Art

Friday is art day.  While at OWC I took 4 different art classes; oil painting was my favorite.  In drawing, I learned how to actually put pencil to paper and found I could actually draw what I saw.  There was this one point in class that Steve Phillips took us all to the Arts Center to find a spot to sit and sketch.  He took us up to the balcony area lobby.  If you've ever been there you'll remember that the walls are mirrored on one side and all other walls are glass.  He was explaining to one student that she might want to consider drawing the reflection.  I must have had a puzzled look on my face because he asked,  "What is it, Iris?"  (Yes, if you don't already know by now, my "real name" is Iris.)  I told him that with all the reflections, panels of wood between glass panes, etc I don't know how in the world he expected a beginner drawing student to draw that!  He looked straight at me and said, "You see it.  You draw it."  At the time I thought, "Well, that's the stupidest comment I've ever heard!"  I told him that Picasso had better eyes than I did.  By the time the semester had ended I understood what he meant.

Pottery was awesome; I took two semesters of it.  I never actually excelled at it, but did make a few bowls that I'm proud of.  They make me feel like I've accomplished something beautiful. 

But, it's oil painting that took my heart!  I knew that I'd probably never draw for drawing's sake, or work with clay again because I don't have a potter's wheel or kiln.  When I walked from the studio on the last day of oils class I swore that I'd paint again.  I loved it.  I loved how it made me feel, I loved the process of watching a blank canvas evolve into a real painting, and I even loved the agony of making it work.   But, true to my nature, I've not painted since. 

I have a lovely and dear friend I met during my first pottery class.  Diane is a real nut and I love her.  She actually has all the insecurities that I do, so she recognized my lack of confidence  right off the bat.  She walked up to me one day, put her hands on my shoulders and said, "Iris!  I'm about to give you artistic license to break free here!"  With that, she handed me a business card that read "Artistic License - This artistic license is presented to:______________.  To see a different color, go outside the lines and interpret all I see with an ARTIST'S EYE."  I still carry the card with me.  Then she took a small bit of clay dust and told me to close my eyes.  She blew it on me saying it was some sort of fairy dust or something.  Just hilariously funny and tension breaking. Now you see why I love her.

I went for a long time not painting.  Then, somewhere along the line, Diane got me to at least start thinking about art again.  Now, each Friday I head out to her home and we spend time talking, drinking chai, and doing art of some form or another.  It's the one day of the week that I let go of all other stuff and spend the morning surrounded by paints, ink, easels, brushes, etc.

One day I may even have something to show from it!