By Lakhram Bhagirat
“I am an artist who adds colour to a story. One who is very influential and of great inspiration to persons who view my art. I paint with a purpose because of the love of art and also the happiness it brings. I’m more of an abstract artist; surrealism and expressionism is what I do best,” Halcyon Doris says.
Doris’s personality is larger than life and it transcends to the work she does. Persons around her describe her as bubbly, passionate, fierce and all so important, confident. Doris currently teaches Visual Arts at the Vreed-en-Hoop Secondary School, West Bank Demerara. She also is a part-time student at the ER Burrowes School of Art where she is pursuing a diploma in fine arts.
“Growing up, I was a daddy’s girl. It was easy to be the centre of attraction when in a crowd, but I just wanted to dance and take pictures. My pastor, Dr Marlon Hestick gave me the call name “Dancing Feet”. I was gifted and began dancing at the age of five,” the 28-year-old stated.
Apart from being daddy’s little girl, she drew strength from her mother because of the level of passion and drive she possessed.
“My interest in art started when I was in primary school, I found myself sketching and creating pictures, I was good at it. But I never really took it seriously then. After I went on to secondary school, the subject was offered. I saw some CXC students working in the art room, I asked to join. I was a late student. I was amazed at the ability of some of my classmates in this subject area (visual arts) which made me push even harder to get better art pieces. I wrote Visual Arts for CXC and my results were encouraging,” she remembers.
Doris notes that at first people didn’t see Visual Arts as an important subject to be pursued, since it did not guarantee a lucrative career post graduation. However, her parents never advised against her passion for the arts. Instead they pushed her to achieve all that she wanted while giving her the requisite support in order for her to pursue her goals.
She was never pushed to prove herself when it came to her love for the arts, rather those around her were mesmerised by the work she was doing.
“The thing that sparked my interest in art even more was when I visited an art exhibition at Castellani House in the year 2014 and I was in awe. That same year I informed my HM (Head Mistress at VHS) I would like to teach this subject. It was easy for me to get to teach the subject, since it was my minor when I attended CPCE [Cyril Potter College of Education],” she related.
In order for her to better her craft, Doris began attending the Burrowes School of Art, so that she would gain technical experience while learning how to perfect what she already knew. For her, gaining that level of knowledge is of paramount importance since she wants to ensure that her students get the best level of teaching that could be afforded to them.
For her students, Ms Doris is the best teacher they could ask for since her classes are not only about being taught rather it involves the holistic experience of learning in an environment that is comfortable. She affords each of her students individualised attention so that they are prepared when it comes time for them to sit their examination.
Focusing on her work itself, one can describe Doris’s paintings as masterpieces. Not only do they captivate you at first glance but they also tell a story. We all know that art is subjective and her pieces inspire you to analyse them to decipher what her thought process was while she was creating them. (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)
