Eric Carle: An Artist of Color and Paper

Eric Carle was an artist who made many beloved picture books. He was born on June 25, 1929, in Syracuse, New York. When he was a little boy, he loved taking walks in nature. He would walk through woods and fields with his father. Together, they looked closely under rocks and leaves. Eric observed tiny ants, beetles, spiders, and caterpillars. These outdoor walks taught him to love small creatures.

As Eric grew up, he knew he wanted to be an artist. He studied art in school and learned how to design pages. Later, he began making art for children's books. Eric chose a very special way to create his pictures. This art style is called collage. A collage is artwork made by gluing different pieces of paper together on a surface.

To make his art, Eric did not just buy colored paper from a store. He made his own painted paper first! He brushed bright acrylic paint onto thin tissue paper. Sometimes he used toothbrushes, sponges, or even pieces of carpet to add swirls, dots, and textures. When the paint dried, he had piles of colorful papers in every shade of red, blue, green, and yellow.