I started the day off playing Greta van Fleet as I drove to Rochelle to pick up Jerry’s aunt Sue.  We had a painting workshop at an art gallery in DeKalb, IL, and Jerry had invited his aunt along to help me.

I arrived at her house, she hopped in my car and we were off.  We talked about what we wanted to paint today–I told her that usually, if you provide a little inspiration on the whiteboard the kids will push forward with their own ideas.  We were undecided between a St. Patrick’s Day theme and an Easter theme, but went for Easter.  “Man,” Sue said.  “I wish I woulda known!  I’d have practiced drawing bunnies.”

A Painting Workshop Master: Portrait of Jerry’s Aunt

I was particularly excited to bring Sue along to the workshop.  Jerry had inspired her to become a painter, and I’d watched as she developed a style all her own.  We arrived at Jubilee Artisans Gallery in downtown DeKalb a little over an hour early, and started to set up.  The gallery has most of its paintings near the storefront, with studios in the back for artists and classes.  Our space had a few tables and a large blackboard.  We were positioned right across from a wonderful woman, adding paint to a clay business holder.  We started to set up–me trying to find the best way to arrange a space I’d never seen before.

We set up the banners, the painting materials, and the whiteboard.  Sue started off drawing a bunny, which she thought was only fair.  She drew a second bunny, and liked this one more.  I added a baby chick.  Both of us added Easter eggs with stripes and polka dots to complete the effect.  

I managed to take a selfie with a lovely Batman painting near the front of the store, a Michael Keaton portrait with extra pink and neon green to add flair.  The art on the walls was diverse, but I found myself drawn to the work with the brightest colors–all of it felt fresh, and the bright colors and patterns on the walls made the whole gallery hum with inspiration.

Sue was already talking with the woman, Niffer, telling her about how she’d started to paint.  “I’ve always been a hippy at heart, but I was born in ‘69 so I guess I kinda missed it.”  Niffer, born in ‘71, felt the same.  “But about 5 years ago, for my fiftieth birthday, my sister,” (Jerry’s mom) “threw me this huge party and I wanted to make something to say thank you.  I was originally going to write a poem for her, but my nephew talked me into doing a painting.”

She’d been nervous, doing her first painting.  But Jerry said “if you can draw something three times you can paint it.”  So she started drawing some flowers that she wanted to paint, three times.  5 years later she has sketchbooks filled with drawings and an apartment filled with paintings.  

We only had one student, a girl who’d been at the comic book workshop we held here a few weeks before.  We warmed up as usual, drawing me in a WACKY way: Sue drew me with big ears and crazy eyes.  The girl drew a human mannequin and added cat ears and a tail.  “I have four cats,” Sue said.  The girl responded “I have FIVE cats!”  And told us their names.  

Treat People With Kindness: The Group Painting

I started off painting a large canvas on the easel at the front of the class.  I painted this a layer of solid pink while the girl and Sue started their own paintings.  Sue had already drawn a bunny, its paws perched over a ledge, and wanted to paint this.  The girl had a photo of the Kishwaukee river that she was excited to put on canvas.  Eventually I sat down, asking Sue and then the girl to add their own vision to the canvas.  I liked the girl’s picture, with its tree and use of perspective.  I got the idea that I wanted to paint something somewhat similar, and drawing all these Easter things had me thinking of spring.  So I started to “sketch” my painting with neon green paint–a flowerpot with sunflowers in it, sitting on a ledge in front of a river that flowed more or less the way the girl’s did in her painting, with a tree behind it.  I started to add blue for the sky, yellow for the sunflowers, and pink for flowers on the trees.

The workshop was done before I knew it.  The girl added purple mountains to the group painting, as well as an orange sun with a funny expression, and the letters TPWK.  She said that it stood for “treat people with kindness,” which was a Harry Styles quote.  As we painted she talked about her pets, the music she liked (Harry Styles more so than One Direction, as well as a few KPOP bands).  By the time her mom showed up she’d made a beautiful painting, the river in blue with the tree behind it a convincing triangular shape.  I told them that we had an ACTING workshop coming up, and then another comic book workshop in April.

We packed up our things and headed for lunch.  Another woman had an embroidery workshop after us.  I put our paintings–especially the group painting–in my car as carefully as I could, hoping that it wouldn’t smear.  As I drove to Portillo’s I kept thinking about my own painting–there was still a bit of green showing from the initial sketch, and I found myself adding more shading in my head, bringing the sunflowers forward in the picture and adding detail to the pink flowers I’d added to the tree.  

“Your Next Breakthrough is Within Reach”

After lunch I drove Sue home.  She talked about her big plans for the weekend: making smoked brisket, brussel sprouts and pineapple for her brother-in-law’s birthday.  She’d have to prep the brisket the night before, trimming the fat so it could start smoking early in the morning.  Like any other art, smoking meats requires patience, and a dedication that bleeds into every aspect of the process–how you trim the meat, what wood chips you add to the smoker, how you season the meat, how you monitor the internal temperature until the brisket is perfectly cooked through.

I’d spend the rest of my day trying to apply the same philosophy to our comic book workshops–making new Facebook Events, sending emails to libraries and park districts, adding new art and ideas to make the next batch of workshops the best ever.  Poetry month is coming up, and I’ve been writing new poems even as Jerry and I try to think of new ways to bring the music of words to our workshops.  The weekend would end with a kind of breakthrough–after a full plate of brisket and brussel sprouts I’d go home, start juggling, and set new personal records, keeping the balls in the air longer and with more consistency.  It seems like it takes longer, to make a juggler than to make a painting or a brisket.  But whatever art you’re trying to learn, dear reader, KEEP AT IT!  Your next breakthrough is within reach, if you only grab for it.