by Bella Erakko
Member artist Debra Myers blends teaching at Culvert-Stockton with her personal pursuit of art. Indeed, she had Amanda Brown as a student, and extolls her giftedness. “For me, watching a student grow and keep on growing to become very successful is wonderful.” In a way, Debra is painting with the palette of student potential. That talent unfolds creatively, very much like the canvases Debra paints for herself.
And she learns. As a beginning high school art teacher stepping into the very large shoes of a retiring beloved teacher, she managed to melt her students’ sculpture projects in the kiln, in the pre-computerized days. “I used hammer and chisel to chip it out.” Today, she actually has the skill and knowledge to test new products. “How will oil pastels work on this new paper?” she wonders—and proceeds to test it out. “I experiment. I have been teaching for so long I can predict problems.” She knows, “Nine out of ten students will make this mistake.” She laughs. “It’s one of the joys of being older.”
Meanwhile, she continues to create, recently playing around with adding pastel over watercolor. “It gives it a little more of a glow.” Visitors on Second Saturday can enjoy her new works: a sunset scene of cows coming home entitled “Girls Night Out,” and an intoxicatingly beautiful red cabbage luxuriously unfolding its leaves.
An opening reception will be held Saturday, September 14, from 5:00 until 8:00 pm. A piece of Debra’s work will be given away in a free drawing held at 6:00. This reception coincides with Hannibal’s Second Saturday Gallery Night.
