Art not words provides escape for English teacher

Caitlyn Tracy

When English teacher Chad Doty is not teaching, he is occupied with his hobby: art. “Because my work is very work oriented, a lot of reading and writing in my spare time, it’s sometimes good to have an outlet when I don’t really have to think of much,” Doty said. “So drawing offers a different way to use my brain that isn’t word related.”

“Because my work is very work oriented, a lot of reading and writing in my spare time, it’s sometimes good to have an outlet when I don’t really have to think of much, and so drawing offers a different way to use my brain that isn’t word related,” he said. “And I also think that well, I really just enjoy kind of creating textures and things with scratchboard I think the medium lend itself really well to that, and so animals are great subject and a lot of fun to do.”

Doty began drawing when he was a child and it’s something he’s continued ever since.

“When I was a kid I remember drawing a whole lot just as a fun creative activity through elementary school, and even into middle school, and a little bit when I was in 10th grade, I took an art class and really enjoyed it,” Doty said. “I really, really liked working in all different mediums. We did painting, sculpture, and printmaking, a little bit of everything.”

Eventually he began using scratchboard, a type of art where the surface is black and drawings can be made by scratching or scraping the surface which creates white line drawings.

“My 11th grade year, I took an art class again but didn’t do any scratchboard, just the same kind of thing,” Doty said. “Then in my senior year I took an AP 2D design class, and we had a lot more freedom and what mediums we used and what we did and that’s when I began to do a few more projects on scratchboard and really seem to like it. My senior year I did, I had two scratchboard projects that went to the state competition called V.A.S.E and I really enjoyed that.”

It wasn’t long after that he first got paid to produce a piece of art.

“My aunt learned about my projects and saw some pictures. And she also commissioned me to do a project for her. So, I did a picture of her dog,” Doty said. “After that, it kind of fell by the wayside and I didn’t do it very much.”

Then a couple years later, Doty got back into art through an auction fundraiser at his church.

“Someone asked me if I wanted to offer up a commission as like a silent auction item and that seemed like something that  would be fun to do,” Doty said. “I had three different people sign up for that. So ever since then I’ve kind of done a couple projects a year.”

Often those projects are done using scratchboard, which brings more out of the animals that are the focus of his work.

“Being able to take a good picture of an animal and through the process of drawing it, like bringing it to life, where that picture and black and white would have seemed like a good picture,” Doty said. “But when it’s in scratchboard, there’s something about it that gives it more life for just kind of soul or whatever you want to say that brings that animal character out more.”

Doty doesn’t put his art out there for everybody to see, but colleague Swapna Garder thinks he should.

“I love it I think he should have pieces up in his classroom of it,”  she said. “I didn’t know he had an artsy side, then I talked to him about like how long he’s been doing it, and I thought that it was interesting. I wish he would put up some pieces.”

Another person who admires Doty’s art is his wife, Amy Doty.

“My husband’s scratchboard art is one of the first things I learned about him on our first date. I remember being impressed with his skill in the medium and wondering how on earth he came to focus on dog portraits of all things,” she said via email. “Sometimes he donates a commission to auctions that support nonprofits. I admire that he uses his art to bring joy to other people In this way. He can sit at his desk for hours focused on making an idea in his head become something he can hold in his hands.”

Doty would like more people to look into his gallery and enjoy the art he has created.

“I hope people enjoy even if people aren’t interested in purchasing something,” Doty said. “I hope they check out the gallery and see some of the pictures and hopefully they like them.