STREET PAINTINGS

 

Rain fell outside, but there was cheer in the museum workshop. We were there for painting lessons by Vivian. We each worked from an easel. We were assigned the task of bringing in a photograph, trying to reproduce it on canvas with paint and brush. I brought one of my “Wall Mark” photos, hoping to produce an abstract work. Perhaps the words of Leonardo DeVinci inspired me to document these marks with my camera. The patina left by the ebb and flow of life and traffic in the city. Leonardo wrote in “A Treatise on Paining” that staring at and studying closely marks unlocked creative genius. So I hoped anyway. Vivian ran her classes like a boot camp. She moved between our easels with a dramatic flare. To her, a painting was never  completely finished. He comments always pointed, urging more effort. We all feared her sending us to the side table to practice making color charts. She looked at the abstract painting rendition of my photo and back at the photo. “I like this photo, there is more here to paint.” She said as she walked off. Then she turned back to me. “David, I am not sure you should paint this. The Street has already made a masterpiece, a work of art. Just call it a Street Painting.”