As they continued to color, I watched the movements of their hands and noticing how tense and stiff they were while pressing the crayon to the paper, I asked them if they wanted to know a big coloring secret, in which they responded with a huge yes.

The most important and basic step was to show them how to properly hold the crayon and to move only the fingers which would help them with dexterity, rhythm and grace to their movements. Etta didn’t want to try it in front of me but instead, began to show me what beautiful straight lines she could make. Thinking she may have been afraid to make mistakes, I left them alone for a few minutes to get more comfortable with the "new technology." Upon returning I saw how proud they were to show me their amazing results. I could see in their work better saturation, smoother applications and their obvious excitement of learning something completely new!

Discipline, patience and self control combined with the fun of coloring are important elements which can give children more confidence on their road to higher learning. Amazing results can be achieved using this natural learning concept. I have seen it over and again, a child’s confidence will soar when introducing them to the technical side of "The Art Of The Crayon."

Crayon Abstract Realism



JEFFREY ROBERT CRAYOLA ORIGINAL ART OF CHIEF JOSEPH & AMERICAN HORSE

My latest crayon original, AMERICAN HORSE, reminded me of another piece I created earlier in my career entitled, CHIEF JOSEPH, where I strived to create photo-realistic images using only a simple box of Crayola Crayons as my art medium. Although I have not moved away from realism with crayons, I've begun to explore the emotional power of the process that compels me to think farther outside the box.