It never gets old; hearing compliments about one's work. Even after all these years, hearing someone say that they want to LIVE in one of my paintings brings me joy.
There was a day, some years ago, when compliments, coming from artists to a woman who had never picked up a brush, may have changed how she saw herself.
We were attending a workshop, held in a picturesque Rocky Mountain town. Our instructor would begin our day with a lesson, then we were on our own to explore, sketch and paint. In late afternoon, we would meet again for tea, treats and critiques.
The woman I'm remembering denied painting or ever wanting to. She was attending the workshop as a mini holiday; to enjoy extra time with her daughter. For the first couple of days, she sat and enjoyed the lovely garden which was our "home base". There were tall trees offering shade and the birds rarely stopped singing.
There were art supplies available on the porch, donated by the artists, for anyone who wanted to try a new medium. The brushes and paints had been used, but the papers and canvases were new, some still in the packages.
On Day 3, the woman wandered to the porch and chose some well worn oil pastels. "Oh, just for fun!", she said.
When we met at the end of the day, after over 7 hours of painting in the sun, we were spent. We plunked our studies on the easels set up in the garden, poured cups of tea and sat in the shade until the critique began. Many of us had attended other workshops together, so our styles were familiar and we complimented each other's work.
Then we saw it; one tiny canvas, close to the ground on the last rung of the easel. You could hear the intake of breath as one person asked, "WHO painted THAT?!"
It was a tiny red flower, on a muted, smudged background; the layers of colour swirling, suggesting a thriving garden. Seeing the technique of the Old Masters made our hearts skip. We, as a group, could only DREAM of painting at this level.
You guessed it...the visitor had taken the old pastels and created a mini masterpiece. She was shy to admit it was her work at first. She simply said, "I love flowers. I'm a gardener...NOT an artist".
I recall the group howling with joy and laughter, "Oh YES, my dear, YOU are an artist!" She realized she had firmly landed with Kindred Spirits who couldn't wait to see what she would create next.
I'd love to say that she continued her artistic journey, but the truth is, I don't know. For the rest of that week though, she paid attention to the early morning lessons, then ventured off to bravely conquer every artistic challenge that presented itself.
Thank you for spending this time with me,
Lori xx