My all-time favorite painter is Amedeo Modigliani – since I was 15. At high school, we were allowed to choose one art class from three subject areas: calligraphy, music and arts. Within the arts class, we were asked to choose one concentration: pottery, design and oil painting.
I chose the arts class, and oil painting concentration. I had sort of mastered calligraphy already (I took regular calligraphy lessons since a third grader, plus got the best award as a middle school student, so that was sort of enough for me), and listened to pop and classical music like crazy at home, and wanted to try my hands on some new field.
That hit the jackpot. The arts teacher told us to tell him our own most favorite artist, so he can teach us how to paint pictures like them. I chose Modigiliani, because his pictures, especially those which he painted a little girl, exhibited his own subjective sense of beauty. I frantically imitated his pictures, and sort of applied his way to my own painting of the Yamashia Park in Yokohama Port.
My teacher gave me a grade of 9, out of 10. I decided to take it as a perfect score, as I didn’t think I could possibly paint a perfect picture.
When I visited the school after graduation, Mr. Ohe, the arts teacher, said to me, “Do you still paint pictures?” I said, “Well, I’m busy with college, part-time jobs and all that, so......" He continued, “Why didn’t you go to an art university?” I said, “I really thought it was a great choice, but I gathered it would help me to study English and Chinese to get a job.”
“Paint a picture. That’s fantastic because you’re the queen of the whole world while you’re painting a picture. You can do whatever you like on your canvas,” he replied.
The words gave a lasting impression.
I found today is the last day of a special Modigliani exhibition at Bunkamura in downtown Tokyo. I have just visited it, but unfortunately my most favorite piece was not there. They said that it's owned by a private citizen, and nobody knows who s/he is, and even where the person lives.
Well, but it's somewhere, and continues to give me good imagination......
I chose the arts class, and oil painting concentration. I had sort of mastered calligraphy already (I took regular calligraphy lessons since a third grader, plus got the best award as a middle school student, so that was sort of enough for me), and listened to pop and classical music like crazy at home, and wanted to try my hands on some new field.
That hit the jackpot. The arts teacher told us to tell him our own most favorite artist, so he can teach us how to paint pictures like them. I chose Modigiliani, because his pictures, especially those which he painted a little girl, exhibited his own subjective sense of beauty. I frantically imitated his pictures, and sort of applied his way to my own painting of the Yamashia Park in Yokohama Port.
My teacher gave me a grade of 9, out of 10. I decided to take it as a perfect score, as I didn’t think I could possibly paint a perfect picture.
When I visited the school after graduation, Mr. Ohe, the arts teacher, said to me, “Do you still paint pictures?” I said, “Well, I’m busy with college, part-time jobs and all that, so......" He continued, “Why didn’t you go to an art university?” I said, “I really thought it was a great choice, but I gathered it would help me to study English and Chinese to get a job.”
“Paint a picture. That’s fantastic because you’re the queen of the whole world while you’re painting a picture. You can do whatever you like on your canvas,” he replied.
The words gave a lasting impression.
I found today is the last day of a special Modigliani exhibition at Bunkamura in downtown Tokyo. I have just visited it, but unfortunately my most favorite piece was not there. They said that it's owned by a private citizen, and nobody knows who s/he is, and even where the person lives.
Well, but it's somewhere, and continues to give me good imagination......
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