Story Weekend: Art
John and I just got home from the gallery where he shows his art photography. Tonight was the grand opening of the gallery’s new space and wow, was it packed! Walking from room to room was a treat and the variety of paintings, photography, pottery, glass, jewelry etc was amazing. Some of it I love and some of it, well, I don’t. It started me thinking how we all have different tastes and experiences when it comes to art. I’d like to hear about yours. I’ll add my story tomorrow because right now I’m ready to crash, but I look forward to reading what you have to say.
If you’re new to Story Weekend, here’s how it works: I pick a theme and you share something from your life that relates to that theme, however you interpret it. Thanks to all of you who’ve been contributing. As always, there are a few “rules”:
▪ The story must be true.
▪ Try to keep it under 100 words. Embrace the challenge! That’s about six or seven lines in the comment form. I want others to read your story, and most people tend to skip if it’s too long. I know how tough it is to “write tight” but I hope you’ll accept this as a challenge.
▪ Avoid offensive language.
I’ll add my story on Saturday! Have a good weekend.
Fourth grade. Everyone drawing Santa Claus. I captured his round cheeks and white beard and bright blue eyes beautifully and my teacher loved it so much, she asked me to draw a poster of him for the classroom (where about a third of the kids were Jewish, now that I think of it. Geesh). I decided this time to give him purple eyes, because to draw him the same way twice would be boring. My teacher was not happy! Santa didn’t grace the classroom wall and I learned a good lesson: some people have no imagination!
Santa with purple eyes probably looked kinda stoned! 🙂
Okay, Diane, my faux pas occured in high school. Drawings by art class were proudly displayed on the school’s corridors. They had been up for several days when the principal pointed out to me that, in practicing drawing perspective, I had drawn a railroad track with the railroad ties on the top of the rails! That would have made for a mighty bumpy train ride. 🙂
Hmm. . . I think those tracks must have been laid by someone with purple eyes…
I thinik you’re right!
I cannot draw to save my life. I suck at all other arts also. Music, sculpture, acting. I have two brothers and one of them was a talented artist ever since he was born. While epeople were ohhhing and ahhhing over his paintings I was STEAMING with envy. I felt useless. My other brother is a highly skilled pianist, I never got past basic level quitar lessons. As a kid I felt like an ugly duckling next to my talented brothers. I was an adult when I found out my talent in cooking and baking. Now people are ohhing and ahhing over my gingerbread houses. I was over 30 when I also discovered I have a talent in origami. I dont feel like ugly duckling any more, but my childhood memories are very strong.
When I was little I attended a Catholic kindergarten run by nuns. It was coming up to Christmas and we were all asked to colour in a picture of a Christmas tree with crayons. My eyesight wasn’t the best, and I accidentally chose a black crayon instead of a green one. When I realized my mistake I decided that the Christmas tree had been burnt during a bush fire (these were commonplace in the area I grew up in). When the nun saw what colour I was using I can remember her yelling at me in front of everyone. My mother was called, and she had to have a meeting with the head nun.
Needless to say my mother removed me from the kindergarten. I’ve never forgotten it, because it was an innocent mistake. I guess not everyone likes black Christmas trees!
When I read your idea for Story Weekend, I was thinking..I know NOTHIING about Art…At school, I am a Para in a Severe and Profound handicapped classroom. We do a lot of “Art” work for our students. My favorite saying is I flunked coloring since first grade.. But my Dad, he could draw. He was amazing, but he never really did anything with that. I was about 5 and he drew life size drawings of Bugs Bunny, Yosimite Sam and Road Runner on my walls. I can still remember when he painted them. I wish we had taken photos of those drawings. My mother can draw, my brothers can both play the guitar and as for me…well I can’t. I can’t sing or even whistle…but I am still banging on the keys of the piano I got for Christmas a few years ago. I have taught myself all I can..now I need lessons, but you know…some times, somethings cannot be learned by another person. hmmmmm
I love art.Collect it wherever we travel. I believe that life is art and we all are the canvas. Having said that I cannot draw a stick man to save my soul but my partner’s uncle here in Ireland was a famous artist and a peer and friend of W.B.Yeats. We have been researching his life and and the story that resinates in my soul is the bronze bust that Lawrence Capbell did of W.B’s life’s passion Maude Gomme. She never married him despite many proposals( she married another) yet he loved here til he died. The day the bronze bust of her in her advancing years was revealed in the National Gallery ,W.B. Yeats sat beside it and wept. Such is enduring and timeless love. We should all be so blessed.
Oh, wow.
Sorry Lawrence Campbell was the artist’s name.
Having just returned from Hawaii, she decided to try & capture the bungalow they stayed in on canvas. The cobalt and indigo blues were mixed for sea and sky, while the sepias and tans for the cottage were laid down with precision…oranges and reds for highlights and the greens of the palm trees as they swayed in the wind. At sunset, dad was threw mowing his acreage and put the tractor away; coming inside the look of amazement as his jaw dropped told it all. She was 15 and said to him ‘I want to be an artist dad’. His reply?…’honey, you are an artist’.
margo, I’m so proud to have some of your work in my home!
Thank you Diane…I’m honored just knowing you have some of my paintings!
Wanted to tell you how much I LOVE your new hair style!! It’s SO ATTRACTIVE on you!!
Thanks, Margo.
My grandfather worked in gold leaf, creating beautiful reverse paintings, and my mother was an excellent cartoonist but my little sis, who had the real talent in the family, could do it all and worked in pastels, ink, water colors, oils and potter’s clay. My only claim to fame is the washable artwork on display in my grandson’s shower however, since Seth is my biggest fan, the washable capability may never be an issue unless the family relocates to another home or until Seth turns 21, whichever comes first!
Actually, I am aware that I have an artist’s eye but I sometimes surprise myself! Currently on Seth’s shower wall there is a wonderful rendition of Big Brown Nut Hare, of the “Guess How Much I Love You” Hare’s, with his arms spread wide, looking up to the moon and stating, “Up to the moon and back.” Code for Seth! There is also a great Rudolph that Seth has not allowed to be removed since I drew him, Christmas, 2010. Seth will turn 21 on July 7, 2025; I’ll update you then:)
Although washable bath crayons are a great medium my favorite is photography. I simply enjoy capturing a moment in time to reflect upon, especially of the human face! There are countless expressions showing every emotion a person is feeling and exactly the moment they are feeling it is the moment I like to suspend in time.