I Cannot Draw...

Lord Frederick Leighton (1830-1896)
Biondina
Oil on canvas, 1879
41.3 x 52.1 cm (16.26" x 20.51")
Hamburger Kunsthalle (Hamburg, Germany)

There are many mediums which are considered "Art," but usually the word applies to a picture captured by paint. I cannot draw, never could. I come from a family full of artists. In my house there is an oil painting from my grandpa, my sister did a beautiful pencil portrait of Roman and myself, my mother is skilled at paper crafts, and my father did some graphic design. Me, I am lucky if I can make a tree recognizable to a 5-year-old! Yet I have such a great admiration for the skill and talent of the artists in my family. How can they take what is seen or imagined and capture it with a few strokes of their hand?! It is such an amazing gift! If any of my children are so blessed I look forward to seeing how they capture the beauty of the world around them.

It is odd what strikes our fancy when we are young! The painting above is one I loved to stare at when I was little. I wanted to be just like that girl, she seemed so sweet and pleasant, and so comfortable with herself. I had not seen it in long time, and then it came up on Pinterest recently. I wonder who she was and what her life was like to give her such a serene countenance. It is as if the painter found her in the middle of a pleasant daydream. It is intriguing to catch people in such moments...How would you look in such a moment?