Narrative Art Drawing Workshop at ESSA

Narrative Art Drawing Workshop  

at Eureka Springs School of the Arts

Monday, Aug. 6th - Friday, Aug. 10th 

       

This week-long class I'm teaching is designed to give an overview of basic drawing and the narrative art medium. We will work in industry sizes and specs, covering a wide variety of narrative approaches from documentary to slice of life stories. Students will work in a variety of media as well. Set-ups, timing, props, choice of shot, and character development are all emphasized.

This is a unique experience to be teaching a class in the town that is the setting for my upcoming documentary graphic novel What Follows Is True...Crescent: The Baker Years.  I will be discussing  the production of this book and showing examples as well.  For more information about ESSA, visit them on the web atessaart.org.  

Bringing Baker Back: Scales Plays Eureka Cancer 'Doctor' To The Hilt

Here is a recent article from newspaper the Lovely Citizen of Eureka Springs, AR featuring Keith Scales and his rendition of the notorious Baker Cancer Hospital administrator Norman Baker.  

From The Carroll County News

Novel focuses on Crescent, Baker

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

By Tina Parker, Carroll County News

EUREKA SPRINGS -- A documentary-style graphic novel that depicts the history of Crescent Hotel and its famous Dr. Baker is gaining some attention as it nears completion.

The novel, "What Follows Is True... Crescent: The Baker Years," tells the life of Norman Baker, the famed "doctor" who turned the Crescent Hotel into a cancer treatment facility in the 1930s.

Using paint and mixed media, illustrator Sean Fitzgibbon, alongside writer Kevin Brown, tell the story of the fraudulent doctor and his dark history in Eureka Springs. While the novel chronicles the life of Baker, the main focus is his time at the hotel.

Baker claimed to have the cure for cancer and lured several patients to the facility on promises of a treatment and healing waters.

"Baker's time in Eureka Springs are the darkest years for the Crescent Hotel," said Fitzgibbon.

Fitzgibbon and Brown first heard of Baker on a ghost tour provided by the Crescent Hotel, during which their fascination about Baker grew.

The next day, Fitzgibbon visited the Carnegie Library in Eureka Springs to find as much as he could about Baker.

"It didn't seem real, so I wanted to research it; come to find out it was real and it made me want to know more about him," explained Fitzgibbon. "Turns out, sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction."

After extensive research, Fitzgibbon and Brown began constructing the graphic novel, which took five years to compile. Though the novel it is not yet complete, the duo is planning for a Spring 2013 release of the book.

Despite the fact that Baker's time at the Crescent Hotel was short-lived, the stories of his time in Eureka Springs, and the lives he claimed, is that of large and storied legend.

The Fayetteville Public Library held an artist's reception on Thursday featuring a sneak peek at pages from Fitzgibbon's novel.

Fitzgibbon exhibits work in galleries and art centers throughout the United States, and he teaches at Northwest Arkansas Community College in Rogers.

In August, Fitzgibbon will teach a graphic illustration class at Eureka Springs School of the Arts.

Thanks!

Just like to thank everyone that made it out to the FPL What Follows Is True sneak peak and reception.  Also thanks to the hard working FPL staff for all their help organizing the event.  It was a great turnout and I really appreciate it!  Also, thanks to 5 News for helping get the word out.   -Cheers

Carroll County News Article: What Follows Is True

New book shows, tells Eureka tales

Monday, July 9, 2012

Carroll County News

Special to Carroll County News

EUREKA SPRINGS -- The Fayetteville Public Library will host an artist's reception to honor artist Sean Fitzgibbon on Thursday, July 12 at 5:30pm in Walker Community Room for a sneak peak at his upcoming graphic novel "What Follows Is True: The Baker Years," a documentary/ graphic novel set at the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Spring in the 1930s.

Fitzgibbon's current project, "What Follows Is True" is a combination of gallery art and narrative storytelling with a local setting. Focusing on the Norman Baker years (1938-1939) of the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, the artist has been working with writer Kevin Brown to tell the story of these dark years as a documentary graphic novel.

To read more of this article visit them on the web at carrollconews.com

Join artist Sean Fitzgibbon at the Fayetteville Public Library, Thursday, July 12th at 5:30pm in Walker Community Room for an artist reception and sneak peak at his upcoming graphic novel project What Follows Is True: The Baker Years. A documentary graphic novel set in at the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Spring, AR in the 1930s.

Through July 15th, Sean's painting and collage series Altered Perceptions will be featured in the library's Reading Room on the second floor of the library. This series is composed of drawn and painted, interconnected images that explore concepts of mystery and perception incorporating many visuals observed through traveling.

Sean's current project, What Follows Is True is a combination of gallery art and narrative storytelling with a local setting.  Focusing on the Norman Baker years (1938-1939) of the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, Sean has been working with writer Kevin Brown to tell the story of these dark years as a documentary graphic novel.

"I first became interested in this story after visiting the Crescent Hotel and going on their evening ghost tour with my co-writer, Kevin Brown," explains Fitzgibbon.  "The tour guide discussed the ghost sightings that have made the hotel famous, but the most interesting story to us was not the ghosts, rather the story of Norman Baker, a fraudulent "doctor" who turned the hotel into a cancer clinic in the late 1930's."

Fitzgibbon found the story too unbelievable to be true. "Skeptical, I ventured to the local library the next morning and learned that Baker and the cancer hospital were among some of the darkest years in Eureka's history." The two began collaborating ever since, and new fully painted pages and panel sequences will be featured at the reception for the first time. This will be a public sneak peek at the upcoming graphic novel.

"What Follows is True is a marriage of my gallery art and graphic novel illustrations," shared Fitzgibbon. "Using painting and mixed media, Kevin and I are revealing Norman Baker and the Crescent Hotel's story which demonstrates that truth is sometimes stranger than fiction."

Artist Sean Fitzgibbon exhibits work in galleries and art centers throughout the US, recently including solo exhibitions at Pittsburg State University Gallery (Pittsburg, KS), Jasper Community Art Center (Jasper, IN), Old Firehouse Art Center (Longmont, CO) and Illinois Central College (Peoria, IL).  He has illustrated books and teaches at Northwest Arkansas Community College.

Original art and prints will be available for sale at the reception, with 10% of art sales benefiting the Fayetteville Public Library NEH Challenge grant.

Visit seanfitzgibbonart.com for more information on artist or to learn more about the book visit http://followsistrue.blogspot.com/ <http://followsistrue.blogspot.com/>

Photo Caption: Sean Fitzgibbon's illustration for What Follows Is True: The Baker Years, a graphic novel project documenting the Norman Baker years of the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

WHAT:  Artists' Reception for Sean Fitzgibbon at the Fayetteville Public Library

WHEN: Thursday, July 12, 2012 at 5:30pm

WHERE: Fayetteville Public Library, Walker Community Room, 401 W. Mountain St., Fayetteville

To schedule an interview about this event, call Willow Fitzgibbon, Reference Manager at479.856.7210 or email wfitzgibbon@faylib.org