I rest my case...

Sometimes The Divine dishes up delicious fun, in the form of "coincidence".  Tuesday, I wrote about painting over previous work, and about the idea that anyone who really wants to learn to do something artistic can do so.  On Wednesday, I started this week's new project, which is to change the faux brick around an archway that I painted a few years ago.  This had been bid previously, but I wasn't thinking of it when I wrote Tuesday's post, though it might have been lurking in the shadows of my mind.  I didn't catch the connection until my client, sitting at the table watching me start to sketch the design for a plaster brick surround, asked "What do you charge for art lessons?  I want to learn to draw, I mean, like real things.  Do you think I'm too old to learn?"  She's a few years older than me, and no, she hadn't read Tuesday's post.

Arch with "broken plaster and brick" (before upgrade).

She showed me some "How to Draw" books she had bought herself, and her practice sketches, which were pretty good.  The problem is that the books show you a finished drawing, then what lines to draw at each step, so you essentially learn to copy someone else's sketch.  It's not a bad way to start, but Lorine wanted to draw her own pictures.  I'm not taking on new students right now, but since she was going to sit and watch me work anyway, I figured I might as well give her some instruction while I primed and taped.

Still life with drop cloth and clutter.

Looking around her kitchen, I found a handful of objects to combine with the coffee cup she had in her hand, and told her to take a last swig and pull up a chair.  I gave her a few quick pointers about drawing crosshairs on her paper, then finding the center of the group of objects in front of her.  I had her figure out the proportions of the topiary, and from there, showed her how to compare that to everything else, so she could get all the objects drawn to the same scale.  While Lexie the chihuahua supervised, I mixed mud, and Lorine scribbled, erased, muttered, fussed, scribbled, took a break to do her nails, groused, sketched, erased, sketched a bit more, and finally pronounced it done.

First drawing lesson, Lorine Schweiters.  Yes, first lesson. 

Learning to draw is basically about learning to see.  Lorine started the day insisting she couldn't draw from life, but by the end of the day, she was seeing herself in a new light.  While I was there today finishing trowelling on the plaster faux bricks, she had her daughter on Amazon, ordering Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain.  As I said, genetics are irrelevant.  Age is irrelevant.  Barring physical limitations (maybe), you can learn to do just about anything you truly want to learn.  Lorine recommends you not try arguing this point with me.

Curious to see the new and improved archway?  I'll post photos next Tuesday.  Can I just say, this new blog schedule feels very strange?  I would never have thought it to be so ingrained that switching writing days would actually make me feel a bit off kilter, but it has.  They say changing your routine, trying new things, or trying things in new ways is good for you.  Worked for Lorine, should work for me.  How 'bout you?

Wanna risk being bullied into a drawing lesson while I paint your walls?  I'm not that tough on all my clients, I promise, only the ones who really ask for it.  You can check out my portfolio at theartofthehome.com.

Questions or comments?  Leave them below, or feel free to contact me at dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.