15 YEAR OLD SPEYSIDE TOBAGO STUDENT, EATS, SLEEPS, PAINTS ART

Speyside High School student Israel Melville, 15, just needs a paintbrush, paint, and canvas to be happy. “I eat and dream art,” says the form four student. He shares his dream of having an exhibition of his work.
Last Monday, Melville, originally from Argyle, but currently residing at Delaford, had the distinction of presenting one of his paintings to THA Secretary for Education Zorisha Hackett. The painting is titled Caribbean Constellation.
Hackett visited the school on Monday alongside Chief Secretary and representative for the area, Farley Augustine, as well as other education officials.
Melville said his artistic inspiration began at age seven. He said his cousin Casey Daniel, who is an art teacher at the Roxborough Secondary School, had started a men’s boutique, near his home in Argyle, where she designed the fabrics for sale.
“I was captivated by her work, and she began designing fabric for queen pageants. I was always around her, so I started drawing anything that came to my mind on paper.”
Melville said he always knew art would be part of his future and he took that into consideration when writing his Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) examination.
“I had the opportunity to further my artistic development when I entered secondary school. Speyside was my first choice for a secondary school because I knew of the reputation they had in art.”
Speyside High School has won six of the seven Chief Secretary Secondary Schools art competitions, from 2013-2019.
Melville said his artistic side thrived in secondary school.
“Attending Speyside was a blessing for me.
"Miss Avion Orr, who is my art teacher, is my favourite art personality. She is always looking out for me, I like her personality and she always encourages me to try new things, and I always come first at exams in her class.” (Source: Newsday Jan 8, 2022)