“Okay, guys, let’s take a break for lunch. Make sure to clean up your brushes and scrape off your palates. See you back at 1”.
I look over at Maddy. Her hands are covered in charcoal and she’s staring intently at a black smudge on her, otherwise, white shorts. I can almost hear her thoughts. She desperately wants to brush the charcoal dust off her shorts, but can’t figure out a way to do it without making more of a mess. Oh, Maddy. She’s using her elbow.
In front of me is my canvas. I’ve sketched out long delicate aloe leaves. They look smooth, and at the same time spiky. They way aloe plants are. I pack up my paint tubes and head towards my locker. I spin the dial clockwise, counter clockwise and clockwise again. I give the lock a sharp yank, and it pops open. I notice Leah looking towards me. She’s helped me open my locker the last two days in a row when I couldn’t figure out the combination. I give her a triumphant grin and she laughs.
Heading down the stairs, I see the doors leading to the foyer. I swear, those doors are the bane of my existence. Push, or pull? It’s a fifty-fifty situation. I can never remember which way. I pull. Nope. Push. No one’s around, but I do a quick check to make sure.
I’m munching on my croissant sandwich and the tomatoes keep plopping out the bottom. My fingers are stained with ink. There is paint caked under my nails. Viridian 195. Maddy is standing on the periphery of the lunch hall. With both hands she holds her metal bento box style lunch container. She is just standing there. I wave her over and she looks relieved. Over lunch, Analiese tells us she wants to shave her head and get it tattooed like the Avatar.
It is week two at the Emily Carr Junior Art Intensive. Everyone here is an art nerd.
I love it.