Eric Jensen – Creative Services – Eric Jensen is an artist offering creative services.

Eric Jensen, Artist & Teacher

Contact: Eric Jensen
Email: ericjensen1946@gmail.com
Phone: (503) 410-0363

Artwork in Service to Real-World SCHOOL Lessons

My teaching experience has been as an instructor at a Job Corps center in the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas. Many of the
“corpsmen” had been sent to Job Corps by a judge, rather than sentencing the young offenders to time in custody.

More recently I was a summer school teacher at the Saint Helens School District’s special campus for at risk students and disabled students. For example, students who were not native speakers, those on the autistic spectrum, also young people who had adopted an anti-school attitude and those who were unable to focus on the instruction in a classroom setting.

I taught arts classes at that Saint Helens special school for young people 7-19 years old. I was hired to do that work for 3 summers using creative assignments to keep kids interested in school and preventing dropouts. I’ve noticed that kids of all ages were receptive to the addition of cartoons topical of the lesson. Most people like cartoons, even if they’re not meant to be funny.

I am now interested only in making cartoons to augment existing printed materials used in classrooms.

I have a special interest in developing artwork tailored to support students with learning difficulties.

The samples below demonstrate a range of illustration styles designed to enhance printed educational content. This includes Spanish-language materials styled with color schemes, layouts, and typography suited to Hispanic students and their Hispanic communities.

Funding to pay for my Illustration Services

In the past I’ve successfully sourced external funding for public art projects. The largest of these was the Chinook Indian Monument, also known as Ilchee (“Moon Woman”), honoring a prominent historical figure. That monument was a large bronze statue displaying the features of a Chinook Indian free woman. Those features included her shaped cranium, her carved nose ring, giant abalone earrings and her fur lined woven basketry cape.

All $45,000 to pay for the project were raised from outside benefactors. This public education display of accurate ethnographic record was completed on time and within budget. It won the 1994 Washington State Governor’s Award for Public Art. It cost the City of Vancouver nothing.

I believe that art can sometimes carry lessons that words alone struggle to describe in an interesting way.

Cover of Spanish language 4 page handout with info about covid using tropical colors and Hispanic typeface to appeal to the Latino eye

This is a process description of the correct way to effectively install hearing protection plugs

This could be the cover page of information about depression, which is a difficult problem to overcome.

LetsRideTheBus Image — Page 1 of a 16 page brochure I did for high performing people on the autistic spectrum who fear riding public transportation; made for TriMet. This booklet is a graphic cartoon book with helpful tips for a successful journey, from preparation through arrival at destination.

BIG ROMEO Image — Many kids experiencing difficulties are vulnerable to inappropriate advances and other social stumbling-blocks.

For example, say “No thanks, I’ve already had my share awhile back”.

SUICIDE PREVENTION POSTER — Native Americans face fundamental problems, such as a cultural mistrust of American society. That mistrust can impair school lessons from getting through. This imaginary flyer might be distributed through tribal media or school mailers.

LITTER PATROL — Guards in the field face unique antics by their crews who have special tricks like sneaking cigarettes during a toilet break.

Stoned — Illustration to be inserted into text that includes unflattering images of people who are under the influence of something.

Reviews

GORDON “Butch” Chapin 8/10/2000

Former supervisor of summer classes for at risk and special needs students

“Mr. Jensen conducted summer school art class for the Saint Helens School District from 1998-2000. His students were at risk and special needs youth with difficulties in learning in ordinary classroom settings. He demonstrated a flair for incorporating the special concerns and needs of these diverse groups… He is easy to work with, he listens and incorporated our needs in his planning with the resulting pride of the students and their parents.”

Ms Heidi Steward 8/18/2009

Ms. Stuart was an administrator of parole for the Oregon State D.O.C.

“The Oregon Department of Corrections has consulted with Portland artist Eric Jensen about creating illustrations to promote our in-custody transition program “Road To Success”. Its purpose is to better prepare inmates for release. Using materials to describe transition courses in an appealing way could increase enrollment and improve our success rate…

…Mr. Jensen has expressed an interest in raising outside funding to pay for his development of this service. If Mr. Jensen can successfully find outside funding for this approach to reach transitioning ‘clients’ we will try out this unique approach.

Sincerely,
Heidi Steward
Transition and Release Administrator
Oregon Department of Corrections”

AWARDS

Wood Carving

First place winner of the first annual Western Forestry Center’s Wood Carving Competition, Portland, OR, 1971

Title: Hand Carved Child’s Stool, English Walnut

Cast Bronze statue

1994 Washington State Governor’s Award for Public Art

The Chinook Indian Monument (aka, Ilchee, “ILl-chee”) in Vancouver, WA

This bronze statue showed a historical person, an actual Chinook Native American historical figure designed to display her shaped cranium, carved seashell nose ring, fur-lined woven basketry cape and other authentic details.