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 Samples
of the Kids Letters |
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Please use form below to send questions and or comments
to Mr. Parrish.
There were, as you can imagine, many questions
and comments from the kids and their parents, teachers, the media
and the public posed to Mr. Parrish over the course of this unique
project. Listed below are some of them. The kids were also asked
what their favorite part was and the most challenging part of working
on the mural. We have posted some of their answers on the left side
of this page. Click on each to enlarge.
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| Steven
J. |
| 5th Grade
Student |
| Q. How much time do you get to paint with
3 kids? |
| A. That's a good question Steven. About
as much as other parents with 3 children. I'm blessed to have
three beautiful children that I enjoy spending time with. However,
It is hard on me when I'm working on large time consuming projects
like this mural. When I want to spend time with them and they
with me, it is always delayed until I can get to a stopping
point. They were with me several times while I painted this
mural. We all found that to be comforting under the circumstances. |
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| Lauren T. |
| 5th Grade Student |
| Q.Do you perfer working in quiet or with
music playing? |
| A. Dear
Lauren, I have always preferred painting to music. Many times
however I prefer sometimes sketching my ideas for my paintings
in my sketch books without listening to music. The same holds
true when I'm writing. I had to really crank up my the sound
in my headphones while working on the mural during school
when the kids were playing in gym or having lunch!!! |
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| Kendra |
| 5th Grade Student |
| Message: hi mr parish ok well if u have im
can u talk to me on im because my email is not working |
| Response: Hi Kendra, I think your asking
me if I have internet messaging. Yes, but do not use it much.
I wanted to let you know your email is working, because I did
receive your email, so go ahead and ask away. |
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| Dale K |
| Message: Congratulations to all who have
made this wall mural such a success. I painted this wall myself
at one time but not with such a memorable array of colors. |
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| Jeannie Steller |
Message: Mr. Parrish-
What an awesome idea, and to be so insightful as to include
the children in the process. If too many school boards have
their way in budget cuts, art will become a "dinosaur of
the past"! How terribly sad and wrong that thinking is!
For you to give your time and talent to this phenomonal task
is to share the love of art with children and parents alike.
Bravo, Mr. Brad Parrish!!! I applaud the wonderful opportunity
my niece is being presented with the mural project. I have a
daughter who will be a senior in high school next year, in Arizona,
who is also going to be part of a team of students that will
paint a huge mural for the main building on their campus. She
is so excited about the project having been in art classes in
the school system (electives) since the 7th grade. They will
be painting their mural on a series of pieces of canvas to be
hung on the main walls of "Hawk Hall". Only 20 students
were selected from all the "arts classes" which makes
my daughter feel that being a part of this great project is
an honor, to be sure. Thank you for sharing your project with
my family. Art makes the world go round! Sincerely, Jeannie
Steller |
| Response: Dear Jeannie, Thank you for
the kind words and support. I wanted to do this one for the
kids and our community. It saddens me that our children attend
schools that do not open their eyes, minds and hearts to the
educational beauty art brings to their everyday lives. In a
world that has put art in the same category of that which also
teaches them about dinosaurs, it is no surprise that art is
one of the least appreciated and understood art forms of our
world. |
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| Rachel |
| 5th Grade Student |
| Q. Mr. Parrish why did you want the 5th graders
to paint fish on the wall? |
| A. Dear Rachel, There were two major
reasons, (1) Each year the fifth grade class contributes or
leaves the the school with something that is a remembrance of
their graduating school. We thought this would be a fitting
tribute and contribution from the graduating fifth grade class
of 2004. (2) I wanted to involve the students in this project
so they could see feel and understand how one child's brush
stroke on this massive wall would help it become what it is
today. Also so each child could look back one day in the years
to come and know they were a part of this whole process. I learned
allot by involving all of you, something that is not bought
or sold, but rather something that is shared together for a
brief moment and remembered for a lifetime. |
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| Michael F. |
| 5th Grade Student |
| Q. Did you always want to be an artist? |
| A. Michael, ever since I can remember
I have drawn, painted and sculpted. I don't ever remember wanting
to be an artist, but I had always known that this God given
gift, was granted to me, to enrich my life and hopefully others
as well. While growing up, it was the greatest pleasure to draw
and paint when I wasn't playing baseball, basketball, football,
hockey, the coronet, skiing and all the other things that kids
find to be the most rewarding things in life. I wanted to be
what every child has dreamt of being growing up. A famous athlete,
musician etc. I never set out to be an artist, I only know that
it has always beckoned all my life and allowed me to express
those things in my life that I love and feel in life. If that
is an artist, then, Yes, I always wanted to be an artist. |
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| No Name |
| Q. How long did it take you to draw out and
paint the dolphins and coral? |
| A. Several hours to draw up the sketches
of the dolphins on paper and approximately 1 day to trace them
on the wall with a light wash of paint and finally approximately
2 to 3 days to finish painting them. The coral a bit longer
as it was really an ongoing process throughout the entire body
of work. in fact one of the last areas to paint was done on
the coral reef. |
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| Anna |
| Q. Did you enjoy working with the 5th graders
on this project? Would you do it again? |
| A. Dear Anna, Yes I did enjoy working
on the mural with the 5th graders. I wished I had more time
to work with each and every one of the 100 kids that worked
on it. I know they too wished there was more time as well. In
reply to the second part of your question, Yes, in a heart beat.
Each and every child I worked with had their own unique idea,
approach and techniques in how they wanted to paint their fish.
Their energy levels were off the charts as they were excited
in being apart of this whole project. Or it could have been
the opportunity I gave each child to operate the up and down
joy stick on the scissor lift as I took the kids up two by two
to paint small fish up near the top of the mural.!!! |
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| No Name |
| Q. What made you want to be an artist? |
| A. All the happiness and contentment
I received in envisioning something or captivating something.
Then putting it down on paper, canvas and in stone or clay and
bring it to life. Simple, but very rewarding beyond belief.
I was also inspired by the old masters work as a young child
and was in awe of the artists ability to capture their subjects
of life with such emotion and feeling providing us with the
only rich and vast visual history of our past throughout the
centuries. It is the artist who not only documents our lives,
but who inspire, create and changes all of our lives through
their work. |
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