On March 6, Ruby Silvious, an internationally known, local artist, visited Catskill High School again this year to do a two-hour demonstration and workshop for students and faculty after school. In her newly published book, Reclaimed Canvases, Ruby examines multiple kinds of items that she uses as canvases to make her artwork. She not only paints on tea bags, but also on any and all kinds of “canvases,” from leaves to pistachio shells to acorns to egg shells and more! Students and faculty alike were able to paint on the surfaces she supplied.
Students also learned about her philosophy and process that you don’t need expensive paper or canvases to paint on to be creative; when you look about, there are things all around you that can become your canvas as you become the artist!
The next speaker we had come in was Hudson Talbott. Mr. Talbott, a local, well-known children’s author and illustrator, visited March 11 to speak to the students in the Graphic Design class and other invited art students who are possibly interested in art as a career.
Hudson explained his process and showed the students his work, from beginning concepts and sketches, to the prototypes he presents to his publisher, to the finished art and final books! He brought with him his original, final illustrations for his books for the students to see. Also, the students also got to see the work-in-progress of his current book, not yet complete. “It was truly inspiring, and I believe the students got a lot out of it,” remarked CHS art teacher Wendy Doney.
