“You have to scale down”, they said. After living in quite spacious houses the time would come for retirement and scaling down. It came for us. We found a little cottage and needed to fit ourselves and our possessions into it. Of course, only those possessions that were really necessary. But in sorting my life out I came across these drawings which I now share with you. They are so delightful. They were done by Grade 3 or 4 learners, I cannot now remember.
I would tell a story and invite the children to draw pictures of the events of the story, during the telling. This is how a class of children illustrated the Gospel story.
Don’t you love these images! The mouth of God in the sky, the fancy clothes of John the Baptist in image 1, and is Jesus distracted by the fish? The Holy Spirit rushing upon Jesus in another image, the rather uncertain John the Baptist in another. Is John afraid that he might be drowning Jesus? Then the very arial view of the final image.
In the first image we see a very excited devil and a very calm focused Jesus. And where did this child get the image of a devil that looked like that. I certainly didn’t give it to her. There is more of a roughness to the characters in the second image. I like the tail and the bubble hint that this is the bread temptation. Jesus looks ready for a struggle. In the third image Jesus and the Devil are on the pinnacle of the temple tower where he is invited to jump down and have angels rescue him. The image is mirrored on an island close by.
This series is about images of God. God as a strict parent, caring parents, a judge, magician and Father Christmas. Some excellent sketches here.
The farmer scattered the seed 
Some fell along the path, but the birds ate them. 
Some fell where there was no depth of soil. They simply withered away. 
Some Seed fell on rocky ground, when the plants shot up, they were scorched by the sun. Shallow roots! 
Some fell amongst thorns. They shot up, but the thorn grew faster, stronger and choked the young plants 
Some fell on good soil and great was the harvest!
I am sure you can guess the parable. The first drawing is so beautifully conceived and presents the whole parable. This story can be acted out with a small group of children. I picked up this way of acting it out from the musical Godspel. The sower goes out and throws the seed. The seed are children who collapse into the ground. Some big children birds come and eat the seed. Chomp. Chomp. The seed on rocky group shoot up, but when a child sun comes up in the heat of the day, the children plants wither and collapse. (get them to make all the sounds) The seed among thorns grow up, tall and thin, but the weeds grow, thicker, stronger, faster. They turn and choke the seed. The seed in good soil takes root, develops root grow strong and healthy, and abundantly. Lots of smiling children, dancing in the sun.
This could be even more fun with lots of elderly people!
I love this drawing of the paralytic man being lowered down from the roof.
There is a windmill element to this drawing of the resurrection. The windmill beating the time, the tomb empty and Jesus risen beyond time and space. I just love the drawing of the two women and the hovering angel. I think the last image is of Jesus appearing to the disciples on the seashore.
bobcommin.com 
Beautiful Bob… thanks for sharing!
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These drawings are delightful.
Children’s art is so creative, gives attention to small details which in such a subtle well tells of their feelings and emotions relating to the topic.
Thank you for sharing these drawings with us.
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