A brief memory --- from my month of Studying Portrait Painting and Figure Drawing with the Egeli’s. It was a cold January in 2002.
Old year out, new year in. And so
it goes, past and future: each minute precious!
Burrowing back under the covers
on a cold winter morning is always a temptation, but you’ve got to emerge from
your cozy nest ‘neath the covers sometime. To help me embrace the day in equal
bliss, a copious amount of caffeine was top on my agenda. So off we headed to
“that coffee house”, the one that shall remain nameless for reasons I can’t
divulge. Best intentions aside, the first order of business of each of my days
was pleasure, a 20oz mocha generous enough to warm both hands and the NY
Times crossword puzzle. Of course, we had to buy two copies of the Times, one
for Camille, and
one for me, for the crossword had become an activity in which to indulge in
immature competitiveness. And Cynthia was
content with reading the morning sports section while occasionally blurting out
tennis stats across the table. Like a barely heard Latin tempo–I could barely
hear the Latin tempo–but pulsing with energy, we prepared ourselves for the day
ahead. (By the way, I’m in awe of people who can talk out loud in a public space
and not care that nobody is listening–the reason I could barely hear the Latin
tempo.)
We collected ourselves to face
the bitter cold. I only say that because we’re from California, "the land of endless sunshine." On schedule,
we jumped into our truck, that truck that Cynthia aptly named our
“estrogen chassis”–It was a huge king cab Ford truck that made everything
around it look fascinatingly tiny. The sprinkles fell as scheduled. It only
takes one little leap of imagination to see these brilliant shiny drops of
water as tiny celebrations, for the jewel-bright droplets seemed to sprinkle
effervescence on the day.
And like clockwork, the three of
us pulled our “estrogen chassis” into that always so tight little corner in
front of Cedric and Joanette’s studio. We noisily bounded into the studio with
our gear as if we were greeting a long lost lover.
Deep in the snowy woods of
Edgewater, all laid chilled and hushed, a dreamland bower blanketed in
serenity. But at the break of dawn, powdery morning mists danced in the shafts
of light that filtered through the firs, giving the moment a pristine, ethereal
look. Everything was lusciously hued as a mocha laced with whipped cream.
A winter
scape's quiet serenity in its hushed hues of ivory snow, sky blue, tree bark
grey and chimney smoke charcoal tempted me to stay outdoors and play. But I
knew that the instruction I was to receive was going to be like no other. If
you’ve ever contemplated taking a month off to study with Cedric and Joanette
Egeli, do what it takes to get yourself there, for as spectacular the setting
of the space, the workshop is SO much more!
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