ALTA - Academic Language Therapy Association

2008
I BELIEVE IN MYSELF ART SCHOLARSHIP WINNER

I Believe in Myself

My name is William Wells and I love to paint, draw, color, sculpt and build. To me art is a way to express myself with pictures. Art is my passion. It allows me to free my mind and to travel to far away places and to unknown worlds.

When I was in Guatemala there were many paintings of sadness and happiness. Some showed the destruction from Hurricane Stan. Many people were washed away and villages were destroyed in this storm. The art in these villages showed the terror of these times. I was not good at speaking Spanish but I could understand how they felt by their art. It is no different than ours. Art is its own language.

When I am painting it makes me feel I can do what ever I want. I can create an entire world underwater. I can design my own cars, ships, people, houses—anything I want. And I can make the colors however I want them to be. There are only my rules in my art world.

For me, life without art would be like a missing piece of the puzzle. I would not be complete without my art. With me, no art means I am not complete. I would be missing my free spirit and some of my soul. To me art is everything.

I BELIEVE IN MYSELF ART SCHOLARSHIP WINNER

William Wells from Houston, Texas was this year’s winner of the I BELIEVE IN MYSELF Art Scholarship at the ALTA Spring Conference. William, his parents and two sisters and his therapist, Pat Cavanagh, were all in attendance at the conference as William received his award certificate. He attends a preparatory school in Houston, where he is a student of Pat’s. Her affection for and admiration of William are evident.

Pat writes that, “His family is dear. His father, Peter, is from England, a highly educated man. His mom, Jana, graduated from Kinkaid, and is a smart, level-headed mom. The family goes to Guatemala every summer, and the children are learning about poverty, compassion and diversity first-hand.

“William has been interested in art since he was a little boy. He spent years drawing anything in nature, and now he is interested in medieval pictures and fantasy. When he was three years old…he would fold paper into a shape---square, hexagon, rectangle. Then, he would take his shapes and build three dimensional things like cars and tractors. He took his first art lessons when he was six, and he is busy designing his bedroom now. He wants it to look as if he is in a lava lamp looking out. “

She continues, “Reading, spelling, and writing are difficult for William, but his joy in art sustains him. This boy is going to design a fabulous bridge or an amazing building some day. I can’t wait to be there to see what he accomplishes.”

I asked Pat to interview William for this article, and she learned even more. He loves three sports---tennis, soccer, and lacrosse. He began playing the drums this year, and finds them as enjoyable as his art. After school, he rides his bike and plays with his friends. He has a parakeet named Indigo who loves music, and inspires him to draw parakeets. Recently, he found three turtle’s eggs, which he cared for until they hatched. He feeds them special turtle food, and they are growing and healthy. They are snapping turtles and when they get big enough, he and his sisters will release them.

This summer, William and his family are going to England to visit his grandmother and to Guatemala, where he loves to go to the rain forest and the Mayan temples. His experience will be special, as he will use his scholarship money for his art lessons there, and will include the children of Los Patojos. Los Patojos, “Supplements Guatemala’s educational system by providing underprivileged students academic reinforcement and encouragement in personal and moral development free of charge.” Having been to Guatemala myself, and experienced the color and culture, we are in for a real treat at his show for the ALTA Conference next spring.

Thanks to Pat Cavanagh for her help in introducing us to William and his family. I look forward to this year of correspondence and creativity. Thanks, also, to ALTA and The ALTA Foundation for making it possible.