In the beginning...
Picking up my brush for the first time I stared at the bright, white of the canvas before me..I had decided that I wanted to take up painting. I had studied art in school (admittedly quite a few years ago!) and had watched 'Rolf on Art' on tv..oh, and I'd read a book..I was practically a qualified artist!!
So, how hard could this painting business be!
I kept looking at the canvas..waiting...inspiration was going to strike at any moment. I did a quick backward glance at the table, checking I had everything I needed. My nice new brushes were all neatly lined up, I had put out the turpentine and linseed oil into glasses. I didn't much like the smell of the turpentine, or the linseed oil, or the paints for that matter..but I'd just have to put up with it, a small sacrifice.
I was still waiting...I hadn't realised just how bright white could be! my eyes were beginning to get sore. I was really hoping that inspiration wouldn't be too much longer, otherwise I was going to have to go and get my sunglasses and I was pretty sure that wasn't a good look for a potential budding artist!
I wondered what artists wore when they were painting..obvioulsy Tracey Emin wore her pyjamas. How did she know when she got up that morning that she had created a modern masterpiece? What was she thinking?..I pondered on this because that is what great artists do, they think a lot..I tried to imagine. She probably thought, I don't want to have to stare at another bright, white canvas (or make my bed!), here's an idea, I'll just ship my bedroom off to the Tate, say it's the future of British Art and hopefully Charles Saatchi will buy it!! Wish I'd thought of that! Aaahh, that canvas is giving me a headache!!!
Still nothing!!..how long does inspiration take?!! I must explain that I'm not the most patient person that God ever put on this earth. In fact, when He was handing out patience, I wasn't even in the queue! I'm an A to C kinda girl, can't be bothered going through B. However on this occasion I had even by-passed C and was swiftly approaching D, for despair!!
I realised as I stood looking at the very blank, very white, empty canvas, that inspiration was not going to necessarily come to me that easily..in fact, the realisation hit me, that I might have to 'work' to find it. I was beginning to wish I'd taken up quantum physics or something a lot easier than art!!
Right, that's it, I can't look at this white any longer! Paint was squeezed onto the palette, brushes dipped in turpentine and suddenly the white was a little less white. A colour here, a brush stroke there, it didn't look much but if felt great! I was painting!
I can't say how long it would have taken for inspiration to strike when I was standing there in front of my first canvas and I can't say that my art has ever been inspired but I have loved every second that I have spent painting and you never know, one day inspiration might strike and then watch out Tracey Emin!
