Location: Arts 'n' Spirits - Chicago
Task #5
After work on Christmas Eve Eve Eve, since all my shopping and wrapping were done, Laura and I headed to Bucktown for a painting class. Arts 'n' Spirits is a cute little studio, that is set up like a boutique in the front. They sell purses and jewelry and other accessories. A crystal chandelier was the main source of light above 5 tables lined with canvases set on easils.
Laura and I spent much of the time before the demonstration debating which colors to use. We put every interesting hue on our palette, deciding in the end to stick with the artist's original color scheme.
We discovered it was more of a Let's-Drink-Some-Wine-And-Oh-By-The-Way-There-Is-A-Canvas-In- Front- Of-You Class. We, unlike the majority of the rest of the class, took it pretty seriously though. I barely made it to a second glass of wine, and was several steps behind the instructor in painting the "Wishing Flower". So was Laura, who started over probably twice.
When the demonstration ended we both were still working furiously, trying to perfect every aspect of our creation, and were the last two to finish. I have to say I was pretty happy with my end result, as was Laura. Both painting looked slightly different then the original, but, at the risk of sounding conceited, turned out better than most of our "classmates'". Then once we finally put the brushes down for good, the instructor took our picture with our work, probably to hang with the those of the many previous participants - including a guy, who at a glance could easily be mistaken for my father.
Some of the steps were difficult: finding the right shades of each color, mixing and remixing paint, putting enough black on baby brush to make visible stems, distributing the colored "pollen" to create an aesthetically pleasing, balanced compostition, using highlights to make a more realistic effect. But for the most part I found the exercise relaxing and theraputic. I felt my self slipping into my own world where I could focus completely on the task at hand and shut out all the distractions from my daily life. And unlike my day job, having a completed work at the end of my efforts gave me a great sense of accomplishment.
The whole experience reminded me of when I was still in school, when painting, drawing, and writing were a part of my everyday activities. It made me realize how much I miss that part of my life, how I need to make time for the things that I truly enjoy, the things that make me feel dynamic and fullfilled, rather then settling for the stagnant redundant nights on the couch or in a bar.
So again, to anyone remotely interested in taking an art class, this is something you should try. It doesn't matter your skill level, just bring some wine and enjoy the ride.
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| Getting in the spirit |
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| Phase One |
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| The Stem - More difficult than it looks |
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| Nearly Done |
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| My End Result |
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| Tada! |
