I had my penultimate art class this morning. Our adorable nude model, Kathy, did two poses for us. One was at an angle that I found truly daunting – her entire body was foreshortened. It was a challenge, Stan (the teacher) told me. I didn’t want a challenge, but I kept my mouth shut.
I was practically a zombie due to my late labors last night but I had two more cups of coffee and pushed on. Physically the day is shot. I came home and napped, but I am still wiped out. Gone are the days of endless energy.

It turns out that the busybodies in the community were very upset when it was aired that this perverted bunch of daubers was staring at a nude girl in order to draw her, but I don’t think any tried to file formal complaints. Stan said that next year at the annual art show, we should all display nudes of her. I like the idea.

Stan is going home to Pennsylvania after next Saturday’s last art class, to regroup and mourn his wife who died a week ago. His adult children came down to be with him for a bit. He will be back in January 2011. He is bearing up, but I know it is painful. He took our info and gave us his, and wants to stay in touch. He said we are the best group he’s ever worked with and I think he is not so much talking exquisite talent as love of the process and eagerness to learn. I ventured to say that perhaps our older ages had something to do with it. We are all retired, we’ve been through the wars, we value things more than many of the young. He taught in university and said many times, young students took his class for an easy credit and found out it wasn’t so easy and whatdayamean homework? I didn’t verbalize it, but I was thinking, yeah, whatdayamean, homework?

Nadeen, who isn’t in the class – she focuses on arts and crafts and does beautiful mosaic tile work – has met and socialized with him via Toni, who is close to him. She said she bets he’ll remarry within two years because he can’t be alone. That, anyway, was her perception of him. It will be interesting to see how that plays out.

Next week we are giving him a goodbye card made up of a photo that a member took of the whole class. True to my lately tradition, I look ghastly in it. But I have decided not to worry about it. (#$@!!$) A fulmination is permitted, however. Anyway, I signed the card and resisted the temptation to take a scissors and cut me out of it.

xx, Teal