Chapter 5. Another beginning

Mary's first class.

I climbed the long steps to my new teacher's house in Tamboerskloof overlooking Table bay. Hundreds of earthenware pots lined the pathway, stone sculptures lurked in the lush undergrowth and flowers tumbled from crevices and flowed down sculpted terraces. She must be quite wealthy, I thought, to live here in this rather upmarket part of town. Mary was standing at her front door. Behind her I could see about 6 or 7 other women, one or 2 of them from Wendy's group but other new ones. They were setting up half-finished paintings on easels. Mary  said
Hello - welcome- in a soft mellow voice. I introduced myself. She gave me a spot at a table on her patio with another woman and put a picture of a colour wheel in front of me and told me to mix colours. Take the opposites of the spectrum, mix those and make dabs on a piece of paper. I felt I knew all this already,I had been through it with Wendy, but I was too polite and shy to say so, so I spent a rather boring 2 hours just fiddling around.

I sneaked a peak at the women inside her lounge/studio working on canvases. I noticed that they all seemed to be copying from photographs or magazines. So its OK to copy, I thought with relief, After all that's what we had been doing at Wendy's and I was quite good at that. Its going to be alright I thought.

I did not see much of Mary that day. She seemed to be invisible, just floating around, her long hair tied in a long plait down her back, her feet in rough leather sandals, a floaty kind of skirt swirling around her ankles. A bit of a hippy I thought, Cool though, very relaxed and kind-looking. Contained. Gentle. I began to warm to her, getting over my resentment at Wendy's leaving. I wondered what adventures awaited me in this new, rather elevated environment. Mary's house was what I aspired to in my own life. Art books spilled from shelves in her lounge, comfortable lived in space, A fireplace, some African pieces, very arty and expressive. I liked her space and she seemed comfortable enough to share it, even allowing people to make a mess in it without her getting uptight. A good space to learn in. she did not give much instruction, just made vague cooing sounds as she made her rounds amongst us, making a suggestion here and there- how about using a touch of red there, or lighten that area.

At the tea break, we chatted a bit. I discovered she had a son the same age as my son- 3 years old. She suggested I bring him along sometime and they could play together- the maid could look after them for the morning. Sounded good to me. I had Luke in a little playgroup at the time. It would be good for him to visit another part of town. His new friend would have lots of new toys and he had a skate board, which Luke was angling for. He could try it out. Have fun, make a new friend. Jill and I had something in common. It felt good- 2 mothers together, both with sons. She had 3. I only had 2. I decided to come back the following week.

to be cont
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Chapter 4: A new teacher

I felt like I was going backwards, starting over when I had just started. I felt life was cruel. Giving me a taste of Wendy and then snatching her away to some backward town. It was not fair. I really loved my lessons. I looked forward to them with childlike anticipation. It was exciting and I always felt so good afterwards- affirmed, inspired and convinced that I was going to be an artist.This was what I had wanted to do for so long. Long before I was married and had children. Even while I was chasing rainbows in the Laboratory thinking I was going to find a cure for cancer! Slaving for hours behind a microscope looking a t bacteria, then gradually becoming disillusioned that I would never find a cure for cancer, that I was going to be destined to spend a life doing boring routine lab work, analysing shit and urine swabs for the rest of my life.

Painting was like life at the end of the tunnel. A new beginning, What I was really meant to be. I could use the experience I had had behind the microscope to inspire and inform my sense of colour. I had always found that the most exciting and interesting part of my lab work. Looking at the bacilli and streptococcus stained with gram stain and the beautiful compositions they made on the slide. The phosphorescent colours. The pattern of blood cells! That was exciting. At last I was making that happen on paper and canvas.

Oh where are you now, Wendy. Are you still in Swellendam. I would love to see you again - have a chat. Ask you about your journey and share mine over a glass of wine.

But fate had other ideas for me it seemed.

to be cont.
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Chapter 3: Still Life

At my 4th Wednesday Art class I did not have much help from the Wendy- in fact I think she disapproved of my copying the Velasquez Rockeby Venus though she said nothing. I was faithful to the original as much as possible. I did not deviate in any way. The colours were the same, the composition an exact copy. I could do this. I could copy well. It felt good. I had no standards. I was learning about Oil paint and turps and just gliding the paint around in sensuous abandon and having fun. I felt so proud of myself after I had finished it!

 If I remember my next attempt was a still life of a copper jug and some fruit. Wendy made me set it up in her studio and I copied that. I did not like it as much. It was stiff and I couldn't get the copper right. When she showed me how easy it was I was amazed that I could paint something realistic. I enjoyed it better after that. The oranges were easy. I got a feeling of depth into them without difficulty. I am quite good at this, I thought- painting is easy and fun. I added to my repertoire of colours, using ochre and burnt sienna. Exciting using new colours for the first time.

Then Wendy told the class she was leaving to go and live in Swellendam. I was devastated. I did not know if I could go on. She was so nurturing and kind and gentle and non-threatening. She made me feel like I really had talent and I could do anything if I wanted. I believed her.  I knew I would miss her terribly. She said she had found us another teacher who lived just up the road. We were to start with her  in 2 weeks.

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