ABOUT ME

I was around 9 years old. At that time, at school, we had once per week our art class and the teacher was particularly different. She was carrying this big bold personality all the time, her presence was huge, somehow very proud of herself. She was so deep and attentive into the situations and she looked very strong, crazy and passionate.

 

I keep a clear memory of our first lesson painting with oils.

My canvas was medium-sized. We started drawing our motives with pencil, then began painting with the oils. My scene was something like this: a dark red room, with red velvet curtains, and in the center, a big window. A girl was on her back, on her knees, standing next to the window, looking outside at the blue sky.

I was enjoying, painting and painting.. until I decided to start with the beautiful blue sky in the back. And it was THEN when it happened:

Blue? Where’s the blue? Moving my hands inside the box, looking through all the metal oil tubes. I truly remember the feeling, it was a terrible frustration: I didn’t have any blue.

The -strong, crazy and passionate- teacher saw me, read my desperation, and without taking her eyes off mine, started walking intensely toward me. She came close and asked:

–What happens?

I replied with a sad voice:

–I don’t have a blue.

–Why do you need a blue? she asked.
I said, pointing:

–For the sky.

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And then she said one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard:
–So what? That’s your sky. The colour doesn’t matter, just make it yours.