|
|
Elizabeth Willett
From about the age of 4 I knew I loved art. I loved to draw on magazine pictures and create clothes for my dolls. I loved to make cards for paper and I loved colors, especially "psychedelic".
My father is an artist. He loves to paint in oils and loved to see his tools. As a child I remember him taking art lessons from local celebrity artists and coming home with beautiful landscapes and portraits. At one point we had many of his works framed and I remember getting to help choose the frames.
I a ... read morelways loved art materials and collected as many as I could. When I was about 6 a local TV show was hosted by artist Dirk West who told viewers to go to the local book store and purchase art supplies. He also added to tell them, "Dirk West sent me!" One Saturday afternoon my father took me to buy supplies which included beautiful pastel sticks and a box of 64 crayons. As we were paying I got up the nerve to tell the clerk, "Dirk West sent me!". He looked rather unimpressed but I was satisfied I had done my duty.
Later, my work was displayed in the downtown window of Hemphill-Wells department store. We went to see it several times and I recall seeing the hot pink flowers on blue velour paper, thinking it was the most wonderful thing in the world.
In the fourth grade my work was selected again to represent my class at the new mall art show. It was flowers, created with glue, and painted with tempera paint.
After that I didn't take art again until I was a senior in High School. I had decided somewhere along the way I wanted to teach elementary art but had no more formal training after the 4th grade.
I attended TCU in Fort Worth, Texas where I took 65 hours of art. I loved the process but was always intimidated by the other students and my lack talent. I could visualize what I wanted to do, but making my hand do it was altogether another story.
Upon graduation I taught for a short time in Dallas ISD. I was the classes 5th teacher that year and was quiet certain the others had been run off screaming as a result of this mix of 2nd graders. The only thing I found that seems to calm this group was to let them watch me draw.
In the fall I moved to Fort Worth and began teaching at Oakhurst Elementary School. I taught all subjects except Science, P.E. and Music and I taught Art to 6 classes.
I began working on my Masters Degree in Arts Administration at Bank Street College of Education and Parsons School of Design the summer after my 2nd year of teaching. It changed my life. Through that work I gained confidence not only in my educational knowledge but also in my artistic ability. I discovered I could draw!
I participated in numerous staff development sessions and got actively involved with the Texas Art Education Association and the National Art Education Association. I found that learning to use a computer made me a valuable resource in the late 80's a young energetic volunteer was always welcome.
As my Masters project I self published an Art Magazine for children called the Arts. It was an all consuming process which began with the purchase of my first computer and laser printer. I can remember driving home after picking it up thinking the value of my cargo was almost 5 times as much as all my possessions combined.
Teaching at Oakhurst brought me great joy and rewards. I was named Outstanding Young Educator from my district, Elementary Art Educator of the Year from the Texas Art Education Association (TAEA), Elementary Art Educator of the Western Region from the Nation Art Education Association (NAEA), as well as Elementary Division Director for TAEA, and an Annenburg / Getty Grant, NAEA Elementary Division Director, TAEA Editor, TAEA President, TAEA Art Educator of the Year, National Elementary Educator of the Year, Western Region Educator of the Year, and TAEA Fellow.
I taught Elementary Art at TCU, hosted 35 student teachers, and presented over 100 workshop sessions. After teaching at Oakhurst for 13 years I moved to Alice Carlson Applied Learning Center. It was a magical space with an huge budget and needed someone to create a program for its students.
For several years I had been working with Binney and Smith (Crayola) writing lessons for their national Dream-Makers Program. I was approached in the spring of 2000 to become a member of a new marketing team at Crayola. My dream as a child had been to work for Crayola so I jumped at the opportunity. I worked as a Business Development Manager for 8 years and headed the Consultant Program, Designed and wrote Curriculum and covered TX, NM, OK, and AZ.
After leaving Crayola in 2009 I started a small company, Lizzart. Lizzart is the parent company for Moxie Designs, Lizzart Consulting, and Arts for Life. Through Arts for Life we offer integrated art instruction for student from 6 weeks old to senior adults. We believe art is an essential part of life and creative expression is required
|
