Charcoal Painting Workshop

Today, there was a set of sessions on fine arts, culinary and photography conducted as part of GPTW (Great Place to Work) activities in my office. As all the work shops were conducted simultaneously, one could attend only a single workshop and I chose charcoal painting. Glass painting, water color painting, cooking and photograpy were the other workshops.

Most of the people were for photography. It had about 30 people where as cooking , glass painting, water color etc had almost 5 people each. Yeah, just 5. Art doesn't sell much?
And charcoal painting had only 1 lone pupil, Sindia. The teacher, an old lady, joked to me that I'll get individual tutoring.

We waited for half an hour more hoping that some people might have an enlightenment and join the session. Well, some did have an enlightenment, it seems. As I was wondering whether they would cancel the workshop itself since I was the only one present, two more people joined our workshop.

The session started and she said there are four types of charcoal. 1) powder 2) dry 3) oil based 4)wax based. Wow, I thought, because I wanted to see how they do with the powder. And then she told " For beginners, oil based one is better, today we will try with that." Well, I didn't like that. Then, we got our weapons. Charcoal stick, muslin cloth, tissue, eraser and a piece of paper.

I didn't like charcoal at all. It was nearly impossible to draw a thin line with that brittle thick charcoal piece she gave. I ended up with a pathetic charcoal painting and a disappointed heart. Well, this was not what I expected. Anyway, it reinforced my faith in my pencils.

And here is the painting. Probably the only charcoal painting of my life because I don't intend to touch charcoal anymore.

Done with charcoal . Die, charcoal die.. Pencil Rules!! Pencil is the best!! I love Pencil.

Forgive my dear pencil, for not giving you the respect you always deserved, for the times I abandonded you and went in search of lesser mortals like charcoal. I am coming for you, dear, you are the best :)

-Sindia

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

-W. H. Auden