A first for us this week with a custom made holiday for Nick and Glynis’s 40th wedding anniversary. Glynis looked a little shell shocked when they arrived . Surpri-ise! – although very relieved it didn’t involve golf clubs. Nick had told me that they only wanted to paint in the mornings allowing them to explore the area and spend some time together. So the normal course was curtailed and, because I wanted them to go home with a couple of decent paintings, the drawing had to give. They didn’t let me down, despite being complete beginners they both produced some cracking pictures and the mantra of the week must be – Don’t worry you can just wipe it off! – oh the joy of oil paint.
Fate has dealt Glynis and Nick a squiffy hand in the last year, but it was great to see them relax and enjoy themselves over the week as they developed a new skill.
Nick was used to dealing with plans and was surprised that he had to mix colours, expecting them to come straight out of the tube (rolls eyes heavenward) but once he got away from lines and into patches he enjoyed himself working out ways to represent different subjects and textures. There is a reason we don’t hang plans on the wall, or build a house from an oil painting.
Glynis was lacking in confidence and had been left alone for too long with an eraser. Once that was removed, and she had to go with what she felt, there was no holding her back. She has quite a knack with light.
Andrea and I enjoyed the week so much, not hard since both were very amusing and interesting company, that we are considering running a half – day week next year, and will definately be up for more custom built courses.
We only skated over the surface of the various aspects of painting but they returned home with tentative plans to remove the hot tub and put in a studio. Bravo to that, you get over the novelty of hot water but painting is a constant surprise.
