The Big Mix-UP Part 2 or How My Bubble Burst
- Jean
- Apr 2, 2019
- 2 min read
Yes, yes, color mixing is important, but a slice of humble pie can mix things up too.
Earlier, I said two things. One was that a little black goes a long way. The other is that I was amazed by my first painting. So amazed, in fact, that I was filled with confidence, felt I was terribly talented, and so emboldened as to enroll in a Parks and Rec six session painting class. We were to bring examples of previous paintings to the first class. Needless to say, I brought my lily painting. I waited for the compliments as the instructor inspected it closely, and then, without saying a word, handed it back to me. I was confused….mixed up. Could it be that it wasn’t a masterpiece?
Nevertheless I put on my big girl panties, and vowed to learn all that I could from this class. The instructor made a point early on, to tell us that true black is seldom seen in nature. She went on to say that if you look closely, most things aren’t really black, so we should look carefully at the colors of the subject we are painting.
My subject was Taos Pueblo in New Mexico. I found out, as the classes progressed that this was an ambitious choice after my lily. I knew, though, that I could do it. Why stick with something easy when I’ve got so much talent? During one session, I was looking closely at the photo I was painting from. It appeared that certain shadows were truly black. I was confidently, and I should say, liberally, applying black paint to my canvas when I heard, the instructor shout from across the room, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Looking up, I saw her running directly towards me! For the next, what seemed like eternity, she huffed, puffed, and fussed at me about using black in front of the whole class.
POOF! Ego deflated. Negative self talk initiated. "I have no talent. I can’t do this. Who am I kidding? I'll never be an artist" Eating humble pie. Humiliated. Defeated.
In the end, I never did finish the painting. I’ll always remember sitting sheepishly during the last class with nothing to show, as everyone else displayed their beautiful finished products.
The painting still sits in a box in my studio.
Next up: Coloring! A real project we can do together.
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