You may recall, she's the patron, as well as, great friend, who purchased "Dancing Waters" in September. She's also the lady who turned her master bedroom into an art studio, but has had a bit of a struggle overcoming the things which keep many of us from diving into the artistic deep end, so to speak. That's what she tells us, but maybe she's already turning out great work, keeping it to herself. Her immense undiscovered talent is only exceeded by her humility.
Today she overcame her reluctance, (and fears) and made some seriously good corrections, as well as, additions to what from this day forward shall forever be known as her first self-portrait. We talked about technique and all sorts of other painting things today. She painted and I painted. Her marks were well considered and she nailed colors and values like a pro. Fact is, I was more than ready to announce my surrender and give all of my brushes and paints to her. Yes, friends, she is that good. If I can just get her to believe in herself and her talent, she will be a great painter. We ended our day with a glass of wonderful Italian wine and some cheese, conversing about her painting displayed in front of us.
She took the painting home this afternoon, in order to consider it at her leisure. Tomorrow may bring further work and I can hardly wait to hear her overnight analysis. Infinite possibilities remain and I will assume the role of obedient assistant, offering suggestions whenever solicited by her. My excitement about this painting and Pats work on it is off the charts and I must tell you, few things are more amazing than seeing the flowering of her talent. I hope your day was as wonderful as mine!
Well....GADZOOKS, that is a fabulous portrait! Looks to me like you are a fantastic mentor and that Pat was crazy-lucky to be able to spend so much quality time with you. You are like her "Maestro" now (.........right?)
ReplyDeleteGood Evening Celeste,
ReplyDeleteMany thanks, Celeste, but I couldn't have done it without Pat, as both subject and collaborator. She was bold today and took up a brush with only a little urging. I had hoped that she'd be a player today and she was more than up to the task. She put aside her trepidation at "ruining" the painting and almost immediately was caught up in the joy of making marks on canvas.
In fact, she re-worked her eyebrows to perfection. Working from a photo, they were giving me fits, but she knew what was needed, mixed an appropriate color and bailed me out. It was fun to behold.
I'll probably never reach the Maestro level, which is okay by me as long as I can pass along the lessons I learned from the real Maestro.
Thanks for the great comment, Celeste, and have a wonderful tomorrow.
Sincerely,
Gary.
You are not only a very talented and skilled artist, but a mentor to others to see their talent and help them shine - what a great post and I can hear/read your thrill at her stepping up and doing so well!
ReplyDeleteHi Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteAnd so are you, my Dear! It's nice of you to write such a generous comment and yes, it was tremendously exciting to see Pat going for it. I've seen a couple of pieces she did quite awhile ago which show her talent and great eye.
I'm not certain why she stopped painting, but it is indeed a thrill to see the "fire in her belly" rekindled. You know exactly what I'm talking about, don't you, Maestra!
Have a wonderful weekend, Rhonda.
Sincerely,
Gary.
Gary you know I didn't understand your blog at first. Now you are my inspiration. Wonderful portrait--but then you know that. You're a hell-of-a portrait artist.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning Tigers Fan,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Linda. You may know that I was born and raised in Battle Creek and would live and die with every game as a kid. I vividly recall being taught in Sunday school, that God answers prayers. One summer evening we were listening to a game between the Tigers and the Yankees, all tied-up in the ninth inning. Don't cha know I was praying as hard as I could for Al Kaline to drive in the winning run! Unfortunately, God must have been busy listening to the appeals of Yankee fans and didn't hear mine. That experience was so traumatizing I never recovered. I have not been in a church since.
On a lighter note, your words are most kind and mean so much to me. If anything I do pleases, helps or inspires, it's because I stand on the shoulders of giants. All of those wonderful people who have shared their gifts and knowledge with the next generation, throughout history, made me what I am today. The generosity demonstrated by those countless men and women inspire me every day to keep learning, to strive to do my best and most importantly, to share what I've learned with anyone who has the creative spirit.
Whew! That all sounds pretty highfalutin, but you know what I mean because I see the same traits evident on your blog. You give freely and fearlessly to those who follow your site, sharing the full spectrum of your art experience. Ups and downs, successes and less than successful work, product knowledge, workshop experiences and life lessons. I believe we're kindred spirits, but you have more guts than me. That's why I am so appreciative of your comments.
Thanks, as always, Linda, and may our Detroit Tigers prevail on skill, if not prayer!
Sincerely,
Gary.
Experts. Both of you! I love her wonderful smile and happy eyes both in life and in her (self) portrait. What a cool thing to do for and with a good friend. I hope you get lots of opportunities to share your gifts in Hawaii.
ReplyDeleteGood Evening Lisa,
ReplyDeleteI don't know about experts...more like fellow travelers on the road of discovery. Yeah...that sounds about right.
I must make sure Pat reads this comment, Lisa. She does have happy eyes and a sparkle in her personality, too.
I hope so, too, with respect to sharing with folks in Hawaii. It is gratifying beyond anything I've ever done. I toyed with the idea of being a history teacher after the navy, but wasn't sure I'd be able to take the raspberries from the many kids who don't see the value in it.
My experience working with Pat has been completely positive and that makes me want to continue even more.
Thanks for stopping by, Lisa.
Sincerely,
Gary.