1tness1ng a passion

by Jessica Snow staff writer

Cassandra Maxwell makes art. That may seem like an obvious observation to those in the art department, or maybe it does not. It is not surprising that professors in the education department have done some teaching, we see it every day. Seth Frechie writes poetry as well as teaching English. Sometimes students are left to wonder just what their teachers do in their less academic time. One would hope that his or her art teacher has done some painting or something artistic, but we often do not get the chance to witness our teachers outside passions.

"Most of the time you don't get to see a teacher's work," sophomore Casey Smith, graphic design major, said. "You assume they have some, maybe you hear about it, but this exhibit was cool because you could actually see a teachers style as an artist." This opportunity came Sunday, Sept. 26 when memorable images that seem to have jumped off the pages of children's books landed on the walls of the Grace and Joseph Gorevin Fine Arts Gallery in the Holy Spirit Library. Images of a strong gray horse nuzzling a handsome young hero, a lady bug sitting on a colorful leaf and a small gray mouse on a black cat's nose are not alone, they are surrounded by delicately decorated mixed media pieces and expressive human faces. Each is the work of Maxwell who has spent her 15 years at Cabrini teaching classes such as "Creative Arts," "Introduction to Drawing and Painting" and "Children's Picture Book," which will be offered in the spring semester.

Maxwell, a graduate of Moore College of Art and Design and The Tyler School of Art, finds her inspiration in nature. Whales, swans, cats, butterflies and foliage joined the people that decorated the gallery in the library at the opening of the exhibit that will remain on display in the library through Oct. 28.

Goshen Baptist Church. Maxwell told onlookers that her favorite subject to paint is people. She works from pictures of models that she poses because there is less pressure than when working with the models in person.

A display case in the gallery holds several books that contain Maxwell illustrations including "Yosefs Gift of Many Colors," "The Fat Cat" and "Bright Star, Bright Star, What Do You See." The show also included illustrations from "The Stone Horse" and "The Wild Swans" and featured a work titled "'Blue Butterfly," which won the Bronze Medal for Mixed Media at the 1999 Dimensional Illustrators Show.

Maxwell says that it takes a lot of leg work and phone calls to find clients for her work and that she should soon be working with an agent. The artist, however, does not mind that part of the process because she enjoys the creative work so passionately.

"Butterfly," the main subject of a mixed media art work.

A feline gets a music lesson in "Cat and Coke Can," part of the "Black Cat Series."

It is these depictions of people that gained the most praise at the Sunday opening. One visitor from the community commented, "I love how beautiful all the people's faces are," while observing "Still The Call Goes Out,'' a pastel piece on loan from the