Art and me

Though both could be challenging, difficult and frustrating, I always totally loved my most important role, that of being a mother. Then when my boys started getting older, I became a nurse and loved that, too. Now as both careers are behind me and I am on the brink of turning seventy, I really need to have something I can sink my teeth into, something I love to do. Perhaps it is art in one of its many forms, but I have not yet built up the needed passion for it.

At church recently I met an artist who has had a long and successful career in illustrating and portrait painting and at age seventy-six still has plenty of commissioned work to do. I decided to give him a call to ask if he could give me some art lessons emphasizing drawing and painting people. That is what I was first interested in doing. 

Today I met him at his studio to make plans for the lessons, or as I look at it, to help with the  encouragement I need. It was an interesting time. Most notably to me was his poor state of health, but he kept saying as much as to himself as to me, "I'm fine." I didn't think so. But on the positive side, I did see the wonderful portraits he is working on, and saw how he pulled a cute drawing out of what looked at first like a few messy scribbles. 

This weekend I saw the movie "Renoir" that focused on the last few years of the famed artist's life, and how he struggled to paint while his health declined. If I had not seen that, I think I would not have had as much appreciation for Chuck today. 

For my first lesson a week from now, he suggested that we go to the Riverfront with our art pads and sharpened pencils and draw people hanging out there. I hope it works out.