Day 4: Painting Progress

Today was an "interesting" day at painting. I had been wrong about who the instructor/facilitator was because he, Don, showed up today. Apparently, he was hospitalized for something and this was his first return back to the crew. They all were thrilled to see him and bustled around him like he was the long lost patriarch of the painting class.

He is elderly. Like REALLY elderly. Maybe its because he's recovering but being in a temporary wheelchair didn't make him seem any younger than 75. I mean no disrespect but I want you to get a visual of this man scooting about with the tips of his feet in his wheelchair with his white fly away hair. I want to think he has an oxygen tank too, but I think that's just my imagination.

I introduced myself and he seemed to have a sense of humor, I guess. After I said, "I'm Jacqueline." He said, "You are? I thought your name was Mike."

Later on in class he scooted (remember the old Tim Conway character that use to scoot?) back to my area to take a look at my painting.

He said: "Do you like scarves?"
I wondered if he was thinking my painting needed a scarf. "Uh, yes, I do."
"You need a scarf. What color do you like?"
"I like red. Ohh, or orange!" I replied.
"Okay, I will knit you a red scarf."
And that was the conversation.
I can't wait!

Later on during class another of the "retired" ladies slipped and got her leg caught in a metal folding chair and slammed the floor. I saw the whole thing and thought for sure she smacked the side of her head good. After she fell, she lay there completely still as we all rushed over. I honestly was expecting her to be totally unconscious, but she came to and was fine. Wow, I want whatever geriatric drugs SHE's taking. My vitamins are just not cutting it. Thank God, she didn't seem to have any injuries and just wanted to get back to painting.

As for me, I did not have such an "on day" of painting. I think part of it was that I did not sleep well last night and felt "oogy" all morning even after 2 cups of coffee. I still did enjoy it tremendously, but am not so sure of the direction of my painting. I started on the portrait of Danny and I. This is the first "under painting" part of it, so it won't really look like us. To those of you who don't know, an under painting is like the sketch of what you are painting. Today, I sketched it in and focused on filling in areas that were dark and light.

But even still, I am not happy with today's progress. I can't decide if the painting is evolving, or if I need to salvage it. I'm hoping for better results next week. And for no more medical situations from the other students.