Children's Natural History Museum Events
Reception and Fundraiser JULY 3, 2007


The Student and the Teacher ( Mark Ferrari and Martin Eschen)  -  If you have been a visitor to the Children's Natural History Museum you may have noticed a picture of a sabertooth cat and a dinosaur and wonder who the artist is.  We have been telling people that it was a 14 year old boy that Wes Gordon knew in the early 1970's.  However,  we have come to know the entire story and it is heartwarming and shows the power that teachers have over their students. 

Learn the story of the 14 year old boy whose talents were acknowledged by two teachers, Wes Gordon and Martin Eschen in the 1970’s.  These  paintings were the only ones that survived from the original museum and now part of the Children's Natural History Museum in Fremont.  Mark Ferrari is that 14 year old boy (now in his 50's) and is  a well known fantasy artist and novelist.  Meet Mark and Martin in memory of Wes Gordon.

 Spring Schoenhuth

 
Mark Ferrari is a fantasy illustrator whose work conjures as much (or more) magic as the stories it illustrates. His book cover illustration work has graced projects at Tor, Ace-Berkeley, Doubleday, Eclipse Comics, Chaosium, to name a few. He's also done gaming software illustration for Lucasfilm, Lucasarts Software, and MacGraw Hill Interactive, among many others. You can see his work on the cover of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine #49, enhancing Susan Dexter's story, "Rowan, Oak and Iron.."   To see some of his wonderful artwork go to the following website http://www.markferrari.com

Martin Eschen was a Mark's junior high school science teacher.  Martin and Wes Gordon taught in the San Lorenzo School district and were friends and colleagues.  Martin had told Wes about one of his students with amazing art talent, and Wes commissioned two paintings from the budding artist.  The two paintings were the only piece of art work that was saved from the Wes Gordon collection. 

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