A Child Artist, Kieron, 2

 
 
 

Vocabulary

jam (2)	vacation	around (2)
inspire	figure (4)	countryside
blank	coast (2)	buy/bought/bought
boat	spur (2)	ever since
be at it	postcard	see/saw/seen
sketch	pretty (2)	postcard pretty
local	turn (2)	watercolor
play (2)	grownup	manage (2)
get up	wake up	think/thought/thought (2)
whole	chinking	say/said/said
jar	surprise	know/knew/known
festival	practice	hometown
gallery	attraction	all the way
X-Box	excellent	hear/heard/heard
proud	coastline	inspiration
fame	shade (2)	celebrate (2)
talent	tradition	landscape
great	hard (2)	work on it
owner	balance	distinguish
feature

 
 
 
 
 

Video

 

 
 
 
 

Transcript

The surprise for the Williamson family happened on last summer’s vacation when Kieron, who is just turning six, asked for something different to play with.

Michelle Williamson, Kieron’s Mother: “Kieron I think was inspired by the countryside, the landscapes. And he asked us to buy him some blank paper.”

He began to sketch and then to paint. He’s been at it ever since.

Kieron Williamson, Painter: “I saw the boat off the internet.”
Reporter: “Off the internet?”
Kieron Williamson, Painter: “Yeah.”

Spurred by the internet and art books and the postcard pretty outdoor studio that is all around him in Norfolk in England’s east coast, Kieron Williamson painted this . . . and this . . ,

And he learned some techniques in a local watercolor class before he turned seven this month.

Kieron Williamson, Artist: “I was the youngest in the class. Everyone else were grownups.”
Journalist: “How did you mange that?”
Kieron Williamson, Artist: “Didn’t think about that.”

And now, when he’s not at the X-Box, his mother says, he’s at this paint box.

Michelle Williamson, Kieron’s Mother: “Kieron will get up at six o’clock, maybe a little before. And we’re often woken up with the chinking of the jam jar, and we know he’s painting.”

In fact, the whole country knows. For his hometown’s summer festival, Kieron’s work is the featured attraction at a local gallery.

Visitor One: “We’ve come all the way from Northamptonshire to see this.”

Journalist: “What do most people say when they see your paintings? What have you been hearing most from people?”
Kieron Williamson, Artist: “Very good. Excellent. Really good.”
Journalist: “Does that make you proud?”
Kieron Williamson, Artist: “Yeah.”
The English landscape here has been an inspiration for artists for more than two hundred years. Part of Norfolk’s fame comes from painters who celebrated it’s coastline and countryside.

In a place that’s produced a distinguished tradition, Kieron’s talent is just developing.

Carol Ann Pennington, Gallery Owner: “He can be great. Yes, of course he could.”

He’s working on it. The hardest part he says, is getting the shading right, the balance of light and dark.

Journalist: “How do you figure that you’re going to get better at that?”
Kieron Williamson, Artist: “Practice a lot.”

Well, he’s got time.

 

 

Questions

1. Kieron Williamson began to paint cars, houses and people. True or false?

2. Does he only paint scenes from nature?

3. Kieron has taken art lessons from art teachers. Is this right or wrong?

4. Were all the students in his art class children? Did he feel out of place and lonely?

5. Has Kieron become famous in the United Kingdom? Do people like his works (paintings)?

6. Does England have a long tradition of landscape painting?

7. Will Kieron quit painting and take up a different hobby?

 

A. I paint pictures Or, I used to paint pictures in school. Yes or no?

B. Do you know anyone who paints? Is she or he an amateur or professional?

C. Anyone can learn to become a great painter (or footballer, swimmer, writer, acrobat, singer, computer expert, scientist, engineer). What do you think?

D. What should (young) people do? Should there be art lessons and classes in school?

F. What might happen in the future?