Forgotten Art Class
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”
The college final that ended art before it began—until it came back to remind everyone that quitting isn’t permanent.Painted in 1997 as a college final inspired by Picasso’s Wartime Tomatoes, this piece was made during one of the hardest chapters of my life—five months after placing my baby for adoption. I was young, hurting, and just trying to make something that meant something.
When I turned it in, the instructor didn’t just criticize the work; she told me I’d never make it as an artist and should pick another career. So I did. I stopped painting. For years.
But this painting survived. It’s a little warped, cheap craft paint still clinging to poster board—but it outlived her opinion. And maybe that’s the best revenge: it exists. And now it hangs in a gallery she’ll never get to curate.
About This Piece:
Created in 1997 for a college art final, this piece was inspired by Picasso’s Wartime Tomatoes
Acrylic craft paint on poster board (don’t laugh, it’s historically accurate)