| "I didn't have any desire to learn to paint. Watching my father struggle to master the techniques of his style only reinforced my attitude. In fact, I could sum up the entire art of painting in one word----BORING. |
My first encounter proved to be exciting and I took home an awesome oil painting." "Around 1985, after retirement, my father began painting using Acrylics. He lived in Arizona and I in Massachusetts. On occasion, he would send me a painting or pictures of his most recent works. They were nice, and his technique improved........ever so gradual. Whereas he certainly enjoyed each painting he created, his works did anything but motivate me to paint." "I loved his work because it was his and he was having such fun. But the work didn't appear exciting to me. I didn't have any desire to paint. Watching his struggles to master the techniques of his style only reinforced my attitude. In fact, I could sum up the entire art of painting in one word----BORING." "This changed in January, 1992 at a flea market just outside Taunton, MA of all places. As my wife and I walked up and down the aisles on that cold, January Saturday we saw an excellent demonstration of the "Wet-On-Wet" oil painting Technique." "So on this fateful day I told this demonstrator and his sidekick, 'Man, you're crazy! Not anyone can do this. You must be an artist or have a great deal of talent.' I was so convinced I could never paint that we spent 15 minutes arguing." "Finally the sidekick said, 'Listen, the class is free. You don't have to pay a penny. But if you want the painting you've done, it'll cost you $35.00.' That was fine. I could live with this proposal. So I sat down. - I'd never painted before in my life.
- I can't draw.
- My idea of art was drawing stick men.
- I knew nothing about art and had zero talent."
- In fact, I had absolutely no interest in painting.
- Painting was about as exciting as watching grass grow.
- PLEASE What Was I Doing Here?
"The class started and before long, I wanted to succeed. I wanted to be proven wrong. I wanted to believe that I could do it! I, a 43 year old bald guy that couldn't paint, draw or had an ounce of artistic talent ever. I actually wanted to succeed! I wear hearing aids, so I listened real hard to each and every word the instructor uttered. He said to do something, I did it. Didn't ask why, just did it." "Absolute magic happened. I don't know how, but the following 4 hours were the most delightful time I ever had. I totally forgot about everything else in the whole world and just concentrated on my little world on canvas. It was one of the most beautiful times I'd ever experienced. When the four hours were up, a masterpiece has replace my blank canvas. Mind you, not just another painting, but an honest-to-goodness masterpiece that I had painted and proudly displayed to every living soul I know. I still have my masterpiece today and it proudly hangs in my family room."
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