Thank a Teacher by Lyla Paakkanen

Lyla Paakkanen

Each Creative Action Network poster is hand-printed and handled to make sure that only the highest quality is offered and sent out. The sturdy matte paper and premium inks create a vibrant, museum-quality image that looks great both framed and unframed. Posters are printed in Los Angeles, CA on Epson Enhanced Matte Paper heavyweight stock, with a wide color gamut and Epson UltraChrome HDR ink-jet technology. The framed poster arrives wrapped in a protective yet lightweight black frame and includes a shatter-resistant acrylite front protector that won't break during shipping. International orders may be subject to customs duties & taxes. 

Design By: Lyla Paakkanen
Lyla Paakkanen

Lyla Paakkanen lives in Sacramento, where the Pony Express ended its route. She is a freelance artist and illustrator, has a Master’s Degree in Art from CSUN, Communications Design from UCLA. She taught art at 5 colleges and has won many awards in California and Colorado for her work.

 

Design By: Lyla Paakkanen
Lyla Paakkanen

Lyla Paakkanen lives in Sacramento, where the Pony Express ended its route. She is a freelance artist and illustrator, has a Master’s Degree in Art from CSUN, Communications Design from UCLA. She taught art at 5 colleges and has won many awards in California and Colorado for her work.

 

Artist Statement

I knew that I wanted to create an image of children being read to, but it took a few attempts to figure out the composition and details.This illustration was painted in watercolor. Reading is the most fundamental skill to greater understanding of each other and our worldly environment. I have, first, my parents to thank for reading and teaching to me and my siblings to read before we even started school, as I did with my own son. Later, in school, I have several memorable teachers to thank for helping me through lessons that I had difficulty with and for encouraging me always whether I struggled or excelled in a subject. My aunt was a teacher and later I became an art teacher. The most gratifying instances in my life was that I was able to help and encouraged my students. All of the hours of preparation, teaching and counseling was worth every frustration and worry that I was not getting through to my college students everytime that a student came up to me to say, "Thank you!" In this poster I decided to have the teacher facing forward and the students with their backs to the viewer, as if the viewer were one of the students. The book that she holds has a picture of a school of fish one one page and two horses on the other. What do you suppose she is teaching her students? What do you think she is saying to them? There are two students with their hands up. Do they want to ask a question or do they want to answer a question that their teacher has just asked them? — Lyla Paakkanen