“My First”

$900

Acrylic paint on 24” x 24” x 2” canvas.

(Shipping is an additional cost.)

Although I graduated with a Visual Arts degree from Brown University, I had taken only one painting class. Years later, when I returned to school to earn my master's degree and become a high school art teacher, I needed two additional painting courses to meet the requirements for K–12 art licensure.

I was pretty nervous because I lacked confidence in my painting skills, and honestly, I was embarrassed. My first semester was a bit torturous because the professor expected Rembrandt, but I was more like Picasso—only blindfolded! Fortunately by the second semester, things finally clicked, and I appreciated the new professor being much more laid-back and encouraging.

One of our assignments was to paint a still life using random objects from the classroom. When I finally finished it, I realized something had changed. For the first time, I believed I could become a painter. That is why this painting will always be called My First.