A British graphic artist had his daily pattern disrupted when he received an email from some Canadian Grade 2 students last fall.
As a result, rather than having tea and biscuits in his Leeds-area flat, he was enjoying his daily treat with Millarville School students.
Artist Ian Dutton spent last week at Millarville thanks to Grade 2 student Izaak Thomas bringing the British artist’s book “Graphic Patterns” to school.
“I brought in the book because we were studying patterns,” said Thomas, a student in Karla Davis’ class. “We liked his patterns and we saw his website (address) and we sent him an email.”
Getting an email from a group of enthusiastic Grade 2 students from Canada was a bigger shock to Dutton than England making an early exit in the World Cup.
“I was surprised to get the email – I was surprised that someone from Canada would even have my book,” Dutton said with a laugh. “I’m surprised anyone has the book to be honest.”
A correspondence began between the students in Millarville and Dutton who would respond to the children’s emails.
“He wrote us back right away so then we started asking more questions,” Davis said. “He would actually write the students’ name with every answer to their questions to make it more personal.”
“I just didn’t want to leave anybody out,” Dutton added last week. “They were excellent questions.”
The correspondence went up a notch when Dutton was asked to give art lessons to the Millarville students. Despite the distance between teacher and students Dutton was able to give art classes through Skype, real time video and audio communications through computers.
“It would be nine o’clock in the morning here (Millarville) and I would talk to them about 4 p.m. my time,” Dutton said. “I would be having my tea. I would just be ending my day and they would be starting.”
Dutton’s first drawing lesson through Skype was of something not native to Canada, or England for that matter.
“We drew a cheeky monkey, it was fun,” said Grade 2 student Chara Smith.
Some of the work created with the Millarville students wound up on Dutton’s home page, a web site the students began to visit regularly.
The students were so taken with their art teacher from across the pond, they sent Dutton a package from Canada for Christmas.
The bond between Dutton and the Millarville students became so strong Davis approached MIllarville School principal Ted Thorne in January about the possibility of bringing Dutton to the hamlet to teach the students for a week.
Thorne saw it as a bargain.
“If we were to get an artist in residence it would cost about $4,000,” Thorne said. “Ian already knew the students so there was a rapport established already. All this cost was a plane ticket.”
(Thorne got off lucky. Several of the Millarville students suggested maybe they should go to England to see Dutton.)
Dutton arrived in Calgary on April 29 and while his arrival was big news in Millarville, there was something slightly bigger going on that day in England.
“I left the day of the (Royal Wedding),” Dutton said. “The students ask me about it all the time. If I saw the Prince, if I saw the Princess, have I ever met the Queen? I haven’t.”
Although Dutton had never taught before, he was able to connect with the students immediately.
His technique is using simple circles, triangles and geometric patterns to come up with unique drawings.
“It’s a mistake-free process. The kids are now using one of Ian’s sayings: ‘You can’t make a mistake, it’s just a new drawing,’” Davis said.
They don’t make a lot of mistakes.
“I think they are doing amazing,” Dutton said.
He is also impressed with Canada.
“I can’t believe how big and vast this country is,” Dutton said. “When I came here I wanted to see a moose. I saw one the first day, I was here. The kids couldn’t believe I had never seen a moose before.”
He also saw an animal that has become the unofficial primate of Millarville School.
Dutton was greeted by the Grade 2 students and teachers who were all wearing T-shirts with the original cheeky monkey on front that Dutton had drawn for the students during a lesson months ago. There was also a tree with a few cheeky monkeys swinging on vines in the school’s art room.
“That was very surprising and touching,” Dutton said.
To check Dutton’s website go to www.ianduttondesigns.com
