Theodor Seuss Geisel, predominantly known to the world as Dr. Seuss was our inspiration this week for the start of our Holiday Session. Thoedore “Ted” Seuss was born in 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts. He enjoyed a happy childhood and his mother, Henrietta often soothed Ted and his sister Marnie to sleep by singing rhymes. Ted credited his mother with both his ability and desire to create the rhymes for which he became so well known.
Ted’s first children’s book, And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street, was rejected 27 times before being published by Vanguard Press. The Cat in the Hat came about as a response to the claim that children were not developing as readers because the material was not enticing. Using a 250 word list, the Cat in the Hat became an instant success among parents. Another favourite, Green Eggs and Ham actually came about because his publisher and friend, Bennett Cerf, bet Ted that he couldn’t make a book using only 50 words.
Theodor Seuss Geisel began his career as an editorial cartoonist in the 1920s. His varied career included: forty-four children’s books, more than 400 World War II political cartoons, hundreds of advertisements the bulk of which was for Standard Oil, and countless editorials filled with wonderfully inventive animals, characters, and humor.
Geisel forged a new genre of art that falls somewhere between the surrealist movement of the early 20th century and the inspired nonsense of a child’s classroom doodles. Surrealism was the building block for his art, but Giesel made it ridiculously fun.
Now after seven decades Geisel’s work is iconic. Many of today’s top visual artists, poets, filmmakers, and authors cite Theodor Seuss Geisel as one of their greatest influences. Today limited-edition prints and sculptures of Giesel’s artworks can be found at galleries alongside the works of Rembrandt, Picasso and Miro. Theodor Seuss Geisel died September 24, 1991 at the age of 87 in La Jolla, California.
Students did a wonderful job this week following a step-by-step drawing of the Grinch – adding a Santa hat and coat and iconic Grinch features including that mischievous Grinchy smile. After drawing, students carefully used a “floating hand” to trace over their lines with black oil pastel. Students then used green and red watercolour paint to finish their pieces. Take a look at some of these great Grinches, I love all the unique personalities…
“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”
Theodor Seuss Geisel, How the Grinch Stole Christmas