This has been so fun! With Jennifer Fairbanks in town, not only is there the gallery I mentioned in an earlier post, but she’s also teaching oil painting classes. I am so thankful a couple of friends mentioned having taken an art class with Jennifer when she was in town for a summer a few years ago.
I do not think of myself as the painting class type, but I didn’t really think of these friends as the painting class type either, so that helped me get over that misconception (that I need an art pedigree before taking an art class.)
My friends had described the painting class as a welcome change of pace in their day. I didn’t know what that meant, but I thought that if they enjoy it, I’d probably enjoy it. So I joined the new class.
A change of pace is exactly what it is. It is extremely absorbing. You step into another world, shutting out politics and economic woes and strife and illness and focus on one little problem: paint what I see. Of course that fans out into many interesting problems – including identifying what I really see – but bit by bit the problems seem solvable for the most part. Or if not, I say to myself, “oh well, this is only my third painting, I will improve.”
Jennifer creates a very supportive atmosphere and is a good teacher. I have already learned a lot in my three classes so far. The artwork of the women who have had more classes is really inspiring! So I really do think I’ll improve and already my eye is improving.
