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Teaching Artfully
A groundbreaking sensation: a Master's thesis done in comics form! Now Teaching Artfully, is a compelling graphic novel! If you loved Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud or Unflattening by Nick Sousanis you will fall in love with this revolutionary graphic novel.
264 pages, Paperback
Published September 1, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
March 1, 2021
“Do we. as teachers, love children enough so as to invite them into the world's renewal, not as we imagine it, but as they will come to embody the world they imagine into being?”--Hannah Arendt
Vancouver art teacher Meghan Parker created her MA thesis at Simon Fraser University about the virtues of visual thinking as her very first comics book, which is both a pretty conventional exploration of the importance of the elements of art, and a self study of her own teaching, It’s action research, self inquiry, using art as inquiry, as a way of exploring ideas, and the ideas here explored are about the purposes of art in making the world.
I say “conventional” because Parker organizes most of the thesis into these categories, such as line or form, defines them, then unconventionally shows us how art works to explore these elements. What stands out as attractive? The colors, very inviting. Active, engaging panels. Conceptually I like her peppering throughout key quotations from her primary influences such as Education/Art philosophers Eiliot Eisner and Maxine Greene, and philosopher of comics Scott McCloud. It's a thesis! The effect is still very much scholarly, and won’t maybe interest general readers so much, but it should appeal to teachers of all stripes, K-college, as it invites us to think of education as something other than taking scantron tests and making arguments, which is what school has become in too many places. Especially in a time when the arts have to make their case for inclusion in the schools, I'll encourage all readers to check it out.
So this is art as scholarship, art as not only being studied, but art to study ideas and things, learning as expl0ring. This is probably the first MA thesis-become-book AS comics, as she was inspired by the first comics dissertation-become-book, Unflattening, by Nick Sousanis. Visual thinking, and delight, what it means to be human are central as we get to know and be inspired by Parker as teacher and artist.
I received this book through Netgalley, and this is how I really feel about it.
Vancouver art teacher Meghan Parker created her MA thesis at Simon Fraser University about the virtues of visual thinking as her very first comics book, which is both a pretty conventional exploration of the importance of the elements of art, and a self study of her own teaching, It’s action research, self inquiry, using art as inquiry, as a way of exploring ideas, and the ideas here explored are about the purposes of art in making the world.
I say “conventional” because Parker organizes most of the thesis into these categories, such as line or form, defines them, then unconventionally shows us how art works to explore these elements. What stands out as attractive? The colors, very inviting. Active, engaging panels. Conceptually I like her peppering throughout key quotations from her primary influences such as Education/Art philosophers Eiliot Eisner and Maxine Greene, and philosopher of comics Scott McCloud. It's a thesis! The effect is still very much scholarly, and won’t maybe interest general readers so much, but it should appeal to teachers of all stripes, K-college, as it invites us to think of education as something other than taking scantron tests and making arguments, which is what school has become in too many places. Especially in a time when the arts have to make their case for inclusion in the schools, I'll encourage all readers to check it out.
So this is art as scholarship, art as not only being studied, but art to study ideas and things, learning as expl0ring. This is probably the first MA thesis-become-book AS comics, as she was inspired by the first comics dissertation-become-book, Unflattening, by Nick Sousanis. Visual thinking, and delight, what it means to be human are central as we get to know and be inspired by Parker as teacher and artist.
I received this book through Netgalley, and this is how I really feel about it.
November 29, 2021
3.5 Stars The illustrations were fantastic! At times it got bogged down with too many quotes, but it was still a fun read.
February 23, 2021
While I’m not an art teacher and this book is clearly directed at art teachers, I took away a number of useful lessons nevertheless. The book is laid out as a comic book, and is meant to extol the virtues of that artform while at the same time conveying knowledge about art, teaching, and the teaching of art.
The book is organized into seven chapters that are loosely themed according to the seven elements of art: line, color, form, texture, shape, space, and value [in the sense of the level of lightness / darkness.] The connection between the artistic characteristic and what is conveyed in its chapter is more readily apparent for some chapters than for others.
Chapter one (Line) both presents how the book came to be and what the intention behind it is, and also has something to say about process. The second chapter is entitled “Color,” and it touches upon issues such as the nature of aesthetics, the value of the notion of embodiment to the artistic endeavor, and the role of imagination. Chapter three is “Form” and it explores how time, space, and story play into conveying knowledge, as well as offering insight into how form influences perception. The next chapter is “Texture, and it has a lot to do with interaction and human relationships as they pertain to the art classroom. “Shape” investigates the issue of boundaries, such as what really differentiates artist from non-artist, the grammar of comics, and the role of the teacher. It also presents a number projects that might be introduced in the classroom or in one’s self-study. “Space” is probably the most literal title as it discusses the classroom space as well as the more figurative space given to students. The final chapter (Value) has a lot to say about frames of reference and the analogy of painting frames to the frames that individuals operate in and see the world through.
There is a Conclusion that provides some summation of ideas, and there are also notes and a page of references. This book shined a spotlight on a few other books that intrigue me, but that would have been completely outside my awareness -- given I don’t read much about the visual arts, but I’m increasingly finding it to be a topic of interest.
As I said, even though its outside my bailiwick, I took away some intriguing lessons from this book -- particularly about how variations in the elements of art encourage different emotional and psychological responses. There are a few excellent quotes as well. These powerful lessons weren’t in every frame. A fair amount of space is devoted to both platitudes and [hopefully] cathartic rants about the challenge of being a teacher, and particularly a teacher of art.
The book is festively drawn and colored and (as befits a book focusing on the visual arts) I got even more out of how ideas were portrayed visually than how they were discussed textually. The book takes a light and whimsical approach, and is pretty to look at.
If you’re interested in learning more about the visual arts, I’d highly recommend picking this book up.
The book is organized into seven chapters that are loosely themed according to the seven elements of art: line, color, form, texture, shape, space, and value [in the sense of the level of lightness / darkness.] The connection between the artistic characteristic and what is conveyed in its chapter is more readily apparent for some chapters than for others.
Chapter one (Line) both presents how the book came to be and what the intention behind it is, and also has something to say about process. The second chapter is entitled “Color,” and it touches upon issues such as the nature of aesthetics, the value of the notion of embodiment to the artistic endeavor, and the role of imagination. Chapter three is “Form” and it explores how time, space, and story play into conveying knowledge, as well as offering insight into how form influences perception. The next chapter is “Texture, and it has a lot to do with interaction and human relationships as they pertain to the art classroom. “Shape” investigates the issue of boundaries, such as what really differentiates artist from non-artist, the grammar of comics, and the role of the teacher. It also presents a number projects that might be introduced in the classroom or in one’s self-study. “Space” is probably the most literal title as it discusses the classroom space as well as the more figurative space given to students. The final chapter (Value) has a lot to say about frames of reference and the analogy of painting frames to the frames that individuals operate in and see the world through.
There is a Conclusion that provides some summation of ideas, and there are also notes and a page of references. This book shined a spotlight on a few other books that intrigue me, but that would have been completely outside my awareness -- given I don’t read much about the visual arts, but I’m increasingly finding it to be a topic of interest.
As I said, even though its outside my bailiwick, I took away some intriguing lessons from this book -- particularly about how variations in the elements of art encourage different emotional and psychological responses. There are a few excellent quotes as well. These powerful lessons weren’t in every frame. A fair amount of space is devoted to both platitudes and [hopefully] cathartic rants about the challenge of being a teacher, and particularly a teacher of art.
The book is festively drawn and colored and (as befits a book focusing on the visual arts) I got even more out of how ideas were portrayed visually than how they were discussed textually. The book takes a light and whimsical approach, and is pretty to look at.
If you’re interested in learning more about the visual arts, I’d highly recommend picking this book up.
October 13, 2021
I love the artwork of Meghan Parker’s master’s thesis turned comic book. Obviously it spoke to me because every few pages I was bothering my friend with “Look at this.” Parker’s graphic representations of educational and sociological contexts are insightful and do exactly what good art can do: they help us see something familiar in a new and memorable way.
There is a lot on a page, and the text can be strenuous to read. My main question is one of target audience. It is a bit long and academic for mainstream readers, and its cartoon style and organic structure make it a difficult sell as a text in an art education class, even though the contents seem appropriate for beginning art ed. majors.
Parker’s conclusion indicates that she has modeled a process that could be used across the curriculum:“The unique qualities of this form have tremendous potential for inquiries of all kinds. Within your own inquiries, I invite you to value and create space for flexible approaches to form in scholarship and beyond.” It is a motivating premise for educators and beyond.
Thank you to Meghan Parker, Clover Press, and NetGalley for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.
There is a lot on a page, and the text can be strenuous to read. My main question is one of target audience. It is a bit long and academic for mainstream readers, and its cartoon style and organic structure make it a difficult sell as a text in an art education class, even though the contents seem appropriate for beginning art ed. majors.
Parker’s conclusion indicates that she has modeled a process that could be used across the curriculum:“The unique qualities of this form have tremendous potential for inquiries of all kinds. Within your own inquiries, I invite you to value and create space for flexible approaches to form in scholarship and beyond.” It is a motivating premise for educators and beyond.
Thank you to Meghan Parker, Clover Press, and NetGalley for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 24, 2021
Teaching Artfully
Meghan Parker
Clover Press
ISBN: 9781951038205
PRICE: $24.99 (USD)
**This is an ARC provided by NetGalley for book reviews.**
Meghan Parker created her MA thesis completed at Simon Fraser University as an autobiographical comics now published as the book Teaching Artfully. In the tradition of Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics and Nick Sousanis' Unflattening, Parker's work brings her quest to understand art, her teaching principles, and the philosophy of making art through drawn images and hand lettering. The book is vibrant and delightful. Somewhat non-linear in sequence, Parker's autobiography comes alive through jewel-coloured swashes and her playful narration. As any thesis would contain, she embeds quotations from various sources and inspirations. She blends the elements of line, colour, form, texture, shape, space, and value as symbols in the book to describe art and life itself. The non-linear structure of this book makes it very approachable to read. You can open any page and find a nugget of joy and wisdom altogether. Her watercolour treatment jumps off from every page and welcomes you to pick up your brush and tubes of colour and start exploring your own self through brushstrokes.
Art has an important role to play in the development of human character. This is the broad theme of this thesis. The compartmentalization of our disciplines as outlined in the majority of school curricula only lead to the creation of separate entities inside our minds. And since most subjects require analytical skills, art lags far behind on the learning curve, thus ruling out any connection between our bodily senses and nature. We forget that our sense of sight, smell, and touch are equally important in learning. All these senses are engaged when we combine art along with technical skills. Sure specialist technical skills are required to acquire steady job prospects and progress on a linear growth curve. But in the long run, a person misses out on the unexplored territories that render depth and meaning to our lives. This specialization makes it more challenging to grow meaningful connections in life altogether. We get more disenchanted from the beauty and meaning around us. I highly recommend this cheery book for anyone who needs a spark of joy and creativity daily.
Meghan Parker
Clover Press
ISBN: 9781951038205
PRICE: $24.99 (USD)
**This is an ARC provided by NetGalley for book reviews.**
Meghan Parker created her MA thesis completed at Simon Fraser University as an autobiographical comics now published as the book Teaching Artfully. In the tradition of Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics and Nick Sousanis' Unflattening, Parker's work brings her quest to understand art, her teaching principles, and the philosophy of making art through drawn images and hand lettering. The book is vibrant and delightful. Somewhat non-linear in sequence, Parker's autobiography comes alive through jewel-coloured swashes and her playful narration. As any thesis would contain, she embeds quotations from various sources and inspirations. She blends the elements of line, colour, form, texture, shape, space, and value as symbols in the book to describe art and life itself. The non-linear structure of this book makes it very approachable to read. You can open any page and find a nugget of joy and wisdom altogether. Her watercolour treatment jumps off from every page and welcomes you to pick up your brush and tubes of colour and start exploring your own self through brushstrokes.
Art has an important role to play in the development of human character. This is the broad theme of this thesis. The compartmentalization of our disciplines as outlined in the majority of school curricula only lead to the creation of separate entities inside our minds. And since most subjects require analytical skills, art lags far behind on the learning curve, thus ruling out any connection between our bodily senses and nature. We forget that our sense of sight, smell, and touch are equally important in learning. All these senses are engaged when we combine art along with technical skills. Sure specialist technical skills are required to acquire steady job prospects and progress on a linear growth curve. But in the long run, a person misses out on the unexplored territories that render depth and meaning to our lives. This specialization makes it more challenging to grow meaningful connections in life altogether. We get more disenchanted from the beauty and meaning around us. I highly recommend this cheery book for anyone who needs a spark of joy and creativity daily.
April 6, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors/Clover Press for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This book originated as a masters thesis told through comics, and now exists as a graphic novel reflecting on art practices, how they connect to teaching and teaching the arts, and benefits of the arts in general.
This title stuck out to me personally as a middle school music teacher because I find that I am always having to defend the importance of my subject and explain that the arts are more than "just" drawing a picture, singing a song, or copying a dance that you saw on TikTok. A lot of the images created by the author made me stop and smile because they resonated with me and my belief that the arts can be both a source of empowerment and expression, as well as a safe space, even if you aren't "good" at them. She also expressed a lot of the things I feel as an early-career arts teacher. I loved this, and I definitely think it is worth sharing with others!
This book originated as a masters thesis told through comics, and now exists as a graphic novel reflecting on art practices, how they connect to teaching and teaching the arts, and benefits of the arts in general.
This title stuck out to me personally as a middle school music teacher because I find that I am always having to defend the importance of my subject and explain that the arts are more than "just" drawing a picture, singing a song, or copying a dance that you saw on TikTok. A lot of the images created by the author made me stop and smile because they resonated with me and my belief that the arts can be both a source of empowerment and expression, as well as a safe space, even if you aren't "good" at them. She also expressed a lot of the things I feel as an early-career arts teacher. I loved this, and I definitely think it is worth sharing with others!
May 7, 2021
Teaching Artfully by Meghan Parker is an exploration of her early year(s) as a public high school art teacher. She examines the interconnectedness of art instruction and building relationships in education.
The art is fabulous! It goes along perfectly with the authors sometimes discombobulated thoughts about how best to reach her students. I resonated with some of the “all over the place” images that go along with feelings of too many things to do in teaching!
I loved the way she wrote about her students. You can tell forming relationships and truly educating her students is a priority. Parker even writes, “positive and respectful relationships are the most important element of my teaching practice.” Reading this reminded me that I will not meet my students in person this year because we are still virtual, and made me a little sad. Relationships are really the best part of teaching.
The art is fabulous! It goes along perfectly with the authors sometimes discombobulated thoughts about how best to reach her students. I resonated with some of the “all over the place” images that go along with feelings of too many things to do in teaching!
I loved the way she wrote about her students. You can tell forming relationships and truly educating her students is a priority. Parker even writes, “positive and respectful relationships are the most important element of my teaching practice.” Reading this reminded me that I will not meet my students in person this year because we are still virtual, and made me a little sad. Relationships are really the best part of teaching.
February 15, 2021
ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley & the Publisher
This is a little book somewhere between a memoir and an educational theory graphic novel. I admit that I expected this to be more similar to Scott McCloud's books on comics, or Lynda Barry's Syllabus/Making Comics books, but it really isn't focused primarily on teaching art itself, so much as talking about the pedagogy of art, and the importance of visual literacy. For example, the section on "line" is not about lines in art, the use of line, it's purpose or meaning as an element of art -- but instead using the word "line" to talk about education. I think the Scott McCloud pull quote did sort of lead me to believe there would be more art instruction itself, and without a more precise summary of the book available, I think a lot of readers will have misplaced expectations.
Basically: buy this for an educator friend, but don't pick it up thinking it will teach you art history, or drawing. It's a bit of a mishmash of extended quotes, a section of visual poetry, and in the end, it really does feel like a thesis as a graphic novel - which I think aptly describes both its strengths and weaknesses.
There biggest flaw of this book is of course, the font. It's handwritten and thin, sometimes too small, and a bit hard to read. It really feels that to maintain consistency and readability, the author should have made a handwriting font that would be digitized for use. Hopefully the published product doesn't have the same noise/artifacts that surrounds the text, making it look like a bad scan. But even without that extra visual clutter, it feels like professional typesetting would help. It made it harder to connect to the actual material in the book.
This is a little book somewhere between a memoir and an educational theory graphic novel. I admit that I expected this to be more similar to Scott McCloud's books on comics, or Lynda Barry's Syllabus/Making Comics books, but it really isn't focused primarily on teaching art itself, so much as talking about the pedagogy of art, and the importance of visual literacy. For example, the section on "line" is not about lines in art, the use of line, it's purpose or meaning as an element of art -- but instead using the word "line" to talk about education. I think the Scott McCloud pull quote did sort of lead me to believe there would be more art instruction itself, and without a more precise summary of the book available, I think a lot of readers will have misplaced expectations.
Basically: buy this for an educator friend, but don't pick it up thinking it will teach you art history, or drawing. It's a bit of a mishmash of extended quotes, a section of visual poetry, and in the end, it really does feel like a thesis as a graphic novel - which I think aptly describes both its strengths and weaknesses.
There biggest flaw of this book is of course, the font. It's handwritten and thin, sometimes too small, and a bit hard to read. It really feels that to maintain consistency and readability, the author should have made a handwriting font that would be digitized for use. Hopefully the published product doesn't have the same noise/artifacts that surrounds the text, making it look like a bad scan. But even without that extra visual clutter, it feels like professional typesetting would help. It made it harder to connect to the actual material in the book.
February 3, 2021
What is it you say about art? That you may not know it until you see it? If that is true, how do you teach art? And how do you teach people how to create art?
This book attempt to tell just how to do so, and although it has many good points, it is also very dry, while being very beautiful at the same time. The illustrations are very colorful, and she has many citations of what others have said before her.
I would like to say that she succeeds, but I found myself glossing over what she was saying, most of the time. She tell us how she has taught her students, trying to engage them, and get familiar with their own talents. And she does have some good ideas.
And she says things like she creates to know, which is sort of how I write, which makes sense.
I am not sure what I found lacking. Perhaps it was just a case of "too many notes for the royal ear"
A good cartoonist to read is Lynda Barry. Two of her very good books are One Hundred Demons as well as Making Comics.
Normally I wouldn't tell you to seek out another author when reviewing a book, but in this case, although I agree with what she says, when she does touch me, such as the fact that you lose your ability to be free with your art as you get older and take classes at school, but Lynda said it so much better before.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
This book attempt to tell just how to do so, and although it has many good points, it is also very dry, while being very beautiful at the same time. The illustrations are very colorful, and she has many citations of what others have said before her.
I would like to say that she succeeds, but I found myself glossing over what she was saying, most of the time. She tell us how she has taught her students, trying to engage them, and get familiar with their own talents. And she does have some good ideas.
And she says things like she creates to know, which is sort of how I write, which makes sense.
I am not sure what I found lacking. Perhaps it was just a case of "too many notes for the royal ear"
A good cartoonist to read is Lynda Barry. Two of her very good books are One Hundred Demons as well as Making Comics.
Normally I wouldn't tell you to seek out another author when reviewing a book, but in this case, although I agree with what she says, when she does touch me, such as the fact that you lose your ability to be free with your art as you get older and take classes at school, but Lynda said it so much better before.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
February 2, 2021
Well, I did try with this, I really did, but I don't think this is for the casual narrative comics fan at all. There was me, thinking I'd be up for a representation of someone learning to teach art, but it's a quote-heavy visual essay about pedagogy, and if the layers of it are supposed to be about art and this artist in particular it didn't come across at all that way for me in the important early pages. A lot of her visual metaphors and imagery I'd seen copious times before, and her hand-lettering makes every page an ordeal. Cute wardrobe, though.
February 12, 2021
I could not get into the book. The choice of font made me not want to keep reading this book. I had to make the font bigger to read the words. I don't know who this book is meant for. I would not be able to work this into the classroom. The illustrations are what turned me away and I was unable to finish it.
November 17, 2022
Teaching Artfully by Meghan Parker is a book that I would recommend to all teachers, but especially to those newer to the profession. Although Parker is an art teacher, many of her experiences are relatable to anybody in the profession. Additionally, her way of thinking and relating to students is refreshing and inspiring. One thing that the author is very passionate about is teaching and encouraging visual literacy in the classroom, which is something that I learned about in library school and have also tried to teach in the library.
I really enjoyed the format of this book. It doesn't entirely follow the traditional graphic novel format, so readers should pay attention to how the words and images flow across the pages. I'm not very familiar with the elements of art, but based off of what she wrote, I believe that the author worked hard to incorporate them throughout the book. One thing that I especially loved was the use of color throughout. This book has many eye-catching images that caused me to pause and examine them more carefully (which happens to be one of the points the author makes about visual literacy).
I REALLY enjoyed this book and found it very inspiring. However, I gave it a 4/5 stars because there were pages where the writing was very difficult to decipher (there were a few words that I genuinely couldn't figure out). I don't mind spending a little extra time examining images and adjusting to the flow of reading, but I don't feel like it should be difficult to read the actual words on the page. Otherwise, I do believe this book would be a great gift to those new to the field of education or to those needing inspiration or encouragement.
I really enjoyed the format of this book. It doesn't entirely follow the traditional graphic novel format, so readers should pay attention to how the words and images flow across the pages. I'm not very familiar with the elements of art, but based off of what she wrote, I believe that the author worked hard to incorporate them throughout the book. One thing that I especially loved was the use of color throughout. This book has many eye-catching images that caused me to pause and examine them more carefully (which happens to be one of the points the author makes about visual literacy).
I REALLY enjoyed this book and found it very inspiring. However, I gave it a 4/5 stars because there were pages where the writing was very difficult to decipher (there were a few words that I genuinely couldn't figure out). I don't mind spending a little extra time examining images and adjusting to the flow of reading, but I don't feel like it should be difficult to read the actual words on the page. Otherwise, I do believe this book would be a great gift to those new to the field of education or to those needing inspiration or encouragement.
October 23, 2022
4.5
The assignment was to create weekly e-postcards including an image, a quote and a reflection to share
Denis Donoghue suggests that the arts are on the margins of most people's lives | and in living "within the arts" we make spaces for ourselves to experience empathy and to be present and attentive to the beauty found in the margins
As children we are deeply engaged with all of our senses, our knowledge is in our bodies - and as we go through school we are increasingly aware that the knowledge gained from our bodies is not as valued as that from our mind
C is for CREATIVITY - intelligence having fun
Like Lauren Richardson, I draw because I want to learn something I didn't know before I drew it.
I have found that giving students time to develop their own ideas is critical; allowing students the opportunity to imagine multiple possibilities and to settle on the most personally meaningful one increases engagement and quality.
some days the world is too noisy | some days there is a heaviness, a darkness, connections missed, communications confused, uncertainty, loneliness, hopelessness, self-doubt | some days, you want to hide - and it is on those days that we need art the most
I worry a great deal about my [art] students swiping and scrolling their way through the world | I hope that I can play a part in a move from liking and following to loving and leading
A student gave me a gift today. He was present.
The assignment was to create weekly e-postcards including an image, a quote and a reflection to share
Denis Donoghue suggests that the arts are on the margins of most people's lives | and in living "within the arts" we make spaces for ourselves to experience empathy and to be present and attentive to the beauty found in the margins
As children we are deeply engaged with all of our senses, our knowledge is in our bodies - and as we go through school we are increasingly aware that the knowledge gained from our bodies is not as valued as that from our mind
C is for CREATIVITY - intelligence having fun
Like Lauren Richardson, I draw because I want to learn something I didn't know before I drew it.
I have found that giving students time to develop their own ideas is critical; allowing students the opportunity to imagine multiple possibilities and to settle on the most personally meaningful one increases engagement and quality.
some days the world is too noisy | some days there is a heaviness, a darkness, connections missed, communications confused, uncertainty, loneliness, hopelessness, self-doubt | some days, you want to hide - and it is on those days that we need art the most
I worry a great deal about my [art] students swiping and scrolling their way through the world | I hope that I can play a part in a move from liking and following to loving and leading
A student gave me a gift today. He was present.
April 29, 2021
This is a very insightful and educational treatise on the importance of art education organized in a manner that teaches the building blocks of art while showing why and how they're important for a child's development.
Originally Parker's Master's thesis project, it gets points for being both personal and professionals without ever getting too sentimental or too stodgy. It gives facts in an organic manner that flows within the narrative that Parker is creating while remaining true to the purpose and organization of art's building blocks.
Very creative and easy to understand. Although I had trouble with the handwriting on occasions, but that might just be me no longer being used to the longhand that is used.
Overall, I would 100% recommend this to teachers, even those who aren't teaching art. I feel like the insights that Parker presents would be valuable in approaching how to teach in general.
Happy thanks to NetGalley and Clover Press for the early read!
Originally Parker's Master's thesis project, it gets points for being both personal and professionals without ever getting too sentimental or too stodgy. It gives facts in an organic manner that flows within the narrative that Parker is creating while remaining true to the purpose and organization of art's building blocks.
Very creative and easy to understand. Although I had trouble with the handwriting on occasions, but that might just be me no longer being used to the longhand that is used.
Overall, I would 100% recommend this to teachers, even those who aren't teaching art. I feel like the insights that Parker presents would be valuable in approaching how to teach in general.
Happy thanks to NetGalley and Clover Press for the early read!
February 11, 2021
Teaching Artfully is a graphic novel about the author's artistic and pedagogical philosophies. The illustrations are 5/5--adorable and brightly colored--but the text is illegible. The entire book is handwritten and is incredibly hard to read in the digital format. The letters are connected inconsistently with spiraling descending flourishes on the y's and g's.
The introduction says this about the book and its font:
"It is entirely handmade so many lines are beautifully wonky and handwriting is variable."
"This unconventional style may require you to read differently. I hope it is pleasurable."
The author is a talented artist, and I appreciate the home-made qualities of the book, but the execution seems irresponsibly inaccessible for a book on education.
*I received an electronic ARC from Net Galley to review.*
The introduction says this about the book and its font:
"It is entirely handmade so many lines are beautifully wonky and handwriting is variable."
"This unconventional style may require you to read differently. I hope it is pleasurable."
The author is a talented artist, and I appreciate the home-made qualities of the book, but the execution seems irresponsibly inaccessible for a book on education.
*I received an electronic ARC from Net Galley to review.*
February 26, 2021
There is so much to love about this book, starting with the fact that it is the author's Masters thesis...and it's a graphic novel (well, non-fiction). It is about teaching art and so may be more interesting to people who teach, but I enjoyed it immensely (and I can't even do art).
The writing was sometimes difficult to read, almost like it had been mimeographed too much. It's also hand-written, so that could make it a little tough, too. But I liked it - it felt a little like an 80's zine.
Ms. Parker has such a great way of getting the ideas across. The book was very accessible and I may have even learned something about art!
My thanks to Diamond Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The writing was sometimes difficult to read, almost like it had been mimeographed too much. It's also hand-written, so that could make it a little tough, too. But I liked it - it felt a little like an 80's zine.
Ms. Parker has such a great way of getting the ideas across. The book was very accessible and I may have even learned something about art!
My thanks to Diamond Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 16, 2021
A little graphic book of ideas about teaching and learning through art. Enjoyed the process the author used. Full of quotes: " Of all our cognitive capacities, imagination is the one that permits us to give credence to alternative realities." Maxine Greene " The meaning of the word aesthetic is the opposite of anaesthetic; it is our invitation to deepen our senses and the artfulness of ourselves and the world." Celeste Snowber This last quote accompanied by Meghan's cartoon of a dancer, musician, and painter. She also illustrates "If words are ideas in lines...images are ideas in space." Michael Emme & Karen Taylor in Sequential art & grapbic novels. A meaningful break from long dark novels.
February 22, 2021
NetGalley:
This was a master’s thesis on the history and main concepts surrounding art and less of a manual. Drawings were cute and playful however I struggled to read the handwriting - a page of it was okay but the whole book, it became tiresome and frustrating with the thinness and inconsistencies of the font. The book was wordy and if you’re not familiar with art (like myself) easy to get lost in, nevertheless I did learn some new things about art and it was interesting to a point. A great idea to do a masters like this but may want to think about the accessibility and font used
This was a master’s thesis on the history and main concepts surrounding art and less of a manual. Drawings were cute and playful however I struggled to read the handwriting - a page of it was okay but the whole book, it became tiresome and frustrating with the thinness and inconsistencies of the font. The book was wordy and if you’re not familiar with art (like myself) easy to get lost in, nevertheless I did learn some new things about art and it was interesting to a point. A great idea to do a masters like this but may want to think about the accessibility and font used
March 17, 2021
This is an essential read for teachers or educators of all kinds, not just art teachers. Reflecting on how to mindfully teach is essential, and allowing for more creativity to reach non-traditional learners. Parker's self-reflection of what an artist is is inspiring and enhanced by thoughtful and whimsical images that illustrate deep growth. I'll be recommending this one to all the educators in my life.
February 16, 2021
Meghan Parker is an artist and an educator. If this truly was her thesis, I think it's revolutionary! I think it combines her passion for teaching and her love of art well. I hope colleges and universities take note of this style and we see more and more thesis work in graphic novel form. I would go back and do my PDF if it meant that I would have a published graphic novel combining my life and my research by the end of it.
The panels are whimsical, informative and playful. Parker plays with gutters and lines in some panels. It’s brilliant. I love how Parker incorporated research and quotes into a graphic novel. I haven't ever seen this done before. She included her full source list at the end of the graphic novel and I thought it was genius.
Many of Parker's thoughts and reflections on teaching resonates in my soul. I would find myself shouting at the novel that this is my life! I don't teach art, but I still empathized with all her statements on education and educators as a whole. I think she captured life as an educator in a beautiful and creative manner.
Recommended for: any teacher, educator, lover of graphic novels
The panels are whimsical, informative and playful. Parker plays with gutters and lines in some panels. It’s brilliant. I love how Parker incorporated research and quotes into a graphic novel. I haven't ever seen this done before. She included her full source list at the end of the graphic novel and I thought it was genius.
Many of Parker's thoughts and reflections on teaching resonates in my soul. I would find myself shouting at the novel that this is my life! I don't teach art, but I still empathized with all her statements on education and educators as a whole. I think she captured life as an educator in a beautiful and creative manner.
Recommended for: any teacher, educator, lover of graphic novels
January 19, 2022
A cute quick comic read! I recommend it for young adults or teens because it has big vocabulary and you may loose a young readers interest in the story line. Other than that I think it was a very good book about an art teacher and how she teaches her students with beautiful and colorful illustrations!
August 20, 2025
I love how the author, an artist and art teacher, touched on teaching the seven elements of visual art but also further dives into the questions that separate teaching art from other more "academic" subjects: the subjectivity of human emotion and opinion that makes each artist, the way they learn and explore art, and how it makes their resulting works unique.
December 24, 2021
I loved this analysis of what it means to educate, to be educated, the process of becoming educated and the importance of the arts within that process. Will definitely be purchasing for the library and encouraging our art teachers to read... and all our other teachers, too. Excellent.
July 5, 2022
Excellent idea, funny, wonderfully expressive drawings,clever,sweet,informative,inspirational, smart,real.Wish this book had been around at the start of my career/life....such a joy to read.Thank you Ms Meghan!
December 22, 2023
Loved this book! Such a great read. Inspired me a bit! I am an art teacher to elementary students so I was thinking of ways to translate this so my students would understand it and love art more. Definitely adding this book to my personal library so I could re read it.
April 29, 2021
This thesis on how to teach artfully is so inspiring you just want to get back into the classroom and weave joy into every unit.
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May 22, 2021This comic was discussed on Episode 59 of The Secret Stacks.
August 11, 2021
The colors were nice, but otherwise it was too chaotic and hippy for me. I also found it a bit hard to read her handwriting, but that’s probably just a me thing.
January 18, 2022
This is a gorgeous book and is good, but I expected to be blown away. I wasn't. Not sure how much practical advice was really in here. But, again, it is visually marvelous.
March 5, 2022
A must have for any art teacher, specifically for high school or lower. Very sweet life lessons looped in.
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