Painting is like Riding a Bicycle

The title of this entry makes as much sense as "your face is like your mom". Essentially it is, because you share genetics, but the two joke-retorts form a similar structure to a double-negative: something you don't want to use. Unless of course you don't have full command of English yet, and you want to tell your friend that they look just like their mother. This blurb has nothing to do with the rest of my entry, but it was fun to write.

Today I realized that if you don't use it you lost it. Maybe not completely, but seeing my art skills wane, definitely made me lose it a little bit. It's really frustrating not to be able to imitate what I see onto the page in a close enough likeness, especially after my head grew so large from getting the Mona Lisa (almost) correctly. Out of my (re-) growing obsession with Tudor history, I decided to draw the Anne Boleyn miniature, and, while it's coming out not as bad as I'd thought it will, her neck is far too long and I'm terrified of starting the face. This is bad, ladies and gentlemen. This is what happens when you've neglected your talents for half a year. You get back on the bike, you fall, you feel stupid.

As inspiration, I've been looking a whole lot at the works of my favourite Renaissance masters, such as Hans Holbein, and the ninja turtles, need I say more. (Hans Holbein and the Ninja Turtles sounds like the name of a band. Maybe they play lutes and bang drums with paintbrushes? While eating pizza?) I find the use of colour particularly fascinating, just because of how lit the paintings look. From candle to face to scenery, everything is so vibrant almost like it emits light in itself. I should also mention the spectacular portrayal of texture in fabrics! I have never been able to reproduce a fabric so finely that you can tell at once that this one's silk, that's taffeta, and this one is the richest of velvets. I guess, though, that's why they're masters, and I'm the university student who forgets to paint because she forgets she's actually good at stuff.

ANYWHO, the whole point of this ramble is to remind myself to paint more often, and to remind anyone who reads this (not sure why I have a delusion of an audience but it's always a nice thought) not to forget to do what brings you pleasure regardless of the challenges in its way. If you say "well partying brings me pleasure" I say no it doesn't because you get drunk and then don't remember what happened. Also, it doesn't take skill. You feel better about yourself when you feel useful.