Getting Into It

I was really getting into it. I had paint in my eye and on my eyelid and I hadn’t even noticed until my concerned teacher shouted across the room for me to immediately go wash my eye out. I was amused by myself. I was also angry and I made it known. I had spent 1/4 of the class on the phone with the school I am working at directing their middle school drama afterschool program. The basketball schedule for the middle school had just come out the previous week and although my audition had been scheduled and advertised for months, I was now going to have an extra rush audition after-school for the 8 kids that had to be at a basketball tournament on the audition day. I announced to the class how I know ‘hate’ sports because of the never ending sports vs. arts drama that inevitably ensues at schools. My teacher instructed me to use that anger and get painting. I set out painting two canvases, one of the ocean following the painting lesson of the day and the second painting was of my Grandparent’s house in the morning. I had my aunt send me a photo of the house that morning on my way to class and worked off of my phone.

While everyone was working on large canvases from previous classes that were gorgeous I was working on tiny canvases making juvenile paintings. But I liked them. The tiny painting of my granparent’s house turned out to be jam-packed with details that were somewhat time-consuming. Additionally, it was very therapeutic day for me because as I painted my Grandparents house of 64 years as my Grandpa recently passed away, I was able to enter into the mourning process at the same time. Perhaps that why I didn’t notice the paint in my eye.

I’m not finished with this painting yet and I’m looking forward to bringing this special place to life in this little canvas next class.