“Starry Night Squirrel” In the Artist’s words: I’m the art teacher at Houghton Academy where I teach 7-12th grade art. They have come to the school to learn English with the hope of being accepted into an American college after graduation. Sigi Du and Ye Chau Lin are from Guangzhou province in China, and are both Juniors. Tuyen Le, a Junior and Huang Chao, a Senior, are both from Ho Chi Min City in Vietnam. Sarah Achilles a Sophomore, is a commuting student from near-by Fillmore, New York. Bio: Miss Shea’s art studies started with elective art courses at Houghton College when she was there for pre-nursing courses. After nursing school in New York City, she lived in the city for two more years and studied watercolor painting at the Art Students’ League. During her years in Africa, she did drawings in sketchbooks of scenery and flowers, but had little time to paint watercolors. Finding the beauties of nature as a comfort and strength during her years in Africa, she has made nature the main subject of her art work since then. Her website is www.windymeadows.com
Artist: Eila Shea, Teacher
Students: Sigi Du, Ye Chau Lin, Tuyen Le, Huang Chao, Sarah Achilles
This year for a WINTERIM project, I decided to allow five senior high students to paint one of the squirrels, under my guidance. The squirrel was sponsored by Mr. Richard Heiser who came to watch the painting in progress. “The Starry Night” theme was chosen because it had become a favorite of students in Art History classes over the years. Four of the five students who have painted on the squirrel are international students at Houghton Academy.
Eila Shea is a graduate of Wellsville High School, class of 1962. There are a number of artists in her family background. She too is following that desire to be an artist. After she finished nursing school, she spent ten years working in a hospital in West Africa as a missionary nurse with the Wesleyan Church. Returning from Africa, she worked part-time as a nurse so she could attend college for a degree in art. When she graduated in 1987 from Houghton College, she started teaching art at Houghton Academy. Later, she was asked to be school nurse, so school days became very full. She teaches in the morning and covers the nursing office in the afternoon as well as taking emergency call for the boarding students. Approximately half of the students at Houghton Academy are boarders; many from other countries. They attend the school to learn English so they can go on to American colleges after graduation. Four of the students who worked on the squirrel are Asian students who take art from Miss Shea.