“I think the love for drawing is about observing and making marks. Anyone can do it, and this is a celebration of that. We come together as a community and paint, draw, and photograph.”
Angela Hottinger, Lower School Art Teacher and The Big Draw organizer for CA
The Big Draw, the world’s largest drawing festival for anyone who loves to draw, as well as those who think they can’t, arrived at CA’s Sculpture Garden on October 22 and 23. Along with fellow drawers from around the world, all CA visual arts students had the chance to join a global community in celebration of the universal language of drawing.
Organized by Lower School Art Teacher Angela Hottinger, with the support of the entire visual arts faculty, CA’s 2019 Big Draw brought in a 1945 international K5 fire truck and a Honda Shadow motorcycle to inspire artists. Since she first introduced the event to CA in 2008-2009, Hottinger has used a variety of props including llamas, a pony, goats, a bloodhound, tractors, Italian scooters, a small sailboat, vintage cars, giant inflatable animals, and vintage bicycles, including a penny-farthing.
Founded in 2000, The Big Draw (formally The Campaign for Drawing) is an arts education charity that promotes visual literacy and the universal language of drawing as a tool for learning, expression and invention. This year’s theme is “Drawn to Life,” which reminds participants that creativity is essential for a fulfilling and healthy life. International organizers say they chose the theme to evoke a positive, accessible, “have a go” attitude about life.
“My favorite was the fire truck. I did a better job on it. It’s inspiring!” Riley Bell, Grade 3
“The Big Draw is an experience where Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School can connect through art. Mackenzie Wagner, Grade 11
“I am drawing a unicorn with a rainbow body and a rainbow horn.” Vera Day, Pre-Kindergarten
“The Big Draw shows the true potential of artists throughout the school.” David Miranda, Grade 4
“It’s great because we are outside and we have the fire truck and the motorcycle to draw, but I’m drawing leaves because it’s Fall.” Emily Clarke, Grade 4
“The Big Draw is less of a place and more of an experience. It’s a tradition that I’m proud of taking part in since I’ve been at CA. It’s been going on a long time!” George Davis, Grade 12
“The Big Draw is a nice place to find peace and make art.” Jasmine Bilir, Grade 12
“I chose the fire truck because it looked like it would be fun to draw. I think I did a pretty good job!” Charlotte Braun, Grade 3
“It gives me a space out of my comfort zone to do something I don’t normally do—draw.” Levi Pinkert, Grade 11
“I’m drawing the engine of the fire engine because there’s a lot going on with an engine and it’s fun to draw.” Colin McCoy, Grade 9
“We took as our inspiration the CA Campus with the trees and the sky. We added a bunny and an alien from our imaginations!” Lexi Koren and Segovia Maher, Grade 6
“My new motto is ‘see a circle, draw a circle.’ Don’t overthink it.” Aidan Harrington, Grade 7
“I like the Big Draw because it gives us a chance to work on something new and gives us a break from bigger projects.” Coco Ardell, Grade 7
“I’ve never seen a fire truck this small. It’s not the hardest thing to draw. A baseball diamond is much harder because it has more detail.” Xander Berba, Grade 1
“What I like about my picture are the different details and the different colors, because I am using different crayons.” Charlotte West, Pre-Kindergarten
