I had a really really mean kindergarten teacher. Mrs. VanSickle. It is a testament to her meanness that I can remember her name 40 years later. One day upon arriving home from kindergarten, I was sporting a very large, stinging red welt on my cheek. Yes, in those days physical violence was allowed in the schools. Mrs. V had slapped me silly that day.
My infraction? I had the gall and audacity to color my duck blue. To make matters worse, I had colored outside the lines. I still remember the pleasure I got doing that. It wasn't that I was sloppy. I actually enjoyed coloring outside the lines.
After that fateful day I was terrified to color outside the lines. So much so that I was very constrained in my creativity. Somewhere along the line I came to realize that everyone is creative, and there should not be any constraints on creativity.
I began purposely breaking the rules in my painting, which was easy to do since I can't draw. Perspective and precision were thrown out as I attempted to leave my perfectionistic tendencies behind. I actually began to derive an almost perverse pleasure at purposely coloring outside the lines.
Ms. V. - I owe you a debt of gratitude. Sometimes it takes a slap in the face for me to listen to my intuition. I really enjoy coloring outside the lines and I owe it all to you. Sometimes the meanest people in our lives are there to teach us the most profound lessons.
I don't paint blue ducks these days, but I do paint blue flowers. Mrs. V. these are for you. Oh, and I threw in some pink ones for good measure.
Big Blue Flower, 200730" x 16" Behr wall paint and marker on canvas - SOLD
Big Pink Flower, 200724" x 24", Behr wall paint and marker on canvas
Blue Flower, 200616" x 20", acrylic and marker on canvas
Pink Flowers on Blue Background, 2006
16" x 20", acrylic and marker on canvas - SOLD
Blue Flowers, 2006
24" x 24", acrylic and marker on canvas - SOLD
2 comments:
Yeah, and Mrs. V? Her paintings are LOVELY. How funny, my husband looked at me strangely for teaching my daughter that sometimes the sky is pink and not blue. I just think we need to think (as well as draw!) outside the lines sometimes.
this takes me right back to my kindergarden- where all the other kids coloured the mango green when i was absorbed in shading mine with yellow & orange. in mycase i dont remember what the teacher said- but all the other kids smugly informed me that mine was 'wrong'. i was most upset. when i think back- i just feel how sensitive we were as children & how we tend to forget that when we grow up.
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