The Johnson Center for the Arts could not have chosen a better artist for the art center’s first “artist’s talk” than Don Stewart.

Stewart opened the artist’s talk series on Wednesday at The Studio in downtown Troy and had a very receptive and appreciative audience.

Stewart is the featured artist at the Tony Scott ArtBridges Teacher Workshop, which opened Wednesday and will conclude on Friday.

Vicki Pritchett, Johnson Center executive director, said the artist’s talk was scheduled so the teachers who are attending the workshop would have the opportunity to hear Stewart talk about his life and his art.

“The artist’s talk was remarkable,” Pritchett said. “The teachers loved Don Stewart’s story of his life and, knowing about him, they were better able to relate to his art.”

Pritchett said Stewart is incredibly intelligent and all of his drawings are inspiring.

“What impressed me most was that he closed his talk by telling the teachers of the charitable things that he does through his artwork. He is very community minded and donates a portion of the sales from many of his prints to different organizations, from colleges to the Wounded Warriors.”

Pritchett said the teachers were impressed by Stewart’s generosity and expressed their desires to encourage their students to give back to their communities in various ways.

“We have 35 teachers participating in the workshop and what is so exciting is that we have teachers from every school in the county – city, county and private,” Pritchett said. “They have been inspired and motivated by Don Stewart. During the workshop, he will demonstrate ways that they can use art in the classroom in science, math, history and English.”

In October, Stewart will be back in Troy and will visit the classrooms of the participating teachers.

“Don will be in the classrooms to see how they are applying what they have learned to the different subject areas,” Pritchett said. “Don Stewart has had a positive impact, not only the teachers who are attending the workshop, but on those who came to the artist’s talk.”

Ginny Hamm brought her granddaughters and a friend to the artist’s talk.

“The girls were all fascinated by Don Stewart’s artwork and by the story of his life,” she said. “He walked away from a medical career to do what he loves to do and they found that very interesting.”

Anna Jordan was so impressed with Stewart’s artwork that she purchased a detailed drawing designed for the Marine Corps because she just “couldn’t believe how great it is.”

Stewart’s ballpoint pen drawings will be on sale at The Studio during the workshop. The drawings include something of interest to everyone from tractors to cell phones to football helmets. Each drawing is a big picture made from scores and even hundreds of little pictures.

“They are absolutely amazing,” Pritchett said.” Everyone is invited to stop by The Studio on East Walnut Street and see Don Stewart’s artwork.”