Cobb uses charcoal to capture schools’ character

As a janitor at Naomi Elementary School, Logan Cobb sees more than most in regards to the building.

As an artist, he tries to bring a different perspective to his drawings of that school and others. His charcoal drawings of 15 Walker County schools line the hallways of the Walker County Board of Education building. Cobb said he focused on the character of the buildings to bring them to life.

He particularly liked drawing Chattanooga Valley Elementary School because of the mountain view in back, he said. Naomi Elementary School was more of a challenge for Cobb because it had been added onto a couple of times. Rock Spring Elementary, LaFayette High, Gilbert Elementary, North LaFayette Elementary and Fairyland Elementary schools all look similar, so he found a different angle to make each drawing look unique.

Painting and sketching is Cobb’s way of escaping the real world and diving into art for awhile. He said his janitorial job, which he’s held for the past eight years, is perfect because it allows him time to draw and paint in the afternoons.

“Since I used to daydream a lot as a kid, it was easy for me to draw,” Cobb said.

He first realized painting was his gift when his wife Janet, who sits on the BOE, framed one of his paintings and put it on the wall in her office. Someone saw the painting and asked Cobb to re-create it. He has been painting and drawing nonstop for a decade now.

“The paintings that I do now are so different and change every time I paint a new one,” said Cobb. “I’m a self-taught artist. Every time I create a new [painting or drawing], I learn a new texture, technique or stroke.”

He said he most enjoys creating portraits of local people that capture their emotions. His favorite is a charcoal picture he created of LaFayette’s Kevin Smith.

“He’s such a character,” said Cobb. “Everyone calls him ‘Civil War Kevin.’ He dresses up like a Civil War soldier and marches through town some. He’s a very smart guy and knows a lot about the Civil War. He gave me a lesson on how the Union troops came in and ran the Confederates out and how many horses the Union troops took.”

Cobb said he also chose to draw Smith because he is a good citizen of LaFayette. Smith is often found picking up trash around town, pushing buggies back into stores or loading and unloading groceries for people.

“He does whatever needs to be done,” Cobb said.

After Cobb posted his portrait of Smith on Facebook, many people responded saying they knew him.

“I would like to create a series on people I admire like Albert Einstein, Mother Teresa, Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Lincoln,” Cobb said. “They all made a difference. I will also continue to paint local people and try to catch their emotions, whether they are hot or cold or happy or sad or in deep thought.”