Always wanting to enhance our potential, Sleepless signed several of us up for an art class taught by Ice Cream Man’s Mom.
I arrived fashionably late because they wouldn’t call it ‘fashionably’ late if it wasn’t both fashionable and artsy. Sleepless, Standard Time and One And Done were in grubs and ready to paint, so I grabbed my wine and we started the class.
Ice Cream Man’s Mom started with an overview of art, emphasizing the three most important elements (in order of importance): paper, paint and brush. As she explained the process of mixing the paint with water, One And Done was in awe, “I had no idea there was so much chemistry in art.” That surprised me as well. I specifically focused on a degree in the arts to avoid science classes.
Ice Cream Man’s Mom did not delay turning knowledge into practice and had us prepare our paper for the paint. As we were creating grids on our paper, she reminded us, “just two inches.” “That’s what she said,” I mumbled while measuring eight, I mean two, inch grids.
Ice Cream Mom’s Man continued to instruct and with each comment, there was school girl giggling. “I know you’ve got comments. What are they?” Standard Time asked me. I sent her a text highlighting some of my notes and favorite quotes, “I usually like to control it a little by holding it in my left hand and hitting it with my right. Most uncontrollable is a rigor. A long one is good.” I was, of course, referring to the third most important element, the paint brush.
“Remember to do a fast splash in the water when you’re dipping the tip,” Ice Cream Man’s Mom advised us. Fast splash. Is that what the kids are calling it these days?
As Sleepless began the ‘paint flick’ portion of the evening, she stated, “I’ll be a squirter for sure.” This statement conflicted with a statement she made once while we were on a walk, “I’m not old enough to be a squirter.” Regardless, I’m certain Ice Cream Man’s Mom thinks each of us are a hot mess, primarily, because I thought I heard her say so. Turns out, I was wrong, she was referring to a type of paper, hot press. Hot mess, hot press, hot flash, fast splash, can’t wait for the next art clash, I mean class.