Becoming An Artist 101: 3 Lessons I Learned from My First Art Class
I have been painting for 25 years. In the spring of 1999, we had just sold a business and had three of our four children. My youngest then, Hayden, was 1, and we just celebrated his 26th birthday. I count my years as a painter based on his age. This year, I’m reflecting on my first painting class 25 years ago.
The Prologue
I never had a plan of becoming a painter. Other than kindergarten and elementary school art projects, I had not dabbled in art. I grew up in a family of “I can do that…” so I had experience upholstering furniture, tiling floors, and sewing my prom dress - among other projects. But I focused my occupation on books and eventual law school.
After practicing with a large legal firm for 11 years, I took a leave to open a grocery store. Yes, a small, specialty grocery store that brought in staff from all over the country. That “can do” experience to this day has been the most educational and difficult. We sold to another grocery chain. What then? Back to law was the plan. Then, true epiphany-like, I realized that the law firm, research, and travel was not an option with three small children. Next came yet another pivot.
Lesson #1: Know your place, then cross the room
Not one to sit idle, I signed up for an art class at the Greenville County Museum of Art. I showed up among an older group of women who had been regulars in this class for years. I was quickly informed that I had set up in someone else’s spot, requiring a sliding of my easel across the room. Mistake one. Next, the class was informed that the instructor had a serious illness and she would not be teaching that day, or for the whole term. Opportunity two.
Lesson #2: Study values and value studies
A fellow student, Jackie, realized I knew NOTHING about painting and suggested I start with a value study. I didn’t know what that was, but she walked me through using black, white, and one other color to create a value painting using mixtures based on one to ten, lightest to darkest.
I was hooked - and very challenged. I began “studying” everything I could read on old masters of the craft and their techniques. During this time, my young family had their basic needs met but cereal became a favorite dish for supper. My husband never complained and was very supportive. I guess he realized that I was at the bottom of the learning curve and my painting needed a lot of attention.
Lesson #3: Get by with a little help from a friend.
I painted constantly, as if I were a lawyer working with a time sheet. So much to learn. I also checked in with a friend, Lisa Tice, who was a talented portrait painter. Lisa was so kind and so generous with her help. One of my earliest paintings of my daughter was a canvas created under her supervision. She would ask if I saw the lavender or green shadows, I have to admit I usually didn’t. But with time and her patient explanations, I would squint my eyes and the colors would sometimes tease me.
I wish I could share a photo of the eggplant painting I worked on with values of the blue-green viridian color that I had chosen but I somehow “lost” or disposed of it. This student, Jackie, was my true first teacher. I really should find her and thank her.
