Mike Bennet currently teaches art at Mesa View Middle School in Calimesa for the Yucaipa-Calimesa Unified School District. He graduated from Cal State San Bernardino with a Bachelor of Arts degree and from the University of Redlands with a teaching credential.
Mike has illustrated many published works such as greeting cards, international stamps, book covers, magazine covers, newspaper illustrations, puzzles, and various hobby and craft designs.
Mike wanted to share some very recent news about a new book that he contributed art and writing to about the first television art instructor named Jon Gnagy. Gnagy was the true celebrity artist of the 1950’s before Bob Ross. Mike Bennett worked very closely with the author of the Gnagy book because he met Gnagy on two separate occasions.
For the book, “Jon Gnagy America’s Art Teacher”, Mike Bennett contributed illustrations, as well as, the sequential steps for two portraits of Gnagy. There are also other images of Bennett’s art in the back of the book and two dedicated chapters.
Thanks Mike Bennett for teaching middle school students from the Yucaipa/Calimesa community. I know you have inspired my neighbors to really love art!
https://www.artwanted.com/mikebennett/gallery/
FIND: “Jon Gnady America’s Art Teacher” on AMAZON.COM
In this photo which appears in the book about Jon Gnagy, I am standing next to one of my post challenging paintings of the Santa Fe #3751. This was licensed as a jigsaw puzzle.
I am holding a pastel sketch that I did under the tutelage of Jon Gnagy himself. In 1966, Gnagy came to the May Co at the Inland Center in San Bernardino in the winter of 1966. He demonstrated one of his color lessons from one of his books.
https://www.artwanted.com/imageview.cfm?id=1488216&SGID=28847
https://www.puzzlewarehouse.com/mike-bennetts-treasures-500-pieces-by-sunsout/