A boy who learned the art
Of being an artist
By: Richard Symes
It all started one day when I saw my uncle drawing a master piece.
A piece I will never forget for the rest of my life. Until this day I believe
it changed my life or somewhat set the path that I’m on now.
I always see my uncle draw stuff and they are all good, but on this
particular day in summer of 1976 he was drawing a park full of swan
and he drew it big, the kind that can be hanged on the wall like a
painting. I went in his room and sat for awhile just watching him at
work. Then after awhile I finally ask him can you teach me to draw
like you, and he turned around and stared at me for a minute, then
he said: "I can’t teach you how to draw it’s something that has to
come from within", at first I never understand what he meant by that,
so for the next months I went searching from within.
At first I went thru a period of tracing different art and styles, trying
to find my way, little did I know it was the beginning of great things to
come. For months I was going thru some Observational learning to
improve myself. Every now and then my uncle would look over my
shoulders and pass little remarks, but in a way of encouragement.
But what I didn’t realize he was reinforcing me with positive thoughts
to continue and don’t give up. Another is he was secretly teaching
me in his own way.
Few years had gone by and I had reached the stage of drawing
just by looking at something without tracing it. I got so good I even
enter in school art contests and won a few awards, and by doing so I
gain the confident to go on. I was starting to sense a feeling that I
had what it takes from within that uncle was talking about earlier.
What I have learn is that in life you are either a doctor, mechanic,
a scientist or an artist only you can tell from within.
05-06-2008
