Shadows

12. Oxide of chromium

"Damnit!" I fall back on the plush rug. I still suck at painting.

I look back up at the unfinished landscape painting, propped up against my bed's footboard. It's almost five in the morning, the moment I came back home yesterday I fell asleep, woke up after three hours, then panicked about all the homework I had to do while watching a movie and eating popcorn.

Then I decided that I should get my stuff together and actually start- which took some dozen motivational quotes, but yeah.

Oh! I also found this hilarious joke:-

Wait. I was doing something.

Oh painting, yes, painting.

I needed a whole lot of coffee, but I managed. I just have to do this now. I'll need to hand it over during break.

Wow I just realized I could survive with three hours of sleep, cool.

I may or may not be over-caffeinated.

Art is so hard.

People should really appreciate art more. Especially landscape art. Can't we just draw robots or something? I would ace that lesson. My favorite type of art is conceptual art- specially if it's a landscape. But nooo we're supposed to do a natural landscape. I mean I love the man and all but does he seriously think we go outside? Like to places other than the toy store? Or the mall. Whatever.

What was I doing? Oh right. Painting.

I stare at the painting. The sky looks like it's been colored in by a five-year-old, my trees look like possessed sticks with green moss growing all over them, even the mountains look like they're melting.

How the hell am I supposed to fix this.

Bob the builder, CAN. WE. Fix. IT-

Wait no. Painting. Painting. Focus on the painting.
See the painting.
Feel the painting.
Be the painting.

You know you're going insane when you try impersonating a tree. Or maybe you're just practicing for a play. Because being a tree is so important you need to practice. You know, like to stay still and not smack every living creature-

PAINT- Oh right.

You see this brush? I look at myself in the mirror, holding the brush up, this is your tool.

Then I point the brush back at the painting, And you see that canvas with the possessed trees?
That is your crafting rock.

I nod dutifully, You gonna go there- sit and master the art of Arting.

I sit back down. Then take a deep breath, close my eyes, count to-

The sound of the doorbell echoes through the house, I sigh. Great. Now I probably have an hour to fix this. I grab my phone, I'm not in the mood to walk downstairs.

"Hey." Xander answers after a few rings.

"HALLO ANDER- Oh, I'm sorry- did I make you deaf? I'm sorry I'm just over caffeinated- oh right, right so listen up. I have an art project to complete so we're going to have to camp in my room for a while, the door's open-"