By Corrina Taylor
Staff Writer

The sun beats down on the small backyard of Andy Scott; he busily stirs the black paint and dips his brush in his paint can to accumulate the cool dark substance. He turns back to his yard to face an empty canvas sprawled on the grass.

With a smile he begins to fling the paint at the canvas from all angles. He lets his imagination loose as the splatter begins to form on his canvas.

Scott is a 2012 Coppell High School graduate who has worked under art teacher Tamera Westervelt’s wing for four years; during his high school career he discovered his love and talent for art. It was during this time that he realized he wanted to study art in college, more specifically study to become an art teacher.

His journey as an artist started freshman year when he entered Advanced Art I, at this point in Scott’s life his focus was on friends and not on thinking four years ahead of time. In this class he learned more about techniques and started to progress as an artist.

Once he reached his junior year he was hooked, he had been continuously exposed to art and had become to embrace it. It was in this time he found his talent and found he could have fun with art as well.

“I encourage [my students] to become experimental,” Westervelt’s said. “One of the assignments I gave them was to take paint and a piece of paper and start pouring it on the surface, then they had to start drawing on top of the surface and for him that looseness and freedom of just doing that process really opened him up to a lot of possibilities.”

With the newfound freedom of an AP art class, he had 12 assignments on different themes to complete in any way he wanted to. He was now able to allow his personal ideas to manipulate his art in whatever what he saw fit. He flourished and began to rise as an art student and looked for more challenges.

“In high school I would use [my classmates] for competition if they had a lot of skill to drive me and them to be better,” Scott said. “It’s hard to put all your effort into something when you’re already going to get a better result, so competition helps.”

Fellow classmate and close friend senior Austin Huens witnessed firsthand the competitive nature of Scott and worked with him for three years as they developed as friends and competitors. Huens watched Scott grow as an artist through the years and was not surprised when he finally decided to study art.

While visiting the University of North Texas, Scott was discouraged by the art program and ventured over to Texas Woman’s University and immediately found a connection with the school. When he attended, he was opened up to a whole new world of college life and art. Luckily, due to the extensive teaching methods of Westervelt he was beyond prepared.

“Mrs. Westervelt taught us too well,” Scott said. “Westervelt over prepared us, we’re set. I’m not competing with undergrads. I’m competing with graduate students”

Scott’s work has even been invited to an exposition on TWU, an opportunity reserved mostly for upperclassmen. He presented a painting of his and made it his goal to make it to competition at least once a year.

“He has surpassed what I ever thought what I thought he would be willing to put effort in,” Westervelt said.

After being at school for a couple of weeks Scott wanted to take the next step and better prepare himself for a career as a teacher by getting hands on experience. He came to Westervelt and they agreed he could visit CHS on Fridays and help out in the classroom.

During his time at CHS he helps Westervelt prepare for lessons and anything else that needs done and has even had the chance to teach a lesson that uses assignments from college to help demonstrate ideas. He also works personally with some of the students by helping with their assignments.

“He Gives [the students] a more variety in the teaching style, shows them another point of view on the lessons,” Huens said. “Andy has the unique position of having Mrs. Westervelt as teacher which helps them. He is very friendly and is much closer to their age which makes it easier to learn from him.”

Having this experience under his belt, along with the 17 college hours he already has Scott is ahead of the game. With this new experience with teaching and his own artistic background he is sure to hit the ground running after he graduates college.

“I think it’d be really cool for him to start off teaching at a high school,” Huens said. “Later I know he could go beyond that and could open private teaching studio or teach at a college level.”

Just like the splatter painting, Scott has let his creativity and determination drive him closer to his dream and is sure to be a success in the art world.