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Parent Testimonials for Mark Kistler's
Art Camps
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Hey Mark,
About 25 years ago, my grandfather sat me down with a VHS tape called "Drawing in 3D with Mark Kistler". I was also given a book called "Draw Squad". I learned all the basic skills of drawing from these two items and it gave me confidence as a child knowing I could create such amazing images. Here I am now, 34 years old with kids of my own. I recently found some of your on-line videos and started showing my 6 year old son. He is now "the world bestest box maker" as he puts it and has shared his new-found talent and tips with his classmates. Even more amazing, is that my mom searched the attic and found that original book of mine and sent it to me. Inside was a piece of scratch paper with several of my sketches from my childhood. I am so proud to now share your book with my son and to have the tools to teach him how to draw just as you taught me. We are humbled by your generosity in sharing your amazing talent with children everywhere and for teaching lessons that last a lifetime.
Thank you for all that you do.
Kara L |
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Hi Mark,
I am a retired 5th grade teacher, and after seeing a spot about you on TV I felt compelled to write. Kids just want to draw something that is cool, adults too. Around 13 years ago I bought your first book then 2 others and began teaching your methods to kids. I did this for years and the kids just loved it! I would like a dollar for every time I said your name, e.g., Mark Kistler says to put ninja lines here, etc, etc. I would also like a dollar for every Pterodactyl Taxi and others that constantly showed up on math and spelling papers--you would smile. Your methods taught many students. Just thought you ought to know. My wife, a 3rd grade teacher, still uses your methods in her classroom. A BIG THANKS!!
Sincerely,
Stehen S of Wichita, KS |
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Thank You a million times for bringing Imagination Station's Mark Kistler to Wichita State University!!!! Just Wonderful! We won't be here next summer, but know many parents & children would definitely enjoy learning from him again next summer!
These were our daughters working on Mark's "homefun" during classes the week PBS hosted his week stay here. Blessings!
Christina |
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"I've never seen my daughter so EXCITED!"
Penny Manakalani
Woodlands TX |
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"This is the first art class my daughter has taken. She LOVED it! She would go home after class and keep drawing! She was always excited for the next class!"
Julie Grobbelqar
Kingwood TX |
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"We LOVED this Art Camp! It reignited my passion for drawing and I can see my children's progress in one week!"
N. Lcarriere
Woodlands TX |
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"This is our 3rd Summer returning...Mark put's 110% into the classes and the kids (and parents!) really appreciate it!
Teresa McConnor
Vista CA |
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I HOPE you read this. I am 32. And as you have heard many times, I grew up with your shows. Secret City, The New Secret City, and around the time I graduated high school, Imagination Station. I now have a 7 year old son and a 3-1/2 year old daughter. My son woke up this morning and said, on his first Saturday of summer "Dad, do you want to watch Mark Kistler with our pencils and paper ready?"
Thank you for all the inspiration! He also won a painting contest in his Kindergarten class. When we watched the first episode of your show, he said "Hey, Shading, Dad, you taught me that!"...and I have to say that Mark, you taught me first. THANKS!
David |
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Finally, the best news of all...the feedback from the kids was excellent!
Caitlin (age 10) said, "I love art camp! I love everything about it. I love meeting new people. I love 3D drawing! That's my favorite class, and Mr. Mark is my favorite teacher! Mark Kistler is really funny! My second favorite teacher is Miss Clarissa. I love dance! She's super nice!" Caitlin has been singing and dancing to the "Call Me Maybe" song from class for the past 3 hours. She also said, "Claymation rocks! Mr. Tom noticed that I'm a touchy-feely person because I liked touching the textures of all the art supplies. I liked the feeling of the clay in my hands too!"
Brett (age 6) said, "Art camp is the best thing on Earth. The best teacher on the planet is Mark Kistler. 3D is my most favoritest class. We drawed, but not in 3D because it didn't look in 3D because we didn't have any 3D glasses on! My second favorite classes were Claymation and Art Attack!" Thought you would like to know what they said after class and get a little chuckle out of it.
Take care, Melissa |
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Thank YOU.... I never see My daughter get up from bed so quickly than these past two days! She is more than excited..... She says she feels as a fish in water!!!!
God Bless You and your team!
Gussy |
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When I was so much younger than I am now, I would sit in front of my TV and learn to draw from you. My daughter got the chance to sit with you and learn from you when you visited her school. I wish I would have known you were coming, I would have loved to shake your hand and give you a hug. Thank you for not only inspiring me but millions more. I hope you enjoy the picture I drew. I learned a lot from you and almost became a Art Teacher because of you. Things did not work out to become a teacher but I am still drawing. Thank you so much.
Ann W |
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This Art Camp has been wonderful! We can't tell you how much our daughter looks forward to coming everyday! It has boosted her drawing confidence - something she has been passionate about for years!
Nicole Allen, Portage, MI |
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We had a BLAST! What a terrific teacher and motivator! Mark was so funny, genuine, and has amazing talent! Thank you for allowing parents to participate for free! I had as much fun as my children...I didn't have any idea I could draw!
Shannon Richards, Kalamazoo, MI |
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My son loved this class - talks about it all day and can't wait to draw when we get home!
Jessica Hewitt, Kalamazoo, MI |
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My kids liked to draw before this class, but now are drawing ALL of the time!
Jenny Finstrom, Portage, MI |
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I loved Mark's enthusiasm because it made me want to draw alongside my daughter. Each evening we did our "Home-FUN" (homework) together! My daughter and I will definitely return next year.
Greg Pratt, MI |
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My daughter had so much fun...she was smiling the whole time! Mark is a lot of fun and a great teacher.
Amy Longcore, MI |
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I never thought I could DRAW! My 6 year old and I were able to keep up and have FUN!....without any art experience!
Sally Courtney, MI |
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Hi there,
I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for your Rio Rancho Art Camp.
Krystal and I had a great time and it was an experience that we will never forget.
Mark is fun and funny and an absolute teaching genius. He was able to make
everyone comfortable, young and old alike. I was amazed at how many adults
stayed and played with their kids. We learned and laughed and really enjoyed
ourselves.
I feel truly blessed that Krystal and I were able to learn from Mark and have so
much fun this week. God has gifted us with this experience and I wanted to
thank you for making it possible. Please let Mark know that I was touched by his
kindness and ability to do so many things at one time. He touched our hearts and
spurred our imaginations. God Bless all of you for kicking off our summer holiday
in such a great way. (Including the parents is brilliant !!!! )
Pam |
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"Anyone who can get me (parent) to draw dinosaurs, rats, blobs, and sharks is a genius!! Mark is funny, sweet, kind, bold, fierce, and courageous...did I mention ....a terrific educator?! I am now completely motivated to learn how to DRAW! Thanks Mark for encouraging parents to participate for FREE with their kids! ALL parents should do this, it's really a reMARKable...experience!"
Katerina B
Albuquerque NM |
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"Mark is an incredible teacher. His technique encourages all students (and parents!) to try, without hesitation to express themselves. They walk away with so much more than new drawing skills. They leave feeling good about themselves and with a love for the field if art. Thank you Mark!"
Rita F
Bakersfield, CA |
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"My 2 GRAND nieces, ages 10 and 11, LOVED your art camp. You have inspired them to continue using their imagination and develop their drawing in 3-D skills!! Thank you Mark, from the right side of our BRAINS!"
Patricia R
Bakersfield CA |
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"What a great experience...Fun! Funny! Funariffic! Funtastic!"
Kendra Cowart
Bakersfield CA |
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"I seriously think I may have enjoyed the class more than my son and I know my son had a blast! Great experience!"
Trent Heffner -Principal
Vista Grande Elementary School
Rio Ranch, NM |
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"Mark Inspires all ages to stretch their imagination and draw! This was our second year at art camp and it was educational and fun! My sons enjoy drawing with Mark at the Summer Art Camp and his Online Art Academy too! We look forward to next year!"
Jill Ekberg -Home School Mom
Bakersfield, CA |
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"What an amazing week this has been! When I signed my son up for the camp I was not planning on attending with him. Thank you for encouraging the parents to come along, my son and I will enjoy drawing together for years to come.
Tammy Fidler
Bakersfield CA |
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"The week was filled with exciting and fun themes. It was so nice to be productive and learning and have a blast in the process. Mark is a patient and encouraging teacher. He definitely has a heart for kids and uses his talents to spark creativity. We'd love to help with next year."
C.C. Spring, TX |
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"The class was really enjoyable. Mark was a drawing genius. The kids enjoyed drawing in class and then doing the homework. I love the way he tells them to stretch their imaginations. I also learned a thing or two."
G.H. Houston, TX |
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"My boys had a great time in art class and were actually excited to go home and draw more lessons. We are going to use the on-line art academy for our home school this year."
K.B. Spring, TX |
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"Art Camp was great! My daughter learned a lot about shading and drawing. The best part, I learned a lot too. I found myself drawing funny pictures for my kids."
W.H. Spring, TX |
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"I knew my was a good artist, but this class was a suprise. We both learned so much in a short period. I never would have guessed we'd have so much fun."
J.C. Kingwood, TX |
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"Fun and interesting. Mark has a great rapport with children He makes everything fun and times flies. "
D.M. Houston |
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"Thank you for the instruction. This might be a new career goal for my son."
S.P., Houston |
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We liked the drawings. We are going to frame them in plastic. Thank you!
D.P., Houston |
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"The class has given my son more confidence....."
D.D. Spring, Tx |
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"My daughter age 9 loves this program. She enjoys the step by step instructions, and loves her finished art work. Her confidence in herself increased, and now she is an exceptional artist." - L. Taylor |
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"We purchased this for our 12 year old son who loves drawing. This program has gone above and beyond our expectations. The first lesson he finished was the Koala. His koala looks so real! He told us that the lesson was easy to understand and to remember. He has since put what he learned from one lesson into his other artwork, and its amazing the change! Now my son is begging to draw instead of playing video games...Thank You Mark Kistler!" - Taunya R. |
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"We tried the sample art lessons, and my children (5, 10, 13,and 15) really enjoyed them. After having used the full program now, they are really hooked. Art is sometimes hard to fit in our school day, but now they can do a lesson when they have some extra time. They all love to sketch and draw, and even the youngest loves to "do art" with Mr. Kistler. An excellent value and quality for the investment. I plan to recommend it to my homeschool group." - Mandy B. |
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"Mark's style of instruction allows even those who are not comfortable holding a pencil to find they can draw. I love it because I need help with cartooning, something I've had little instruction in. Mark starts with the very basics (Mini Marshmallows) and continues into more elaborate sketches. I am so pleased with his humor and his ability to teach to children and adults at the same time. The lighthearted approach taken by Mr. Kistler might lead one to believe that the instruction skims over some of the necessary drawing principles like perception and depth, use of space, but this is definitely not the case. The funny part is that you are having such a good time you don't notice you're learning some challenging concepts! I have recommended this program to friends and even purchased it for a gifted autistic young friend. I can't say enough about it. You won't be disappointed." - Karen A. |
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"Mark Kistler has inspired my kids to draw for fun during their free time. The instruction helps them create drawings that they are proud of and spurs them to try their hand at drawing more!" - P Groom |
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"My 5 year old loves doing the Mini Marshmallow lessons. I can see an improvement in the quality of her drawings after only a few lessons." - Brenda G. |
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"My daughters love Mark Kistler's drawing lessons. My 6-year-old who is always comparing her art work with her 10-year-old sister often gets upset that she cannot draw like her, but following the step-by-step drawing lessons in this program, she was very happy with the results of her own art work. They both add their own creative touch and make up stories that go with the drawings. They are learning to draw while having fun, and giving them an opportunity to share their stories with others. We are very happy with this program and highly recommend it to others." - Julie |
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"My kids love this curriculum! Mark teaches how to draw lines, curves and etc. in order to make your drawings look 3D. He also teaches about light and shading.....all while you are drawing. It is so easy to understand! I had enrolled my son in different art class (at $80.00 per month) but unfortunately, the lessons were too advanced, even though it was said to be a beginner class. Because the teaching was too complicated, he did not enjoy the class, so we dropped it... Now, because of Mark Kistler, my son is interested in art again! I am so glad this curriculum was available!...WE LOVE IT!" - V. Gilliam |
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"We absolutely LOVE this program. Six kids, from 3rd grade to a Senior in high school. I have tried many other drawing programs, and this one has been easiest to get them going on their own. Its a little "whimsical" for the high schoolers, but they want to draw so are sticking with it. My youngest son was so frustrated with his drawings that he wouldn't even try, and often ended up in tears. He LOVES that he can privately try it on his own. He actually enjoys drawing now! It has also helped with technique (shading, perspective) for those who were already drawing." - Mrs. G |
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"This program has been wonderful for many of my kids. It is so fun I have had to restrict it, as in, "Once your chores are done, you can do Mark Kistlers art lessons!" because otherwise they would spend HOURS on there!! It appeals to my kids ages 5, 6, 8, 9, and 11. They love working on their drawings and sending them to Gramma and aunties, who always react with "wow, she drew this??" Mark is so engaging that even the younger ones like to watch and giggle! and some fun creatures have come to live at our house... wormy worms, ninja eggs, marshmallow guys... highly recommended to everyone!!
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Lisa, mom of 7 |
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