Artists sharing themselves

This was an amazing afternoon. Last week I was invited to a luncheon to be held today. I was told to bring a painting to show to the other artists attending. I had no idea who would be there, except that several of my watercolor students mentioned they would be coming. There were around twenty artists, nearly half of whom were my students. Some I had never met before, others I knew only slightly. The site was a lovely historic home filled with wonderful antiques and authentic historical artwork. Even the luncheon had its historic roots--pumpkin soup for starters. Fire in the fireplace, the house filled with conversation and laughter.

After coffee we were asked to show our artwork and say a few words about ourselves. Skill levels ranged from relatively new painters to highly skilled professionals in different media, but each artist was warmly received and accepted by the group. There was no sense of competition or one-up-manship. We felt comfortable and "safe" with each other. We asked questions, shared techniques, told stories on ourselves like old friends. We talked about how we started to paint and what inspires us. It was awesome. Some came as strangers and departed as friends. I've always felt that art has a unifying power but I've never seen it displayed in quite this way. It was an amazing afternoon.