Success! First Art Class!

Yesterday was my first art class.  I survived, and the teacher didn't quit in a rage because I was the worst student he'd ever come across. I mean, maybe I WAS the worst student ever, but if he felt that way, he didn't say that to me.  In all honestly though, it was fun. There's more classes on tap, so it's not over yet.

After digging out the smock that was one of my dad's work shirts from days when he was 1) alive and 2) working for the man in corporate USA, I headed down to Key West. I allowed 1 hour and 12 minutes for drive time thinking I would be exceptionally early. That would've been fine with me since I was wondering how the parking situation would be upon arrival. Parking was not an issue; driving was. It took me 1 hour and 10 minutes to get door to door to where I needed to go. Now, I adore visitors, I really do. I make a good chunk of my living entertaining visitors from around the world, and also I like to travel (not that I've done any traveling since buying this place...), so I too am on the other side of the discussion when people talk about visitors, since I'm a visitor too as soon as I leave my own place. But.... I'm sorry to say every now and again, there is a really bad visitor. One of those really bad visitors was about 20 cars in front of me. I joined the line of traffic at about Ramrod, and the traffic just built up behind me from there... no exaggeration there was a line of conservatively speaking 50 cars, all because one person. Now, I couldn't exactly figure what was going on in that minivan far ahead, but he was not keeping constant speed... faster, slower, faster, slower, unfortunately usually slower. I consoled myself for the better part of the ride with serious B-52 car karaoke, but that only goes so far. By the time I got to Rockland Key where the highway gives 2 sweet merciful lanes, I still couldn't pass.  The offending minivan with out of state plates blocked the left lane, as the slower traffic was in the right lane. It got to be a little dicey as some people were being very impatient, tailgating and so forth. I dug deep and persevered til I finally came bumper to tailpipe with the minivan and made my move to pass. And, what did I see astounded me... an entire car of visitors literally pointing cameras here and there, with one person camcording the entire ride down the Keys. The recorder, and the passenger were hanging half out the window. Oh please, have mercy on some of us. The line of more than 50 cars had a lot of people trying to get from one place to another on lunch hour, or simply do marketing. Others were on vacation too, but trust me no matter how beautiful that ride is, it becomes unpleasant when you have things like this going on.

I made it to class literally with 2 minutes to spare.

I rushed into the building and checked in. It was a full house, and I began scanning for an empty seat. The tables were all set up with paint, brushes, palettes, and blank canvas. People were chatting together and laughing. I was alone, and knew not a soul... or so I thought. I saw a front row corner seat where no one was sitting, rushed up there and sat down upon learning it was unoccupied. I took a deep breath and to the only person next to me said "that was a hell ride down from Big Pine" to which she replied "I live on Big Pine!" Small world, eh? And, next thing we learned is not only do we both live on Big Pine, but we both live on the same street. I've been here 8 years, and it took that long plus a trip to Key West for an art class to meet one of my neighbors from up the street.  I really do need to get out more.

So, yesterday I learned about primary colors, how to mix them to get lots of other colors, and what black and white does to color. I learned how words mean different things in the painting world (like "field," which for me usually means cows or strawberries, but in painting it means something very different!) And, more than anything I learned how to wipe my brush on my sleeve to look like a real painter. And, so I did. My dad's shirt will never be the same. I also learned that my dad's shirt does NOT block the paint, and I spent about 10 minutes after class washing off all the paint that had soaked through the sleeve onto my bare skin.  Fun.

When I saw the pattern on the board up front of what we were going to paint, I was absolutely convinced I would not be able to do it, and I would go home with either an incomplete painting, or something I would consider an abstract because there would be no other explanation for what was about to become of my canvas. I hate to admit this, but when it comes to learning new things I have more difficulties than the average person for a few reasons that I'd rather not get into here. So, I remembered that I was there for fun, that I wanted to learn, and that there wouldn't be a test at the end. I listened to the instructor, and did as he said.  To my astonishment, I came home with a completed project. It's definitely a little wonky here and there, but I painted and finished a canvas!

The other happy vegan said he wants to hang it up. I said no thank you, and for now it's sitting on a table. I'm not sure what to do with it, because as critical as I am of it, I'm proud of it. I cannot believe that teacher, that artist, had it in him to actually teach me in a way I could follow so that I walked out of there with a painting that probably most people can identify what it is (it's a papaya tree... I say that now before I publish the picture here so if you DON'T know what it is, you will now). My interpretation of said papaya tree probably has a touch of Monsanto GMO in it because it is a little wonky, but it's still essentially a papaya.  And, without further delay, here is my very first completed canvas.

My first original

I've got more classes as the month progresses, I'm looking forward to them even more than I was before yesterday. The teacher is Rick Worth, and he has a show I believe opening this Friday at the Lucky Street Gallery in Key West with another artist. If the stars align at all, I will find a way to go. I've been a fan of his for years, although I do not own any of his work... someday I will. And, my fingers are crossed that in this class he somehow works in how to paint animals, since I'm especially challenged when it comes to faces and perspective.  Keep your fingers crossed, ok?