LESSON ONE - LA FAZIO CLASS

 In preparation for Day One, I assembled the supplies I had on hand.  These included tubes of watercolor paints over 15 years old and a simple plastic pallet with dried gobs of color.  There is no place in my house with good natural light except in my laundry room studio, and it is presently too cluttered to work in.  I could have tidied, of course, but then I'd've had to move and find places for all the WIP's sprawled across my tables and dangling from the clothesline then go looking for them when I was ready to resume work on them.  I finally decided on the kitchen/diningroom table.  It's big and under a good lighting fixture.  DH's side is littered with medical and banking stuff, but my side is clear.  I like to keep it that way in case I ever have to eat there.  Doesn't everybody dine off their laps in the den watching the news?

I download, print and read the lesson several times.  Indeed I read it correctly; we are to draw then paint real pieces of fruit.  When I'm through cringing, I look for fruit.  I have one apple and two bananas.
That'll work. But the rest of my supplies haven't arrived yet.  Hallelujah,  I'll have to wait until tomorrow!

Next day Joggles comes through with their usual efficiency,  promptness, and TLC in shipping.  A block of hot pressed, 140 wt paper and a Niji waterbrush arrive in the morning mail. I create a pleasant arrangement of apple and bananas. Today I draw and paint fruit -- as soon as I'm loose enough to work.  Nervous tension should dissipate once I get started.  Except I have a little more than stress to contend with.  If you recall from my last post I'm talking drawing angst.
My upper arms go from drum tight to jelly as I try to get down to business.  I can't possibly draw in this physical condition.  I'm a wuss, a scaredy cat.  I'm chicken excrement.

I thought I would operate in lurk and learn mode.  I would read the discussion forums but not participate -- and certainly not show my work.  Reading through the intros I was surprised there were others who shared my trepidation but were willing to lay timidness aside in order to learn.  Today I will draw and paint fruit...

Teacher!  Teacher!  My husband ate my homework.  Today I will draw and paint fruit.  An apple and one banana make an awkward composition, but today I drew and painted fruit.  My linework is unsteady,  testament to my genuine skittishness.  A fellow student posted in the forum that she'd shown her work to lots of people, all of whom said they could tell it was fruit.  That's all I could ask from this exercise.  My fruit doesn't look good enough to eat, but that's okay.  It made a dent in my mental block.  The next day I drew and painted an acorn squash.

Our class, Jane LaFazio's Sketchbook and Watercolors Journal Style, is quite large so Jane has opened a Flickr pool if you'd like to see our efforts.