So a few years has past by. Art-wise it is a blur. I have nothing to show for those years. However I am sure I made many drawings. Up to that stage I only used pencils, colored pencils and crayons, maybe even watercolor. I was now in Standard 4, or Grade 6 in today’s terms. We had art classes in Primary school. I remember I enjoyed those classes a lot. It was my favorite class.
Sometime during that year my art teacher asked me if I want to enter a painting competition. She obviously liked having a kid in class who actually want to do art. Many children see art class as “off class”. They see it as a time to do nothing, or a time to do homework. So I said yes. I went home and told my mom.
My mom was also excited for me, that is until I announced that I want to use oil paint. That meant that she now has to buy me some paint. I grew up in Heidelberg in the old Transvaal. It was a small town and there was no art material shop. So we had to drive to the nearest larger town which was Springs. My mom bought me 4 tubes of oil paint and a brush. The colors were: black, yellow, red and white. That was it, not even the primaries. My mom had no clue and neither did I. Now I know that that palette is almost the well known Zorn palette. It is only the yellow that was different from the Yellow Ocher used by Zorn.
Anyway, we went home and my dad cut me a piece of hard board to paint on. I didn’t know I should prime the board. I didn’t have a palette for my paint, I didn’t have an easel. I had my paint, a brush and a board. I painted a fiery mountain scene, using the paint straight from the tubes. No mixing of colors, just like that. I immediately loved using oil paint. I loved the smell – I still do.
I entered my painting. Fortunately I took a photo of it (apologies for the poor quality of the photo), because I have no clue what happened to that painting.
I WON the competition! Springs here we come. I need more supplies!
