Painting the town red

Ken Johnston
Editor

There some of us who just have a natural flare for producing art and Vanessa Keeash of North Branch is one of them.
Keeash, 18, who attends Rainy River High School full time, got her start towards producing works on a regular basis at the school. Last year RRHS art teacher Trisha Stenabaugh identified the natural talent that Keeash had and began coaxing her to push her skills beyond simple doodling.
Keeash gives Stenabaugh a great deal of credit for steering her towards what may become a career in art for her. “She pushed me towards art and it mushroomed and now I am always doing it at home.”
Unfortunately she had no options available to her to take another art class this year at RRHS, but that has not deterred her from churning out sketch after sketch and also many watercolour paintings. Her talents have not gone unnoticed in the area. She’s currently working on a mural at the Rainy River Public Library.
Keeash finds that she’s always looking for beautiful things to sketch or paint, but admits her favourite subject is people. “I love to watch sporting events. People’s facial expressions are so fun to capture.” She also finds herself watching out of car windows for scenery to paint and while she hasn’t forced anyone to “stop the car” so she can get a better look, she said that if she sees something interesting she will give it a more intense look the next chance she gets.
While she’s been drawing since she was in grade six, she didn’t begin fully exploring her skills until last year. “People, including my family, think I am fanatical about it,” said Keeash. She tends to spend a great deal of her time in her room doing sketches or paintings. “That is my quiet place,” which she says inspires her.
Last Tuesday parents and RRHS students were treated to a showing of her work and Keeash said, “I received many good comments.”
She hopes that her talents will take her to a good art school and, despite not being able to take any more art classes at the school this year, she is confident that her portfolio will help her attain that goal. She has applied to Sheridan College, George Brown, Georgian College and Centennial College.