23.3.09

Art and Some Things that Annoy Me

So, I made another painting. This was a quick one, done mainly over this past weekend.



I call this one "Nighttime" and the other one I made "Daytime". This one's the better of the two. By far. I'm getting better.

But I'm not the only one who noticed that I've improved. So, I had this up on the easel, all set to work on it, and I go to get my paint. On the way back, palette in hand, I hear my painting teacher say, "This is really good!" I notice that he and a bunch of my other classmates are standing in front of my painting. He goes on to say, "Look at the transparency of the water! Brilliant! And the greens are wonderful!" I wanted to say "Who are you, and what have you done with my painting teacher?" but I don't think he would have understood the English. It's the first second compliment he's ever given me. He also broke his vow of ignoring everything I do and said, "You should make this part a little darker, BUT DON'T SCREW IT UP BECAUSE IT'S SO GOOD RIGHT NOW." He uses a lot of hand signals when he talks to me, probably because he doesn't think I understand Spanish. I know what "lejos" means, jerk. Finally, as I'm walking out, he says something much more in character: "I didn't think you could make something that good." Whatevs. I'm happy with it.

I like the stars best. They give, in my opinion, a contrast to the darker, more subtle tone of the rest of the piece, adding some cohesion that prevents things, like the left edge of the mountain, from fading entirely into the sky. I also like the reflection. Instead of making the reflection shorter than the actual objects, like I did last time, I made it the same height. I also blurred the ridges inside the mountain, which I didn't do last time. I'm getting better at this. I think one more and I should be good. BUT, we're moving on to hands and faces, now, so no such luck. However, bringing what I've learned about ignoring everything my teacher says into the future, I should be good. I really like the tone of Nighttime. I like it a lot.

So, some things that are starting to annoy me. Way back a long time ago, I remarked on the fact that sharing is incredibly important here. Well, maybe it's just my American lens, but this is starting to grate on me. Not the sharing chips, or things like that, because I'm just as often the receiver as the giver on that end. But I'll give you an example, the one that really bothered me.

The other day, we had a test in Technical Drawing. Now, in Technical Drawing, we have to make very exact measurements and things. This particular day, I had left my ruler at home, and making do with my 30º and 45º triangles, which happen to have mini-rulers on them, so I wasn't in the best of moods anyway. But then Edwin turns around (he sits in front of me) and says, "Lend me your 45º triangle." Normally, I'd give him the triangle, but I didn't have my ruler, and you need two rulers/triangles at the same time to do anything in Technical Drawing. And I'm quite clearly using both of my triangles when he asks me. I say, "No, I'm using it right now." And Edwin says, "Apurra." 'Apurra' is the command for of the verb 'apurrar', which means "to move quickly". So, Edwin was saying "Hurry up." Now, this bothered me, for the obvious reason, but it was mainly his tone. He said "Apurra" in a way that said, "I don't have time for you to be wasting by not giving me your triangle." The way he said it made it seem like he felt entitled to having my triangle, and my not giving it to him was irksome and tiring. It really bothered me.

But it's not just that. Every day in my painting class, I lend out at least three of my paintbrushes to different people, who often try to return them to me without washing them. I ask "Where are your paintbrushes?" and the answers are usually along the lines of "I left them at home" or "I've been meaning to buy some, but I just don't have the time". Now, I understand if you don't have a paintbrush one day, but on a regular basis, it bothers me. And I really don't think it's that they can't afford paintbrushes. I mean, maybe there's something I don't know, probably is, but it doesn't seem to me like this is a problem for some of these kids.

Now, I just want to say that this is a very small problem, and it's affected by all sorts of cultural things that I've only scratched the layer of, but this blog is mainly to talk about how emo I am I feel, and this is the way I feel.

Another thing that bothered me. Rafael Correa was on the radio today, responding to something that Obama said, I think about the drugs in Columbia. I quote (as well as I can remember it): "What a poor ignorant person. He should try learning something, open a book sometime." Correa is incredibly anti-American, which is probably a shrewd political move. Anita mentions a lot that Correa's a real ingrate because an American university (I dunno which) gave him a scholarship to study there, and now he rails against the US every chance he gets. It really takes living outside of the country to make one a real patriot. Everytime someone takes a potshot at America, I take it personally. Probably not the best thing to do, and I don't respond usually when this happens, but I do. Oh well. I know they (usually) don't mean to offend me.

kthxchow.

3 comments:

Ben said...

Chavez said the same thing as Correa, just about word for word. Your president copies Venezuela's.

I never ever ever have pencils or pens in school, I borrow people's and don't give them back. Idk if we can still be friends.

and most importantly,

THAT PAINTING IS AMAZING.

you are improving quickly.

that black girl artist said...

Dear Son,

The painting is great work - because you are teaching yourself. Each piece you do improves and strengthens you. In this one I especially like the 3d effect of the mountain in shadows, the look of the sky behind it and the water reflection of the moon.

Keep going - I see murals and drawings on the wall of the JLAB genetic research institute.

Love you
your mom

Anonymous said...

Whoa. You paint really well :D

Yeah, one guy in my 18.02 class asked me if he could borrow a pen for the class. At the end, he puts it in his backpack. I poke him and say, "Hey, can I have my pen back?" He looks somewhat sheepish, at least.

People these days.