All Art Requires Courage*

One of the most important things I have learned is that no matter how old I get, I should never stop learning.  Age is only a number and the more we learn and grow, the younger we are.
That being said, I have been playing at art most of my life. I never planned to make any money doing it. I have always had some talent and I enjoyed drawing. I took art in high school and college (in the 70s!)  I have cycled in and out of drawing with any regularity and there were many years where I produced nothing at all. Luckily, the dry spell is over.  Whatever cosmic force shoved me forward, I can say that I am now regularly doing art.  For the past few years, I have been taking classes at the community college to bring me back to the basics and then to learn more.  I have spread out to drawing in all types of media and into painting.  Thanks to my family, I have a space in my house that can be called a studio (corner) where I can go to ‘do art’.  It took awhile but I feel now that art is a regular part of my life and it is going to continue to be a part of it.

Taking art classes is one thing.  It is alright to fail some as you learn and try new things.  There is homework and structure and a schedule and an instructor and fellow students who critique one’s work. Not everything an artist does results in something that they like – that happens to me all the time.  But, I have been given a framework upon which to experiment and to move outward and to grow.  But that step to open one’s art up to the public is something different altogether.

So – now to the courage part.  Recently, a friend asked me to do something for her.  She asked me to paint her wedding flowers onto wine glasses to give as gifts to her bridesmaids for her wedding. 

Pause. 
Reread that. 
Then, I said yes. 

OK, let’s explore that moment.  I openly confessed to her I had never done this kind of project before but for some reason, she had faith that I would be able to do this.  So did I, initially.  Then the enormity of what she had requested of me hit me.  This is for her wedding.  These are to be gifts for her bridesmaids for her wedding.   What was I thinking?  I told my husband about this.  He was gently skeptical (I think it came out ‘are you crazy’ but not in a judgmental way at all – he was concerned – as was I!)

My answer to him was this:  I grow best and learn the most when I am challenged. 

And surprisingly enough, I was right.  I researched, I read.  I talked to other artists who had done this.  Come on, these are all over Etsy – how hard could it be, really?  I planned out a project timeline of all that needed to be done. I practiced on some other pieces.  Then, I did it.  It was not an easy project but it was a manageable project and I learned a ton.  And – I loved doing it!

When all was said and done, the bride loved them and I hope her bridesmaids loved them, too.  Oh - and I got paid to do this!  I hope to keep this up.

So...this is the part where the public chimes in and you tell me what you think of the results.

The beginning

The gerbera daisies came in three colors with one feature color on each glass.

Close-up of one of the yellow gerbers

In progress in the studio

Close up of the red daisy group

They are done!

Finished glasses - each glass has a group of one each of yellow, red and orange daisies
and then a feature color trio (red, orange, yellow or a mixed trio)

 *quote by Anne Tucker