“Draw yourself as a majestic fountain.” WHAT?!?
That was my honest reaction last Wednesday as I settled into a one-night art class with Revelry Art and Dance Studio owner Jess Thomas. I had come expecting to learn how to paint breathtaking memories like her. Instead, I was now frantically trying to draw, with a permanent pen, a picture of me as a fountain vomiting water. Very majestic.
Perhaps I should explain.
For several years now I’ve known Jess both professionally and personally. In 100 Mile House, it can be hard to meet people in their mid-twenties to thirties and she’s always been someone I enjoy chatting with. After visiting her first solo show Nostalgia at Parkside Gallerythis month I decided to take her up on a chance to learn her process along with several other community members.
READ MORE: Memories and identity explored through paint
Arriving at the studio after work I awkwardly stood around with the other aspiring artists as Jess put the finishing touches on our artistic setup for the night. We were assigned four to a table stacked with paint, pens and sheets of paper.
Without much preamble, Jess launched right into her lesson. She had us all draw a border around a piece of paper and then draw a portrait of ourselves turning into a vegetable. No stick figures allowed!
I chose to go with a cartoon carrot, going with the flow of her music as we all started to loosen up. Then came the dreaded, but hysterical, fountain challenge. Finally, she had us all draw a picture of ourselves doing something we did that day, but dressed as Batman.
Jess explained that drawing ourselves is the hardest thing we can do and I have to agree with her. So much of our appearance we take for granted and when it comes time to put pen to paper it’s hard to pick what represents you. I chose to focus on my often messy hair, big smile, a camera and the blue hoodie I wear like a uniform in the fall and winter.
With the creative juices flowing, Jess showed us her technique for how she comes up with an idea for a painting.
Using a piece of blank paper divided into four quadrants she had us start brainstorming memories that made us feel happy. I thought back to my travels to Southeast Asia, playing games with my brothers and relaxing at the beach, among others.
We were then tasked with selecting one of those memories and expanding on it. I chose the lazy days I spend at the beach down in Kamloops during the summer. There’s something about the combination of warmth, nature’s beauty and peace that just appealed to me. I’ll just go for a swim in the river and then sit on my beanbag chair and read a good book, all while totally relaxed.
Capturing that feeling visually, however, proved to be a bit more of a challenge than I’d thought. I have such a clear image of the large sandbar beach, the distant view of the mountains and epic cloud formations crossing the sky above me but bringing that to life required a little visual aid.
Popping out my phone I quickly found a photo of the beach and used it as a template. It helped focus my mind and before long I had a passable sketch put to paper.
Then came the exciting part. Painting! I eagerly squirted out several paints into my palette raring to go. When I saw that our canvas was about the size of a postcard I quickly realized I’d been a little overzealous in how much paint I used. Sorry, Jess!
When it came time to put paint to paper I took a page out of her book and used some vivid colours. The clouds became neon pink, the mountains a pale white and the beach was a mix of gold and brown. The end result won’t win any awards but it is a piece I am proud of.
Before we left Jess had us all tape our paintings and sketches to the wall in a mini art show. I was struck by the creativity of so many of my fellow classmates. Each of us had our own style from my cartoony and sloppy sensibilities to paintings that looked ready for the Parkside Art Gallery.
I left the class with a smile on my face and a newfound appreciation for how artists like Jess create the paintings I write about every month. Now has this made me want to trade in my pen for a brush? No, but it’s given me the knowledge that, if I ever want to, I’ll have a lot of fun doing it.
But no more drawings of me as a fountain! That’s one image no one needs to revisit.
