My Calling is Calling

I’ve recently had a wild desire to do artsy things.  Van Gough things … although I’d keep my ears on the sides of my head.  I found myself in the art store yesterday, pricing canvases, paints, brushes.  An easel.  A palate with a thumb hole and plenty of room for wonderful dollops of paint.  I can nearly smell an oil painting in process.

My father was an artist and worked at his craft every day until Parkinson’s took his steady hand.  Surely, it’s in my blood.  Certainly, turpentine runs in my veins.  Obviously, I’m an art machine!

But have I mentioned I suck at art?  Crayons crumble in my fingers.  Pencils snap.  Bristles inexplicably fall from my brushes.

Nevertheless, I look at pictures — especially abstracts — and think … I could SO do that!  I mean, how hard can it be when an elephant paints a masterpiece by swishing a paint-dipped tail over a canvas?  Monkeys swirl fingerpaints over some newsprint and voila! a masterpiece worth thousands.

Really, how hard can it be?

Then I found this photo of a cake frosted like Van Gogh’s Starry Night and I’m altogether humbled by the genius of such art.  I mean a CAKE, for heavens sake.  How do people think of these things?

Maybe instead of a slight fortune in painting supplies, I could instead open a simple box of Betty Crocker cake mix and create a masterpiece of sugary confection.  I’m thinking a Red Velvet Renoir … or a Mocha Monet.  A Devils Food da Vinci.  A Pineapple Upside Down Picasso.

I’ll return.  I think I hear a cupcake calling for me to artsify it.

P.S.  If you’d like to see some amazing artwork by my former school chum, Karen Merry, please go here.  I promise you’ll fall in love.  (http://www.karenmerryartist.com/)  Also, in case you’re trying to figure out what to send me as thanks for introducing you to the work of this grand artist … I’d be quite delighted to receive any one of Karen’s magnificent pieces.