Art class - happy me

Friday, September 6, 2019
Brunch is amazing. Dony cooks our favorites, including a mushroom ball that is amazing. We have a nice visit - he's become dear to us over the past years.

Afterward, we celebrate 2 graduates with a late lunch at Miss Bee (blueberry acai bowl below). We love the communities of young people around here. There are several circles of relationships, mostly of university students and young professionals.

I spend a few more hours at the office. I renew the bulletin board and do a few other "littles" to finish the day. The wind is blowing the leaves off the trees: at BIC, the security guards sweep the lawns and tennis court with stiff brooms three times a day. It's like a NW autumn at the end of dry season. (This pic is taken 2 hours after the last "sweep" - the lawn and court are covered in brown leaves.)

I have my last Earl Grey teabag from Trader Joe.

Meanwhile, W has spent 12 hours compiling my first book from Scrivener to Kindle. It's back and forth editing - what a pain to use this "helpful" program. Good thing he's doing it; It's doubtful that I could ever have figured it out.

Back home, I rework the flowers from the last weeks' bouquets into a few new arrangements. They're placed around the house to cheer me up when the clouds come overhead. The old rose petals dry on the oven cover, where the breeze swoops under the laundry roof into the back kitchen. I'll use them for potpourri sometime.

Saturday
I'm up early in the morning. I love the natural beauty here; I've collected moss and seeds that are new to me - they're around the office and the house.

Today's the first art class I've taken in Bandung. After a trip downtown, I find a group of +60 university students waiting outside the building. The instructor from Wednesday's art show sees me arrive and brings me inside. "You don't have to be a student. Just come in and watch," he offers.

Um, I really want to learn something. And I want to play with the paints. I pay my fee, chat with the organizers, and when the students are let in, sit with them. I'm the only senior besides the artists. I thought these guys were art majors, but most of them are just here for a fun painting workshop, sponsored by the Indonesian Watercolor Society.

One of the art shops hands out 3 watercolor sets per table: Cotman, Hahnemühle, and Koi brands. They also give attendees coupons for 1/2 off anything in the store. Cool. I won't get to the shop for the dates offered, but hopefully we'll all be inspired. We each get a pack of 5X7" papers to try.

We have distinguished instructors. First, they teach us about perspective. I can't understand much Indonesian but one of the students offers to translate. She wants to practice her English. I have never understood how perspective lines are chosen - until today. The artist stays until I get it.

I get it! It was worth $5 for the class, that's for sure. I finally find out what the starting points are for all the parts of perspective ... (about time). I'll play around with that. Someone comes around and gives me a few extra blank pages. Thank you.

The students refuse to switch tables when encourage to do so. They just stay seated. So the instructors rotate. (I learn something about culture, too.) While the artists are moving, I pass around Caran D'ache watercolor crayons and some other paints and brushes for the students to play with. It's fun seeing what they come up with. (Over the past years, I've brought a lot of my art supplies from Seattle - I have to use up what I have before I buy ANY more!)

Our second module is an abstract of leaves on stalks, Chinese style. We splash bright red paint on the page to finish off. The artist makes it all look effortless because she's done it 1000 times. But what a variety of skill and geometry among students, even in a simple exercise. I dash off 3 tries, one of which I'm ok with (above). I'll play with that again, too.

Finally, we paint a water lotus (actually a waterlily). The artist's painting is simple and right. Mine is ... much less. haha But we're all having fun. When I look around the table, some of the kids are drawing tulips, berries, and all kinds of other things. I try two waterlily paintings and suddenly the morning is gone and the workshop is over.

Traffic is crazy on the way home, just like every weekend.

We pick up the BIC flower provided every week by Ibu Fenny. They are stunning - what a gift this florist has! We drop them at the hall at BIC before heading home. W is just coming back from his appointments in town, too.

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*Look at the proud! Their spirit is not right in them, but the righteous live by their faith. Habakkuk 2:4

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:29

Moravian Prayer: Lord, teach us to be humble as we follow in your footsteps. Renew a right spirit within us. As we learn to trust you and give ourselves fully to you, we will find the rest and peace that we all seek. Amen.