So, two weeks ago, my friend, Meg, asked me to go to an art class run by this wonderful woman, Elena, who runs this art class for non-artists on Tuesday mornings. Of course, I wanted to say no. I am not an artist. But my friend Meg assured me that she isn't an artist, and that it would be fine. I said Okay. I am a good sport, also.
Then we got this email from the instructor, this lovely woman named Elena, about our first class, which was going to be this morning. She is really kind, and I like her, and I really like her husband, Dan, who was my son's AP Physics teacher. But this email was a little intimidating. Be at the door by 10, so she can let us in (I am always a few minutes late...now I have pressure.) The class will be a little large...there will be a period of drawing, using different medium, and then a period of group critique.
Whoa, whoa, whoa......Drawing??? I can't draw. That is why I am going to the class. And medium??? I am definitely in over my head. But I am a lawyer, and I have handled en banc court motion arguments...I could handle those things. But the group critique??? I am sorry, but critique sounds an awful lot like criticism, which is another thing I don't do very well. I don't like criticism. I actually don't like criticism of my family or friends, for that matter. The only thing I like about criticism is when I am doing it, which certain people think I do a lot, but that is another story.....maybe told in a legal brief some day.
So, I texted Meg, and said words to the effect of "whoa, whoa, whoa...what is going on here??" And Meg assured me I would be fine. That is kind of what Meg does, which is why I like her.
So, today, I peeled into the parking lot of the place at 9:59.....just in time. As soon as we went upstairs, I knew I was in trouble. We said our hellos, and she kind of went around the room, describing the artistic background of each person. I have no artistic background, and so she stopped at me, and just kind of jumped over me. There was a lovely older woman sitting next to me, which I soon discovered was her mother-in-law. Elena referred to her as Mom, so I started calling her Mom. She was adorable....until I started to annoy her.
But at first, Mom was adorable. Her son, who I like so much, is Dan, who is a teacher at my son's school. He is a really good person. Like when one of the teachers was really, really, sick last year, he just kind of stepped in for the sick teacher so the sick teacher could rest, and because he knew the boys in this particular class needed a good instructor (it was AP Physics). Dan is just, as my aunt would say, a really good egg.
But, for his mother. She claimed not to be an artist, either. I never learned her name. I called her Mom the whole class. We chatted and talked a little more than we should have....I told her how much I liked her son, etc, etc. We liked each other, at first. Even though she turned my sketch book without me asking her for advice. But I was willing to let that slide.
Our first assignment was a still life of three objects. I didn't do too badly, except that I put an artist's palette on the ruler, and made the palette too small, which I tried to cover by shading...it didn't really work. But I was okay. I wasn't horrible....yet.
But then we had to pick out one, and do it larger, in a different medium....charcoal. I thought it was good for me to pick the tape dispenser, since it had lots of things to draw, but I was wrong. It is too complicated for a non-draw-er like myself.
Meg, on the other hand, was great!! This was her large single object charcoal. Seriously...she obviously has some latent talent. Can you see the detail on the lid??
Sorry, Meg, I am publishing this without your permission. Some day, you will thank me.
My favorite part, though, was the group critique. Elena is unbelievably affirming. She said something about my drawing to the effect that "I love the way you weren't afraid to use the whole space." Yes!! I wasn't afraid!!
Mom and I had been sharing a table as workspace, we also shared a large piece of paper. We were standing out in the hallway with the artwork on the floor, and after my group critique, Elena said words to the effect of "does anyone have anything to say about Mom's drawing?" and Mom turned to me, and all 5 feet of her said "Shut Up!" Not in a mean way...in fact, I think I laughed, but obviously I had worn out my welcome with her. We did hug at the end (she was visiting from Boston, and was on her way to Clark's Summit to see one of her daughters), but I don't think she will miss me.
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