Judy Ball Johnson's art students use Cray-Pas Oil Pastels in their art classes and for their contest entries. "We like the oil pastels because they blend easily, are bright and colorful, and textures can be added to a piece. Some of us are drawing animals, surrealism, Masterworks, and outer space. We have really good imaginations," say the Shreveport art students. Judy is pictured here with some of her 1999 art students at the South Highlands Magnet School in Shreveport, LA. They are wearing the "magic hats" she uses as a device for stimulating their creative thoughts.

Judy Ball Johnson was a winning teacher in the Cray-Pas Wonderful, Colorful World Contest for 1998 and 1999, and was recently recognized by her home town paper The Shreveport Times as "Teacher of the Week" for 9/15/99. The article notes that she has taught elementary school for 25 years and has also received the Caddo Teacher of the Year 1990, My Favorite Teacher 1983 and 1987, Louisiana State Teacher of Distinction 1998, Fulbright-Hayes Recipient 1978 to India, and accepted Teacher Institute National Gallery of Art 1994 and 1996 Washington, D.C.

In addition, South Magnet Highlands School itself has been recognized for 1999 as the state of Louisiana's number one in ranking, according to an article in The Times of Shreveport. The school is the only one in the state to receive a ranking of "school of academic excellence" for its combined score of 155.7 derived from both test scores and attendance rates (according to the article).

Judy Ball Johnson's student, Timothy Powell, won 1st place in the Cray-Pas Wonderful, Colorful World contest for grade level K, 1, 2 and another student, Miller Shuey, won an honorable mention in the 1999 contest also for the K,1, 2 grade level.

Both Timothy and Miller's winning artwork have been featured on Louisiana television, and in Sakura's print advertising as exemplifying outstanding use of the Sakura Junior Artist oil pastels.