Local Artists Contribute Work for Good Cause at Art Festival

The My Crayon Gallery Art Project cause is an annual cause about creating a coloring book with the individually selected creators that goes to Title I CISD schools.

Amos Amit and Christina Smith, who are two featured in the coloring book, shared their thoughts at The Woodlands Waterway Art Festival.

Mr. Amit, who is originally from Israel, began specializing in a technique known as batik 57 years ago. His creations are made on cloth with wax and dyes made out of vegetables, fruit, and insects.

“Each dye that you want to preserve on the cloth you cover with hot wax. The wax will resist the dyes, and then when you finish you iron off the wax between papers. The paper absorbs the wax,” he explained.

What he gets out of donating to the My Crayon Gallery Project is to educate young people about art even if they do not grow up to be professionals.

Ms. Smith is a freelance artist who creates pictures of wildlife.

“Mostly birds,” she said.

She says what she gets out of donating to the My Crayon Gallery Project is the hope children get the pleasure of nature.

“I hope they get… an interest in ecology,” she noted.

There is no particular reason why she chose her career aside from simple joy.

“Some people stop playing with crayons and pencils…I just never did,” she said.

Her biggest artistic influence is a lady in South Carolina named Zoe Middleton who published a book with similar work. She revealed that she would probably be a Math teacher if she was not an artist.

The coloring book can be downloaded for free at: https://www.thewoodlandsartscouncil.org/p/programs/my-crayon-coloring-bo....