I Had An Excellent Weekend

Saturday Luke and I attended our art classes again. Last week was very nerve wracking and I came home and vomited a post about it. I was having a small anxiety fit. Pardon me and thank you for listening and encouraging. Throughout the week I thought a lot about it and considered the fact that I really did enjoy drawing in the past and that it really wasn't so bad and I really needed to suffer through this and produce something, even if it is horrible. It doesn't matter, my life's dream is not to be an artist, never has been. So, the experience will probably be about something else and that's cool.

The blue sketch is from last week. Picture a frightened, shaky, sissy. Looks like it, doesn't it?

This week, I brought my own paper, had new pens (too new and wet, I think, but it was better) and an adjusted attitude. I guess my attitude was so much better that a new lady in there thought I knew exactly what I was doing! She was new and was joking about how she felt freaked and how everyone looked so relaxed and experienced. Sound familiar? There were a couple of people whining about how they had no idea what to do. Finally, Weezy, who was traveling around the room helping all of us sissies said in a voice meant to carry to every ear in the room, "Nobody in here has any idea what they're doing!" {So, get over yourself, I think were the missing words.} Sweet words and how comforting to the ears you have no idea. Here is my sketch from this week. I am so proud of it! It looks a little like something! I think it's such a masterpiece that I guess I let my guard down and showed you what I scratched last week. Sean picked up this sketch off the kitchen table, held it upside and said, "Did Vincent Van Gogh draw this?" Some kids are just your favorites, you know?


Now, I am having fun. I'm remembering all the things I felt when I was drawing before. I remember that you mustn't draw what you think you see, but what you actually see, even though it makes no sense to your mind. I love that, for some reason, probably because that little piece of information seems capable of making everyone an artist. That's all I thought about when I used to draw, that things are not what they seem and our mind simplifies everything into "blue" "square" "shiny" whatever the adjective or noun may be. But most things are not just blue. A blue thing sitting on your window sill may appear half yellow and you never even noticed because you never had to recreate its image. Shiny things are not only shiny, but dull and even downright murky in places. And what you think is square can even be slightly round. It's all so cool. I'm psyched. Someday soon I may be painting that scene, though, so don't put away your encouraging words just yet.

Oh, and below is something Luke did. It wasn't the assigned project of his class. He finished that and then threw this together in "free time." I asked what it was and he said, "It's a still life." I said, "Oh! They set up a still life in your classroom?" "No. I just did it in my head during free time." Here I am sweating for two hours to produce those black scratches from an actual set up, and he throws this down in remaining class minutes from his head. I love how this kid amazes me.


That boy and I got baptized this weekend also. I am happy to have done it finally. It went well, but I was very shaky reading my testimony. I do tend to get shaky when I'm nervous, but in addition to that, the coil that heats the water was broken and it was absolutely FREEZING. The preacher said something about the water in the Jordan where Jesus was baptized was likely very warm. This? Not so much. =:O
The evening, however, was definitely a warm one. The people of the church came up and greeted and congratulated us...it was very nice. It feels good.