Tim Campbell Self-Portraits for Patriots' Day

At our school, a grandparent purchased a program called "Why America is Free" for our fourth grade students.  The fourth grade teachers were required to teach the program for nine weeks.  Also, the music and art teachers were required to plan lessons based on the time period.  One of the projects that I deemed necessary was a self-portrait.  Now, I am not really into "the old stuff".  I prefer the fun work of Picasso, Lichtenstein, and Jasper Johns.  To ease into this project, I began to research current artists that had a unique way of making the old stuff, cool.  I like cool art.  My kids like cool art.  My kids respond best with cool art.  Luckily, I came across the work of Tim Campbell.  Tim is a self-taught artist from southwestern New Hampshire.  Here is a brief bio on Tim Campbell. 

I reside in southwestern New Hampshire with my Jack Russell Terrier, Otis Campbell, named after the character on the Andy Griffith Show.

I am a self-taught / outsider artist. My art is both thought provoking and humorous.

You will find my work in galleries throughout New England, Cape Cod, Atlanta, San Fransisco, in the American Folk Art Gallery in New York City, and in private collections throughout the United States and Europe.

I was selected by "Early American Life" magazine as the 2010 Best & Listed in The Directory of Traditional American Crafts.

My sculptural pieces are created entirely from recycled wood and metal.

Using vintage pieces for my painted furniture gives them a primitive appearance. Each piece is unique and one-of-a-kind.

The program consisted of kids learning about the time period of the American Revolution.  They were immersed with history, values, and manners.  During music class, they were even taught a dance.  To bring the unit study to a close, the students dressed in costume for a day at school.  They performed a dance for their parents.  Also, they went to a classmate's home and had dessert in a candlelit home for the evening.  The fourth grade teachers, Mrs. Beeland and Mrs. Garrett, went above and beyond to make this program a success.  As with any curriculum, there was much to be added to make the information relevant and easily obtainable for the kids.  For information about the program, check out this website. 

Take a look at the self-portraits.

Officially, I want to say "thanks" to Tim Campbell for his art making our art a little more fun. 

Oh yeah, you can visit Tim's Etsy shop at Tim Campbell Art 

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