Shrenik Kankaria had no idea his random scribbles might be works of art. "I just think of something to draw, and I just draw it," he said. He changed his mind, after plunging into a workshop on doodling Thursday afternoon.
Shrenik, 10, was among a dozen youngsters learning the art of doodling from children's book author Karen Romano Young, who stopped by Ferguson Library to promote her latest work, "Doodlebug." The book was released this month. Subtitled "A Novel in Doodles," it follows a girl who has trouble sitting still and constantly finds herself in sticky situations. "She just seems to get into a bit of a mess and doodling helps her out," said Young, a Bethel resident.
"I've always been a doodler," said Young, who finds it a helpful way of expressing ideas and thoughts. She sees drawing, or doodling, everywhere. "A lot of people don't realize that when you begin to write, you're drawing letters. It's the same thing."
At the doodle table, Alexandra Watkinson, 9, expanded her stick-figure drawing skills. Amanda Antoku, 13, was learning to piece her doodles together to make drawings. "I really loved it," she said. "I really love to doodle and draw, and she showed us new things."
Afterward, kids waited in line to get Youngs autograph. "I liked how she told us about how to make letters so they stand out in 3-D. That was really cool," said Shrenik, "and how she showed us the pictures and the books that she made."
Ten-year-old Koshik Mahapatra was surprised to learn that anyone who puts pen to paper to make random shapes and forms is making a form of art. "You don't have to know how to draw to doodle," he said.
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