Home again..

I’ve returned home after my week-long odyssey where I was beckoned into dark corners of hidden knowledge and the mysteries of so many years were revealed to me.

OK, nothing quite so dramatic. It was an art workshop. However, it was beyond any doubt the best one I’ve ever attended.

It’s hard for me know just where to begin when describing my experience. Larry Elmore is a patient teacher, and an all-around joy to be around. There were several times throughout the week when he would make a statement that almost literally echoed thoughts I had in the past. All the starry-eyed wonder and nervousness that I had felt during the months prior quickly evaporated after meeting him in person. We were peers, because that was how he treated us.

What he had planned for us to work on was indeed quite challenging. For many of us, it meant taxing us to the extent of our abilities and teasing us just a little forward. Many times I could tell that Larry was worried that the subject he had chosen was too difficult. I’m of the opinion that it being so difficult was a good thing. In order to effectively learn, the challenge must be high. It’s something akin to tossing someone into a pool of water where their only recourse is to either learn to swim, or sink.

Those who were in attendance with me were some of the nicest, easy going people I have met in a while. If I had to put an amount of time to it, I think we considered each other strangers for at most half a day. After a few days time we were all like old friends. It occurred to me about midway through the week that I should have realized as much, considering what we all had in common. We are all artists, we all shared a passion for the fantasy genre, and all possessed a mutual admiration for Larry and his work.  I truly hope that we all maintain some level of contact with one another.

The accommodations were everything that was needed to make the week what it was. It was a beautiful, remote destination spot where the food was incredible and our hosts ever so gracious. Ken Whitman and family made my stay a highly relaxing one. In the evenings Ken would regale us with his wit and humor, and I can say that it has been a long time since I laughed that much, and at times, that hard.

All these things combined make a recipe for an experience that could easily be considered life-changing. I came away from the week armed with all sorts of valuable tidbits of knowledge regarding the process of painting.

In addition to that, I came away with one even greater, more valuable thing: confidence.

For months I stressed over whether or not I would belong in a class like that. I didn’t want to drag down the pace, or wind up somehow monopolizing Larry’s time because I could not keep up. I realize now that it was either paranoia, or just my tendency to judge myself too harshly. While I won’t claim to have created a masterpiece, it was a damn fair shot better than any painting I had ever done in the past. The greatest lesson this week taught me is that somewhere within me is the ability to do this, and the potential to do it well. All that remains now is to put forth the effort to make it so. Prior to this past week no such confidence existed, and now my motivation has never been higher.

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