My only talent is being stubborn

I often the perennial remark: "my you have got talent, I could never do that". When I reply my only talent is stubborness supported by interest, I get these incredulous looks. The truth is that when I was 15 unlike many kids who could draw I could not draw a straight line. But I wanted to reproduce some of my favorite comic book characters. My favorites came from the french tradition of comic books that are hard cover. I was raised with Tintin and Asterix and Obelix. I wanted to be able to draw them.

In the high school library, I found a book that promised to teach you to draw through guided practice. If you did the assignments, you could learn to draw in a progressive way. I drew pages and pages of straight lines, vertically and horizontally. Then I learned to put them together to create boxes. I learned to find the midpoint and to practice estimating it by sight and draw it in. Triangle were the product of connecting the corners of those drawn boxes with new lines. I stubbornly did those exercises that many others would have scoffed at and gradually built up skill. What I did not realize was that I was training my eyes and my hands simultaneously. Through continued practice through the years I finally learned to draw. I sketch on vacation, on the subway, on planes, in parks. I consider that doodling is good practice. Sketching has been a part of my life since I was a teenager, even when I was too busy with my work and my family to find the time to paint. Over time I have grown better than I was at drawing, but nowhere near where I would like to be. I am always amazed at the skill level of many draughtman.

A stubborn interest in art has always been a part of my character. At 17, while attending university in Ottawa, I made it a habit to visit the National Art Gallery every two weeks. For a few years I would just amble around in the collections, learning to see and think from the perspective of various artists. I learned to appreciate different styles and approaches.

I am aware that many people who have heard this story directly from me do not believe me. They believe that I surely must have had talent. But my talent is the gift of stubborness.

I am stubborn in that I will redo something over and over till I feel satisfied with the result. In fact, the fun part is the learning that painting and drawing provides. Each picture provides a puzzle that requires a new solution. Many of the paintings that provided the most learning are never sold because they would not find an audience. The children of these paintings are easier to produce... they are more appealing to people... because they are more captivating than their parents...

Once the problem has been resolved it is time to stubbornly move on to another picture puzzle to further the learning.