In Praise of Pencils, Pens, Crayons, Paint and all like that

 Just a little tale about the dawning of desire for and appreciation of the tools of the art trade. The awakening aesthetic sense is very distinct in my memory. It's probably a slight case of synesthesia. My mom's deep red ruched Christmas tree rope with the light shining through the red cellophane might be my first color memory.

My first remembrances of art materials date from kindergarten in 1953.  We had those old crayons with the flat side, so they didn't roll away.  We had the old style oil based clay that had a smell that I still remember with a ghost the excitement I felt for it.  We also had the old ugly poster paints that so many children have used to paint terrible little paintings on huge sheets of newsprint paper.  I think I saw one of my old works recently in some stuff of my mother's.  It was all blue.  I wonder why.  I was never all that impressed with my children's beginning art works.  I always wanted them to do better!

The materials were just about as important to me as anything I was going to do with them.

Did any of you do those paint by number kits?  I did quite a few of them.  They were my introduction to oil paints.  I took a somewhat cavalier attitude toward the idea of just filling in the numbered areas.  But I tried to do them right anyhow.

Did anybody send in the drawing you were supposed to copy and sent to the address in the magazine ad?  I did that too, with pencil.  Of course they said I was a whiz and I should take their lessons.  Didn't do it.

At some point in grade school I remember doing my own paintings on that paper they sold for oil painting on, in a tablet.  It was textured to resemble canvas.

All through the upper grades from 7th on I got to be the big cheese at school in art classes.  Teachers didn't make me do assignments.  They usually said just do what you want.  I now wish that there had been some more in the way of technical instruction, but back then they didn't want to stifle ya.

I was in love with my oil paints.  So fat and heavily pigmented.  I hated the early acrylics.  So plastic and boring and looked really bad.

(This is really just an open thread, like they all really are.) 

I managed three years of college classes before bailing and getting hitched.  All through those years I was one of those grubby art majors.  We loved our stuff.  I still love all my little materials.  Oh, modern acrylics are great. Much improved.

BTW, all red crayons were mine!  One of the kids gifted me with a great huge very special large red pastel in a special box not long ago.  I still have the best red crayon.  Because Red*Is*Best!!

heh............