Fridge worthy

We've been having fun with our Primary class and the stories of Moses. We made a book of the plagues, we made Play-doh fishes when they crossed the Red Sea, and we drew pictures of the Ten Commandments.* I don't know how much the kids learned, but they made art!

Incidentally, this is exactly how I feel whenever I finish a cartoon. It may not be funny, but it's art! I have no less authority than Calvin and Hobbes on this one.

*We did taste-testing for manna, but it was way less artistic than the other lessons. Variety, right?

 

My dinner with Mikey

Credit for this gag goes to faithful reader Christy B. It should be pointed out, however, that Michelangelo was a sculptor, not a carver. But quick — name a famous carver other that George Washington (Carver). Not so easy, is it?

Yes, we took a break from Shakespeare, but we're still hanging out in the classics!
 

They preserved the Minerva Teichert murals

I wish that I had saved some examples of the artwork created by our Primary kids over the years. My favorite was after the lesson on Nephi building the ship, one of the little girls drew Nephi's boat — as a pirate ship. 

There should be one of the bulletin boards in the hallway that's dedicated to Primary art. I should take that up with the ward council!
 

They belong in a museum

 

The eyes have it

It takes a certain skill to be a good minister. And a good set of eyes.
 

Mixed media

I was studying my scriptures the other day while I was doodling. Or was I doodling while I was studying my scriptures. Or something.

Either way, I probably should have chosen a different format for the canvas. Oh, well!
 

There's a place for us

Everybody starts someplace.

Can you paint with all the colors of the pew?

I recently visited the La Grande 1st Ward in eastern Oregon. A young boy in the pew in front of me was doing his best to be reverent, but it was tough. After the sacrament, his dad gave him a page to color. He got down on the floor and proceeded to color...the bottom of the bench.

The talks that day were on preparing for General Conference. One great way to prepare for General Conference is with the Ward Cartoonist's General Conference Activity Packet. It's perfect for home, Primary, Sunday school or seminary classes! Download your copy today — and prepare yourself for General Conference!

Programming for the arts

I haven't taken an official survey or anything, but I would imagine that the majority of Latter-day Saint artists got their start coloring the programs at church.

Give credit where credit is due

It helps with copyright questions too.

Cultural artifacts

When you go to places like Florence, Venice and Paris, you can easily get overwhelmed with all the amazing art that's there. What surprised me when I first went there was not only how much graffiti there was, but how artistic the graffiti is.

Here are some vandalized traffic signs from Florence and Paris:

The gift of wagging of tongues

Our ward just held its talent show, and the acts ranged from cringe-worthy to really, really good. I had a table in the back where I showed off some of my cartoons; artists and photographers in the ward showed off some of their wares. We even had a table dedicated to the culinary arts. It got me to thinking about some of those talents that members have that may be a little difficult to put on display (and every ward I've ever been in has someone with this kind of talent!).

The hardest thing about doing a gag like this is coming up with a name. The name I used in the original sketch was a little too close to someone who may be in our ward (I ain't tellin'!). For safety's sake, I switched it to the name of my brother's mission president, who was nicknamed "The Hawk." It has nothing to do with either him or his wife, but it has a nice ring to it.

It's an art

When your main media is snow, you tend to get a little fatalistic about the staying power of your art.