The Eyes Of An Artist

Chapter 5

- Well, what intrests you more...? Landscapes, animals, arquitecture, human bodies, faces? What would you like to paint? - she asked. Her breath felt heavy and smelled like tabaco... I thought she probably smoked.
- Um, well I could start off with a landscape... - I said looking at the table and then at her.
- All right, hand me those paint brushes in the jar Louise - said Beatrice looking at the woman on my left.
Louise was dressed in black, she had curly dark hair and her eyes were brown and soft. She wore a blouse wich exposed her shoulders and a necklace with a large blue stone on it.
She passed me the jar while Beatrice handed me a pencil and paper. I grabbed the jar with my left hand, then the paper and pencil with my right hand.
- Lot's of things huh? - said Beatrice smiling at me. I laughed. Her smile was sort of maternal, it gave a different energy to her and took away that "I'm an indepent woman who needs nothing from nobody" vibe from her for a second. When her face turned serious she returned to the tough painter that I met at the door a few minutes ago.

- First we're going to design the landscape in pencil and then you can paint over it - she said.
- Okay, I think I'd like to start with something simple, like a tree in a field or something like that - I said looking at the blank paper.
- All right! Good idea, I like it. You can start drawing the basic design and then when you're done I'll help you out if you need me - she said and waited for my response.

I started to design a large field with some mountains behind it. Then, among all of this, I felt the need to draw some clouds in the sky. Finally, I imagined a lonely tree in the field at the right.
I made its trunk wide and its branches strong but also delicate. I tried to combine strength and fragility in the tree and it looked a little like I imagined it but not exactly how I had thought of it.

While I was drawing I listened to the others who were speaking.
- Yes, well my husband always makes fun of my paintings - said one of the women on my left, she had red coloured short hair and was wearing a big dark green sweater.
- Well you can make fun of his eyesight... He definitley can't see the artist that you are - said Louise with a sweet voice.
- Yeah whatever, it doesn't actually bother me - she said shrugging her shoulders.
- It doesn't? - asked the oldest lady with a suspicious expression.
- No... It's that he's kind of like a stranger to me lately - the red head said with indifference.
- Oh here we go again - said the oldest. The three of them laughed.
I asked myself if that was what happened to relationships when time passed. I wondered it they all turned into this thing where you live with the same person during years because you're used to it and suddenly you realize that you have no idea of who the hell they are. I hoped that wouldn't happen to Tom and I.

- How's that going? - asked Beatrice.
- I'm done with the drawing I guess - I answered.
She took the paper from me and looked at it.
- Very nice - she said. She gave me some advice and helped me draw again some parts that weren't very simetrical.
- Want to talk with the girls while you paint? - asked Beatrice.
- Sure! - I said and then I felt a little shy.
- Hi - said the oldest girl looking at me. She waved her hand while greeting me and I thought that was akward.
- Hello, what are you painting? - I asked.
- Come, see - she said with an enthustiastic smile.
I leaned a little to the right and saw her painting. It was beautiful. She had painted the sea and the reflection of the sky on it.
- That is beautiful - I said and she gave me this look full of emotion. I thought to myself that she was very sensitive.

She was pretty. Her face had freckles and her lips were very red. She had brown long hair and small hands with long fingers.
- I'm Lucy - she said.
- I'm Hannah - I answered.
We spoke of our carreers and what we enjoyed doing. She had this really sweet voice and seemed easy going.

I gave colour to my drawing and it looked a little sloppy but it wasn't that bad. I thought my first painting was going to look horrible but it didn't. Beatrice helped me fix the parts where I messed up and it went pretty well. She told me that I was doing very well for a beginner and Lucy agreed.

The class ended and Beatrice lead us all to the entrance of the building. We split up in two groups, the older ones went down the elevator first and after them us girls went down the elevator. It was too small and antique for us to fit all together.

On the way down I looked at the two other girls to which I hadn't spoken. One of them had curly hair and a deep voice which didn't match her face that was very feminine. Her eyes were blue and she had a kind of secretive expression. While I was looking at her Lucy was talking and suddenly I felt this presence, this invisible weight on me. I met the eyes of the other girl and forgot of myself. They were green, this pure green. I had been painting, using so many colours, and I thought to myself that her eyes had such a different tone. I didn't say anything. We just stared at eachother, and I saw her expression, it was a scared expression. What was she afraid of? I didn't see many details of her face, but I thought that her eyes were beautiful.

We made it to the door and Beatrice said goodbye to us. I said goodbye to the older women first and then to the girls.
Lucy gave me her number and then a little hug. I thought that was very sweet. Then when I was saying bye to the other two girls I saw Tom waiting for me on the opposite side of the street.
I crossed after saying bye to them and when I saw him I felt so happy. He had come to surprise me. The three girls looked at me and I felt a little weird but then we started walking away and I felt relaxed again. Before we left I saw the girl with green eyes looking directly at me and she had this worried expression. What was wrong with her? Maybe she wanted my man... I don't know, but I knew that being with Tom was all I needed in that moment.

We went to his apartment and watched a movie on the couch. I layed on his chest while breathing in his natural perfume and fell asleep. He felt so warm and comfortable, I felt at home with him.
His dad was away for work for a few days so I stayed over.
I told my parents I was staying at one of my friend's house so then I wouldn't have any discussions with them. Fortunatley the next day it was a holiday so I didn't have to go to the university and I could wake up late with Thomas the next morning.

That night we had dinner with a couple of glasses of wine and after that we started kissing for a while. We went to his room and fell onto his bed. I took off his shirt, felt the heat of his skin in my hands and a few minutes later he was kissing my breasts and pressing my wrists against the bed.
He knew how to move, how to do things. I took his pants off, felt him hard against me and began to touch him. A few seconds later his underwear was off and he was making love to me.

I remember that the wine had caused us both this effect where we felt very happy and relaxed. I felt also kind of stupid and I thought for a brief moment that we were doing something dumb for some reason. I was drunk and I didn't think about it for too long, we just went along with the moment.

We had sex for a long time and it was beautiful. I never got bored of his body, he was so attractive and I felt like I was one of the luckiest girls on earth when I slept with him.
He knew where to kiss me, how to hold my body, when to be rough and when to be gentle.

The only thing that annoyed me deep down was that for a split second after we were done I remembered this girl, her expression, that scared expression. And then this image of her eyes popped into my head and I didn't know what to do with it. I wanted to erase her from my brain! Why was she appearing in my thoughts in that moment?