A New Medium

Ben had a little academic assessment before starting Kindergarden and it was pointed out that he didn't stay inside the lines very well when coloring and I almost said "Thank you!" but then realized they saw this as not such a great thing. I guess years of me telling him that if he wanted to extend the landscape of his imagination beyond the bold black boundary lines in his coloring book he could because he was the artist and it was his masterpiece wasn't the quite the training they were looking for. (Side note: I have since learned to appreciate the lines in coloring books as good tools for teaching self control and following directions. There are blessings in obedience, even in coloring books!) Another reason why I'm thankful to have Ben home two days a week during the school year; we can be as creative and "boundary-less" as we want with our art.

I've always wanted to be an artist, but have never dedicated any substantial time to tapping into that dream. I've always considered myself artistic to some degree, but really what it is is a deep appreciation for all things art. I love dance, but I can't dance. I love music but I don't play. I love theater but I don't preform. And I love art. I want to paint on canvas, with oils or acrylics or watercolors or whatever. I just want to paint. I've wanted to paint for a long time and then one day I saw a huge gorgeous painting at my friend's house, that she had done herself, and I thought, "If she can buy a canvas and paint it, I can buy a canvas and paint it." (albeit not nearly as beautifully as she did, I'm sure) but I never got around to buying a canvas, and never got around to painting. More recently, while soaking up all the beautiful pieces of art at Laguna Beach's Pageant of the Masters, I was hugely inspired and fell in love with art all over again and left telling Mark I'm going to become an artist. I'm sure he was thrilled. I talked to one artist for a little bit that night and he said he started drawing when he was 40. I thought, Hey! I'm only 30! I've got 10 years on this guy!!

I do not expect to be very good. I have no technique, and have never had a desire to learn one. I took art in college and didn't do very well. I kept seeing the vase differently, and therefore drawing it differently, than I was supposed to. I'd still like to try now though. I'm ready for some color! I love to write, but there is something about getting colors on canvas that tell a story that sounds so appealing to me, even if I'm the only one who understands the story.

All this to say: my goal is to paint one canvas before my next birthday. I have a little over 2 months to accomplish this... I'm so excited! What should I paint?? How big should the canvas be?? Where will I get the money to buy said canvas?? Will I find that I love it or toss it out with the Thursday morning trash? Fun times are brewing friends! Fun times...