PEOPLE MATTER: Mr. Colton’s students remember

1952 Grade 5 Class at Charles Dickens Elementary - Home Room: Mr. Colton

Marlene Grant (bottom row, 3rd from left) and Audrey Chwaklinski (bottom, 4th from left) together with Gerry King and Patsy Lee paid a visit to the Birthplace of B.C. Gallery today to see paintings by their former art teacher, Mr. Colton (top row, tall fellow). All four were students at Charles Dickens Elementary and were taught art by Al Colton.
Marlene and Audrey were in Mr. Colton’s home room while Gerry and Pat were in another class, however, Colton taught art to all the classes. Patsy’s brother, Roger, was a grade behind her at Charles Dickens. Colton’s art teaching must have had an influence as Roger went on to become a Professor of Art History.

Charles Dickens school chums, Pat, Marlene, Gerry & Audrey - today.

All chums from Charles Dickens school days, the four women have fond memories of that time including many Mr. Colton-art-teacher-stories. Marlene brought along some memorabilia from her school time scrapbook, an original Al Colton sketch. The 3 inch square sketch of a house was produced “on the spot” by Colton for Marlene to help her understand the concept of perspective sometime between 1952 and 1955.

A Colton sketch from Marlene's scrapbook of her days at Charles Dickens

Paintings by the Dean of Art, Al Colton, are shown exclusively at the Birthplace of B.C. Gallery where he is the number-one-selling artist.