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Courthouse Sketch Artists Budding

Tribune photo by FRED BELLET

Kelsey Ray, 14, transfers her perception of the rotunda of the historic Pasco County Courthouse onto paper as she works on her drawing, part of a class assignment in Lesli Platt's Centennial Middle School art class.

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By GEOFF FOX

gfox@tampatrib.com

Published: November 14, 2008

DADE CITY - About 30 Centennial Middle School students cut classes Thursday, but it was all in the name of education.

For the past several years, art teacher Leslie Platt has taken seventh- and eighth-grade students to the lawn of the historic Pasco County Courthouse. From there, the students scope out downtown and choose something to draw.

Thursday, some sketched the courthouse, or parts of it.

Others drew nearby storefronts.

Eddie Wallace, 12, had his eye on a different building - the Wachovia Bank branch across the street.

"Dude, what if Wachovia buys the picture from you for, like, $1,000?" said Brandon Michaud, 12.

Eddie grinned.

Asked if he thought that might really happen, he said: "I hope so. It's a bank."

The students all seemed to be in a good mood, and why not? The sun was out, a gentle breeze was blowing and, for a day, they could forget about reading, writing and arithmetic.

Platt, who has taught at Centennial Middle for six years, said she did something similar when she taught in Lakeland.

"I didn't do it the first year I was here, but I just think it's a great activity, and I missed it," she said. "It gives the kids a chance to be outside on a gorgeous day and look at the architecture and really pay attention to it. I love seeing how they interpret it. We'll be here about four and a half hours, so some of them might be able to finish."

Platt scanned the lawn.

"They can listen to music, eat snacks and draw," she said. "It doesn't get any better than that."

Kelsey Ray, 14, was drawing the clock atop the courthouse.

"You can choose what you want to draw," she said. "You could draw stuff across the street if you want."

That's precisely what her friend, Taylor Bryant, 13, was doing. She ate from a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos as she drew the front of the popular Lunch on Limoges restaurant and Lori Anne's gift store.

"I like that restaurant and I used to go into Lori Anne's all the time with my grandma," Taylor said. "To finish the details and everything it will probably take me a week."

Kelsey had come to a complicated portion of the clock atop the courthouse and turned to Platt for help.

"OK," Platt said, pencil in hand. "Arch it a little bit and make it bigger in size."

Platt sketched the lines lightly.

As soon as Kelsey left Platt's side, seventh-grader Katie Ruffell approached. She was drawing a nearby store.

"How can I make this look like it's actually inside the window?" she asked.

Katie wanted to produce something that didn't look one-dimensional.

It was a complex question, just what Platt wanted.

Reporter Geoff Fox can be reached at (813) 779-4613.

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