About 10 or 12 years ago, my husband and I were coming home from a drive up Mt. Lemmon, when suddenly he said to me, “You’d be a great painter!”
I was dumbfounded.
“Why on earth would you think that?” I asked.
“It’s the way you respond to nature…to colors…to light and shadows.”
As I recall, I simply snorted and changed the subject.
Before hubby and I met, he had been an occasional painter and he still had a whole array of painting paraphernalia (Dang! I didn’t know there was a 2nd “r” in that word! But spellcheck says there is! ) tucked away in a closet. So, he began an all-out campaign to convince me to give it a try.
The more he persisted, the more I resisted, until one day I just couldn’t take it anymore and gave in just so I could prove him wrong. I love proving him wrong.
Back in junior high, the art teacher managed to completely convince me that I was totally lacking in any artistic ability whatsoever. Besides that…or maybe because of that, I've never had any interest in painting AT ALL!
Anyway, he set up the easel and got out a confusing amount of tubes of paints and brushes….and away I went. Within a ridiculously short time I had the thickest, muddiest, gosh-awful mess of paint smeared all over the canvas…and myself! Holy Van Gogh!!!! It was AWFUL!!!
I was dumbfounded.
“Why on earth would you think that?” I asked.
“It’s the way you respond to nature…to colors…to light and shadows.”
As I recall, I simply snorted and changed the subject.
Before hubby and I met, he had been an occasional painter and he still had a whole array of painting paraphernalia (Dang! I didn’t know there was a 2nd “r” in that word! But spellcheck says there is! ) tucked away in a closet. So, he began an all-out campaign to convince me to give it a try.
The more he persisted, the more I resisted, until one day I just couldn’t take it anymore and gave in just so I could prove him wrong. I love proving him wrong.
Back in junior high, the art teacher managed to completely convince me that I was totally lacking in any artistic ability whatsoever. Besides that…or maybe because of that, I've never had any interest in painting AT ALL!
Anyway, he set up the easel and got out a confusing amount of tubes of paints and brushes….and away I went. Within a ridiculously short time I had the thickest, muddiest, gosh-awful mess of paint smeared all over the canvas…and myself! Holy Van Gogh!!!! It was AWFUL!!!
But something….insanity perhaps….took me over and somehow I KNEW that deep inside me was an artiste just waiting to come out. I was instantly hooked…addicted…consumed!!!!
And I’ve painted, more days than not, ever since.
I never took any lessons, except for the ones on PBS, which I watched faithfully.
I never took any lessons, except for the ones on PBS, which I watched faithfully.
Helen Van Wyck's WELOME TO MY STUDIO was my favorite.
And I checked out every painting instruction book from my library…
some of them many, many times.
Mostly, I just painted a whole lot of really awful paintings.
Eventually, some of them began to look sort of ok. And occasionally, I was actually pleased with what I had accomplished. Now, although I’m never 100% satisfied, I usually like what I wind up with.The point is this. Painting, or any other form of creativity, is fun. It brings joy and satisfaction. It teaches good life lessons, too.
Painting, like life, is a process of making mistakes then making corrections-over an over-until you get it right…or at least close enough.
So…..go create something.
And BE GRATEFUL!!!!
So…..go create something.
And BE GRATEFUL!!!!
2 comments:
I enjoy your entries joined to the art/photography...the joy of the ordinary and the peek at more...
you're a hoot! Love the Holy Van Gogh.
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