Rob Surette, known as the fastest portrait artist in the world, brought his “Amazing Hero Art” performance to Oak Lawn Elementary School last week. Surette has appeared on national television shows including “The Today Show” and “Oprah.”

In a one-hour multimedia presentation that included lights, music, video and live action, Surette delivered the message to “Be Somebody” through his speed painting.

Using gigantic black canvasses and paint, Surette painted pictures of various well-known heroes as the students watched in amazement. Alongside him was a large screen that showed corresponding pictures and videos while he painted.

During one six-minute presentation, songs such as “God Bless America” and “America the Beautiful” played in the background while images of people and places in America came across the screen. As the students watched and listened, they tried to guess which American hero Surette was painting. They watched in amazement and gasped in recognition as a life-sized Abraham Lincoln appeared on the canvass.

Much of Surette’s message had to do with following one’s dreams, just as he has done.

“Welcome to Planet Earth,” he said after his first painting was finished. “Whatever dreams you need you can find here on Earth. The challenges we ask for and those we don’t ask for are all opportunities to soar.”

He encouraged the students to “be a good kid and use your strengths. Be positive.”

Surette told the students about his dreams as a child, which were to use his artistic talents to make a difference in the world. He showed old videos from when he was a child, winning an art show in school and talked about how his grandfathers and his parents encouraged his artistic abilities. He let the students hear the voices of his two grandfathers complimenting his work.

Surette’s presentations and their coordinating paintings focused on heroes of all different kinds from Mother Theresa and Walt Disney to Albert Einstein and Jim Henson. Laying down on the floor and using an overhead projector, he showed the students how to paint very easy pictures and progressively harder pictures.

“Anyone can draw,” he said. “The whole key is simple shapes. The neater you are the better it is. If you’re messy it doesn’t come out right.”

To make his point, he drew Mickey Mouse, showing the students that ultimately the drawing was just a series of circles and ovals.

His message to the students at Oak Lawn Elementary School was one of encouragement.

“Believe in yourself with your brain. Find the emotion, the passion, the enthusiasm,” he said. “If you say you can do it, you can do it. And if you can’t do it, you can learn.”

For more information on Rob Surette’s presentations and to watch videos of his past performances, visit www.amazingheroart.com.