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20204RD

A Lesson in Art Two close friends and budding artists inspire each other and sometimes collaborate to accomplish great things. BY TERI WILLIAMS E L M E R I V O N Art became his voice, the expression for his emotion, and his connection to the children to whom he could not yet speak. Elmer Ivon was eight years old when he moved with his mother and little sister from Mexico to be with his dad in America, and his family began the long process of naturalization. His father worked in construction at the time, and his mother had been a school teacher in Mexico for 16 years. “They didn’t have any translators in the elementary school,” said Elmer, “and I spoke no English. It was a little tough. I would go to the library and pick up books. I read and practiced a lot. It was difficult when everyone was talking, and I could not communicate.” Elmer found an early creative outlet with Play-Doh. The malleable material provided his mind with endless possibilities. Kneading, molding, and shaping the dough into shapes and figures helped sharpen the vision of his imagination. 64 Toombs County Magazine


20204RD
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