Pink Think: “Every production of an artist should be the expression of an adventure of his soul.” – W. Somerset Maugham
My May 31st initial sketch
This time, I am a student, too.
Summer for our family the past three years has meant art lessons for the kids. This year, my youngest started art lessons so I decided I would join in on the fun.
Our teacher lives in a uniquely beautiful home. Her mailbox has pansies painted on it, her cats have an outdoor screened room, she has a colorful outdoor deck with turquoise cushions. This year, she has a tree stump decorated with red, blue, green bottles. Next time, I’ll ask permission to take a photo of it so I can show you how amazing it is.
When I grow up I want to be like her!
We stop at the dog door mat and our teacher smiles at us with welcome through the screen door.
***
I have been obsessing over my “reference photo” the past few days. I want to paint an Arabian princess. I morphed one from different sources. She wears a dress the blue color of deep twilight. She sits with her head turned to the side, as though she is listening for the arrival of her prince.
Our teacher, Miss J, goes around asking each of us what we want to work on this summer. My oldest will not be doing horses which shocks Miss J. (I talked her into stretching this year and doing a portrait type project. I know it’s not her passion. I hope she will stretch and grow indeed while still having fun.) My son settles on a desert landscape. My youngest wants to do one of our cat Cricket.
Miss J gives us a plastic grid to lay over our reference photo and tells us to copy it onto our initial paper (we’ll transfer the sketch onto better paper next time). It is so tempting to hold the paper up to the photo, but I know that’s cheating. Miss J tells me that it might be easier to copy the negative space first. And it is.
Oh, but my princess’ beautiful mouth is hard!! I work on it over and over, erasing again and again, and by class’ end, it still doesn’t look right. Getting the mouth right is so important to me. I want her to look aristocratic, not petulant.
For the next little while, we all work in silence. My outline is starting to look like a woman.The minutes fly. My Arabian princess is coming to life. My heart flutters happily like a butterfly over a garden of flowers.
***
Like my kids, when I was a young girl, I drew all the time. I copied from books, I drew self-portraits. I may have taken an art class once. It was a lot of trial and error.
When I was a young mother, I sometimes got into a painting mood and sequestered the kitchen with my canvas and stand. Sometimes, it grew out of impatience with my fiction. It seemed so much easier to draw what I was trying to write in a few pages.
It feels good to come back to it.
***
If YOU could draw something or someone, what or who would it be?
Follow