Humble Beginnings

Lets start at the very beginning,

a very good place to start!

My painting "career" began in standard 4 which these days are called grade 6, when my art teacher thought she saw some talent in me. She encouraged me to enter a painting competition. The school did not supply the materials, so I had to beg my mother to buy some paint, a brush and a canvas. I wanted to try my hand at oil painting. My mother and I went shopping, and she was shocked at the price of oil paint (about R0.50 per tube!). She said I can choose 4 colours, that's it. OK I didn't know anything about colours!

Had I known then what I know now, my obvious choice would have been White, Cobalt Blue, Cadmium Red and Cadmium Yellow, because then I could have mixed all the colours of the rainbow and more. I almost got it right, but instead of the blue I chose black. So I had white, yellow, red and black. I still could have done more with it colourwise, had I known that black and yellow makes green. Did you know that? Well now you do. 

But hey, it was my first painting and I'm proud of it. And best of all, I won the competition! Not often that that happens.

Fortunately I took a picture because I have NO idea what happened to the painting, but I still have the picture. So if you ever come across the painting, keep it, it might be worth millions when I reach my Renoir status.You might have to live very long! Ok, here it is, my very first oil painting. (Remember it is an old picture, quality is not good.)