Recently I've been doing a quick morning sketch of some of the many items I have in various places around the house, things that are memories. Some used often, some out where I can see them and some in other places, not always visable but always there. I came across this one as I was looking for something to sketch.
This little china jam jar is what started me on this journey as an artist. It was a gift from my mother one Christmas when I was a young bride. My mother was a very talented designer and fashion was her passion. I knew she could also draw but it definitely wasn't her strong suit. When I asked her where she found this adorable little jam jar she said "I painted it." She had been taking lessons and this was one of her first pieces. My mother was always supportive of any craft I wanted to do but she did not support the idea of me as an artist. I always felt I didn't have real talent because of the many ways she discouraged me. I know now the reasons but that's another story. For now -- the Jam Jar.
In my mind I immediately thought -- if you can do this I can do this and I set about finding someone in the area where I lived who taught china painting. I found Joan Potere. Joan has since died; however, she is the teacher who really started this whole wonderful adventure in art. We became fast friends and often talked of wanting to learn oil painting because we wanted real art on our walls and budgets were tight. While she wasn't a young bride, she did have a big family so money was tight for both of us. This is one of the dinner plates from the set of six different floral place settings I did with Joan.
Another of her students was taking classes from a wonderful oil painting artist and teacher, Marion Zooner. That student, Margaret, brought in a couple of the paintings she had done in Marion's class. After she left Joan said to me, "if she can do that, we can do that." We tried to get into Marion's class but it was full. We talked Margaret into teaching us.
We studied with Margaret for a couple of years. I still have some of the paintings I did in her class. Joan had a son going off to college and her own health wasn't good so she stopped. I had moved back to Flint to go back to school and the drive got old so I quit. But neither of us quit painting. Hard to believe that was over 60 years ago. Some days it feels like I still have no clue what I'm doing when I come into the studio. Other days it seems I've gone back to the beginning. This poinsettia is one I recently did and I am reminded of china painting with Joan.
Wishing you all a Happy Thankgiving
