In the Art Room: Art Teacher Interview with Eric Gibbons, AKA Box Artist

Hey, y'all! As apart of my lil Art Teacher Interview series (of which you can read more interviews here, here and here), I have the pleasure of introducing you to Eric Gibbons, aka Box Artist! I'm so thrilled that Eric has allowed me to interview him as his work as an artist, gallery owner, educator and author are so inspiring. And I know for certain y'all will love what he has to say about his journey. So without further ado, take it away, Eric! 

Just who are you, anyway? And where do you teach? And how long you been doin' it? 

I have been teaching since 1991. First in Wildwood NJ, then Egypt of all places, and now in central New Jersey. I did some teaching in Japan, but that was teaching English conversation while still in college to help pay bills when I was living there on a student exchange. As you can surmise, I love to travel and have been to Korea, Paris, London, Canada, Mexico, Israel, Greece, Bulgaria, and Turkey.

I have taught all levels from pre-k through the community college level but am currently teaching in a high school, and teach privately at my gallery in the summers. [Eric's gallery called Firehouse Gallery is seen above. More details can be found here.] My 21st art camp will be this summer. I like being my own boss. I hope to retire as early as I can to publish and teach privately through my sunset years.

And you're an artist AND a published author to boot? Okay, tell us your magical ways. Start with your journey as an artist. Go on, we're listening...

So art has always been in my family. As I sit and type I am looking at 2 watercolors by my great grandmother. She painted till she was 102. Her daughter, my grandmother was an accomplished artist as is her sister Anita Gish. Her work is in the National Portrait Gallery. She too is an art teacher. My mother studied art but went on to become a nurse and therapist, but she stays creative. My brother can draw very well and my sister works for a company that produces books for museums and galleries, so she has the art bug too. It was never discouraged so it was a natural transition for me. I can do many things well, and jump from one media to another with ease. Stained glass to oils. Ceramics to watercolors. Origami to pastels. That versatility definitely helps in the classroom for a broad approach.

My own work, closest to my heart are blind drawing like Matisse, and figure painting like Jacque Louis David, or Michelangelo. I am kinda' known for my figures and still lives in boxes, hence my pseudonym on social media.

I am passionate about my approach to art education. I push a multi-disciplinary approach connecting math, history, language, literature, science, and biology to art. Art teachers know, when we grid, measure, and draw—we use geometry. When we make sculptures—we use engineering. When we mix colors—we reveal information about physics. When we create illustrations for stories—we learn about literature. When we review the styles of art from da Vinci to Bansky—we teach history. When we write about art—we strengthen these skills. When we create works of art, we solve complex visual problems in creative ways.

So is your art form of choice illustration? If so, has it always been? 

I don't think of myself as an illustrator, but if the need arises I can be. For the newest project, "If Picasso Had a Christmas Tree," I put on my illustrator hat and created about 12 Christmas trees in the styles of Picasso, Mondrian, Rothko, Haring, etc... Some took a few minutes like the Cy Twombly piece, and others took weeks, like Picasso and Tamara de Lempicka paintings. It's fun to emulate and create. I am not much for copying, but I like emulation.

Can you talk a lil bit about getting published? How does one even set out on that journey?

So publishing is a surprise for me. I was a terrible speller growing up. Ridiculed for it actually. I had great ideas but no one could get past the spelling. Thank god for spell check or I'd be jobless. My spelling is still poor, but I rely on help from technology and friends, particularly English Teachers!

My first book was call "Christian Voodoo." It started at a collection of stories for my own amusement about old superstitions that persist today. Burying a St. Joseph statue up-side-down in the yard to sell a house. Putting a rosary on a bush outside your home to stop the rain for a wedding, and many others. Some friends wanted copies of my little collection, and it grew. I sold copies on Ebay long ago, and thought to approach a publisher. Schiffer Publishing took it on and though it never really sold great it does bring in a few bucks every year and still sells.

After doing a couple more through them and others, I decided to try it myself through Createspace.com, owned by Amazon. Once your book is done and saved as a PDF, you upload it, and it is for sale on Amazon. I made books and collections of my lesson plans, tests, and other professional stuff and they sell well. I did some other art related books and they too did ok. We're not talking enough to quit my job, but all these little projects do add up to about a mortgage payment every month.

 If you told the 12 year old me, nearly failing English, that I would have nearly 100 books to my credit... I'd have called you crazy, but I do, though many are not under my own name, some hardly sell at all, but enough do that it's worth it and fun.

The newest book, "If Picasso Had a Christmas Tree," is really taking off though. It's for sale in museum stores, and next year will be even bigger. (It was late for this year's holiday season.) That is exciting, and scary. With Createspace I don't have to keep any books here, it's all automatic, I just get a royalty. This new book though, because it did so well, I went the traditional route by ordering 3000 copies. Putting out a huge chunk of cash. But we have recouped our investment and are now earning money on the book. Next year, If I had to guess, we'll need to order about 10,000 copies, maybe more.

So you teach, you create, you keep up a super fab blog and your write books. Talk a little bit about what your ideal average day of teaching/creating might look like. 

The blog, www.ArtEdGuru.com is really a place for me to store my ideas, web links, and resources so I can access them from anywhere, especially school. BUT I realized it would be helpful for many others so I added the blog portion and opened it up to others. As something cool comes up, I add it to the appropriate pages, and I hope it helps other teachers. The video links page is AWESOME if class finishes too early and you need something to keep the kids occupied. I have done that a few time already this year.

So as for my day, I am up by 6am, out to school by 7am, teaching from 7:30 am to about3pm. (I work just 7 miles from my home) I use all my prep time and "free" periods to write lesson plans, grade, etc. My daily goal is to take nothing home, because home is more work. I really use every minute of my day. If I know I will be busy, I come early to work.

At home I have to answer email, take and write orders. Wednesdays I teach private classes. My partner ships and organizes the books. I have to find time to write, communicate with the 30 teachers in the book so we are all on the same page. I'm active on the Facebook art teacher's page with advice and opinions, and I only "plug" a book if it truly answers a question posed, but I have tons of free stuff and advice for my fellow teachers, and am happy to share that. It's really NOT about the money for me.

Sometimes I visit the college to talk with wanna-be art teachers, crush their dreams with reality, and those that continue on are either fools like me, or awesome like you!  ;-) I joke of course, but I do enlighten them that teaching art is not for everyone, it's very hard, and schools often do not appreciate what you do. I urge them to advocate for art education, because no one else will. I sincerely believe art is THE most important subject taught in school, and I have evidence to back that up!

For fun, I carve out time to go to 3D movies, visit a museum or gallery, go to a monthly potluck and share my famous cream puffs, or watch Antiques Roadshow.

Many folks give up their personal art when they begin teaching. What have you gained from continuing to pursue your art? Where do you think you'd be without this outlet?

I have come to understand that art is a necessity in my life. When I am not creative I get very depressed. It is my medicine. I am not joking on this point. I get in a very dark place when I am not allowing myself a creative outlet. Some people do it just for fun or to pass the time. That's fine, but I have come to realize I NEED art in my life as much as I need air, water, and cream puffs from time to time.

Creating art and writing books helps me escape my isolation. I could easily become a hermit or hobbit if I let myself. But books and art are ways that I connect with others and share what I have learned. It's my way of giving back to the world, and maintaining my sanity.  

To see my own art, please visit www.firehousegallery.com my books are atwww.firehousepublications.com

In the Art Room: Houses to Help, a Compassionate Fundrasier

I think that teaching compassion and kindness is one of the most important and most difficult things to do. I mean, you can remind the kids to be kind, considerate and thoughtful until you're blue in the face but until you actually show 'em how and let them know the positive effects, it's almost impossible. 

Recently, the kids in my room were talking about an apartment fire that had happened the night before. Thankfully no one was hurt but many of my students were aware of the incident because it happened in their complex. One of our families was effected and lost much due to the fire. 

While the kids were talking about it, I thought it would be a good time to do a compassionate fundraiser with the kids. I try to do one every year where artwork is "sold" to parents at a price they chose to give and the money going toward a specific cause. One year, we did the Empty Bowls thing and raised close to $2000 for a local homeless shelter. Another year, we sold our animal clay sculptures with the proceeds going toward a local humane society. These have always been a success however...there was always a disconnect. The children never visited the humane society or the shelter. They never actually witnessed the positive effects of their efforts nor did they have a connection to the shelter or the humane society. 

And that's when I got the idea for my third and fourth grade students to help the family effected by the fire. They have both a connection with the family and the apartment. When I brought the idea up to the kids, you could have heard a pin drop. They were so excited that they might be able to use their art to help a family, that they knew, in need. 

The idea for these houses was not my own. You might recall the Houses for Haiti effort from several years ago. We used the same concept. I chopped up scrap painted papers into 2" X 2" squares. The kids were to pick any two squares, one for the house, the other for the roof. Rotating one square to a diamond, folding in half and cutting along the line, they had a triangle roof. From there, they were allowed to use scrap papers, glue, Sharpie markers and paint to decorate their houses. They had free range and were told they could make as many as they liked in the 15 minutes we had remaining in the class period. Most kids created one but I had several that were in it to win it and were busting 'em out factory style. "I want to make a bunch to raise a bunch of money," I was informed by one fourth grade girl. 

Once complete, I hot glued a 2" X 2" piece of card stock to the back of the house as well as a magnet. For some reason, I have a trove of magnets in that pit I call a storage closet. Which means this craft was free to make, yay!

I created a little tag to go along with the houses. We put them up for "sale" in the teacher's lounge with a suggest price of $1 after much price bickering by the kids. I left my signs, the houses and a box for money in the lounge that I checked at the end of everyday. I don't think a single person paid a dollar based on how much money we raised. 

 The houses were just irresistible! 

 The artist behind this house is usually one of my first-finishers...but not this time. He was dedicated to crafting a detailed and unique house that was sure to sell.

 I love the stained glass look of this one.

To know the impact their art made, I left this in the lounge so that the teachers could write notes to the kids. This meant so much to the young artists. 

Have I told you lately how much I love the people I work with? Talk about kind and considerate!

In addition to this effort, my school also hosted a spirit night at a local restaurant to raise funds. Our magnets raised just over $150 for the family. Oh! And I also shared an image of this project on Facebook and received a half dozen letters in the mail with money for magnets as well! If you are interested in purchasing a magnet, just leave a message in the comments and I'll be sure to get in touch with you. Thank you!

Art Teacher Travels: Lowe Mill, Huntsville, Alabama

Not too long ago, a sweet art teacher friend asked me if I'd ever been to Lowe Mill Arts and Entertainment in Huntsville, Alabama. Not only had I never been, but I'd never even heard of it! When I think of Huntsville, which is a couple hours south of the Nashville area where I live, I think of the NASA's Space Flight Center. Art isn't usually the first thing that comes to mind. So I was super surprised one Saturday morning when Mitch and I pulled up to this giant old factory turn arts facility. 

Every Saturday, Lowe Mill hosts a small farmers market on the front lawn. There were just a handful of booths when we walked by and I didn't stop to check them out...I was too intrigued by the giant brick building which had a steady stream of folks going in and out. We stepped inside. 

The Mill has three floors. The first was filled with open concept shops like this weaving studio. There was a comic art shop, a quilting shop with some super fun fabrics, one filled with instruments crafted from cigar boxes, you name it. Each storefront was super welcoming with mini-make and takes happening. In this weaving shop, I was introduced to the Weave-It loom, a miniature loom that was created back in the 50's. I had inherited two of these looms from my grandpa...so I was thrilled to have an expert show me how to use it. 

 Also located on the first floor were a couple of art exhibits. I was loving these paintings by Bethanne Hill as apart of her show titled Home Ground. 

Each artist's studio was so unique and each artist so stinkin' friendly! I was encouraged to snap photos, ask questions and try my hand at creating. 

 Loved this artist's collection of bottles. 

From the first floor, we took the stairs (deciding to forgo the slightly frightening vintage elevator) which opened up to a vendor's craft market. Here, the artists were selling their inexpensive wares sidewalk style, right in front of their shops. There were artists of all ages selling such a variety of stuff that I was always intrigued. Not to mention, this place was hopping! I loved that so many folks were out celebrating the arts. 

Also, that monster door thing is giving me life. 

 As is this bright orange deer. 

 I have to say, the shop that excited me the most on the second floor was the one with the puppets. This place was like a puppet museum! I was fascinated with the variety of vintage and handmade puppets. 

 After traveling in Italy this summer, I'm really excited about the idea of puppets and having my students learn about the history of Pinocchio. But now I realize I'll have a lot of puppet ideas to share with them. The puppet possibilities are endless!

The owner of this shop was every bit of awesome and informative as her booth. I chatted with her at length. I loved that about the Lowe Mill...so many opportunities to meet and hang out with working artists. 

 So I took exactly one million trillion photos in her booth. Sorry not sorry. 

 Can you blame me?!

 On the third floor, there were much bigger studio spaces. I learned that some of these spaces were open for rent. I saw a clay class happening in one rented space. I need to get on their email list to stay up on the classes offered. 

 There were also places where folks could drop in and create. Lots of classes being offered like ones for painting, stained glass, you name it. 

The third floor was also home to a fantastic popsicle place and a coffee house. 

 This view of the third floor should give you a better idea of the space. Again, very open air and open concept. What I love about that is that it seemed to provide a chance for artists to have a community...and not feel isolated as they normally might. 

 The variety of artwork being created was so inspiring. 

 LOVE these pieces!

 Mitch and I did take a break half way through our visit to grab some pizza. Lowe Mill is so big, we needed to step away for a bit and come back to explore some more. 

Here is what I found the most amazing about this place: the amount of folks who were there. Imagine what the halls of a mall look like on most weekends with folks mindlessly walking up and down. Now imagine those same crowds here, at the Lowe Mill...but this time, being intrigued and engaged all while creating and admiring art. It was amazing! I thought: why don't all towns have something like this?

 You know what? Maybe they do. And I've failed to find them. New mission! I know both Nashville and Franklin (where I teach) have thriving art communities. I need to get more involved. Look what I'm missing out on.

 But back to Lowe Mill. After our pizza lunch, we finished exploring this magical place. 

If you find yourself near Huntsville, Alabama, I recommend a trip to Lowe Mill. It's a place I'd definitely like to visit again. 

What magical maker spaces are near where you live? I'd love some road trippin' recommendations.