Theodore Seuss Geisel was born in Massachusetts on 2 March 1904. He was a cartoonist, illustrator, and writer but is probably best known as the children's author who brought us the classics of The Cat and the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, and One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.
I LOVE Dr Seuss! His books are timeless. Kids of today can get just as excited about the stories as kids from my generation (and earlier)! The themes of his stories are just as meaningful today as when he wrote them.
And the art in his illustrations are so unique! I don't think you even need to see "by Dr Seuss" on the cover to know a book was illustrated by him (though he did write other books that he did not illustrate - he used a different pen name for that). His style has such a dreamy, surreal, child-like feel to it: it fits so perfectly into a child's world where anything is possible and the lines between what is real & make-believe is so vague.
Theodore Seuss Geisel is also and amazing example of that "never give up" attitude. His first book was not published until he was in his 30s. And The Cat in the Hat was rejected 27 times before being picked up by Random House. He went on to write over 60 books in his lifetime.
He passed away in September 1991, but his legacy through his words continue to live on. Many of his books have been turned into cartoons and some have even been turned into full-length movies. And in 2015, the book What Pet Should I Get? was released posthumously, proving that Dr Seuss will live on in our hearts (and on our bookshelves) for a very long time.
I hope you have fun creating some Dr Seuss inspired art. His style is fun, loose, with a sprinkle of "anything can happen" vibe. Let your mind run wild & enjoy yourself! Be sure to share your pics of your artwork when you are done. :)
Happy arting, all!
- Chris
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