Paitence is an art


Danny Creelman
Mrs. Dunsten Hoover
AP Language
6 September 2019


A blank page sits before me. Beside me, there are tubes of color sitting in a row- ten to be exact. Each one is white, 3.4 fluid ounces, and marked with an upside down “L” that matches the color inside it. I pick each up one at a time, screw off the lid, squeeze out a small bit of paint, and put it back. I then add a few drops of water to each, making sure not to add too much or too little to keep my preferred concentration. I then mix each, washing my brush in between colors. My cup of water seems to transform, every new shade making the hue shift. I put the brush on the page, and a streak of bright green breaks a white field.
    This process reflects almost every time I paint. It seems soothing, but painting can be frustrating. I often find myself looking at my reference picture and back to my work, to see that the two look nothing alike. It is very easy to blend wrong, or to make colors too saturated or choppy. While you feel like you have ruined the art, in reality, it is usually a simple fix. Paint is easy to layer, meaning you can build over your mistakes. Or, you can build off of them, allowing your mind to explore new ideas you hadn’t originally thought of.
Painting can also be tiring. When you first start, it seems calming, but it can often require you to do the same motion over and over again. Some may be fine with this, but for those who want immediate, successful results, it can be torturous. A change in technique can also help make painting more interesting for the artist. However, depending on the demands of the piece being created, sometimes that isn’t possible. 
After a long time, the page is no longer blank. Instead, a green and yellow bird is perched in the center, with splashes of color surrounding it. While painting can be challenging-with many tedious and difficult tasks- the reward is always worth it.



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