A Monkey in the Art Room

By NationChild

Created on May 3rd, 2007

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A/N: This piece of writing is dedicated to my friend, Eleanora. Hope all’s well. Luv ya and miss ya.

NationChild

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A distinctive thing I remember in fourth grade was learning that I couldn’t draw.

Our art teacher had assigned us partners. We were to create portraits of one another.

I sat across from Tamara. She and I were friends. Granted, not close ones, but friends nonetheless.

After I finished, I showed it to her. She immediately laughed, saying it looked nothing like her.

From what I drew, Tamara had a face like a monkey’s, twisted and mischievous. Her hands were those of a gnarled, elderly woman’s. The nose stuck up, like a pig’s, and her ears may’ve been mistaken for Pinocchio’s nose, one on each side of the head. Alongside these features, Tamara’s body was terribly out of proportion. The legs were like sticks, which lacked the ability to hold up the body structure. The torso looked rather comparable in size to the stomach. In fact, it looked very much like a person exercising the triceps of one arm, and the biceps of the other arm.

All in all, kindergartners could draw a better-shaped body, and that wasn’t exactly complimentary on my part.

Tamara was quite right when she said my “masterpiece” looked nothing like her. Tamara’s face is actually quite oval, and the right balance between pale and tanned. And while her nose was slightly upturned, it didn’t stick up. To save you all the details, Tamara was the epitome of a model. Her features were delicate, as though a very skilled artist hand-painted each stroke in the eyebrow, shaped each curve in the ear. I didn’t hit my target; I hit a point two countries away.

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Receiving my graded art book, I not-so-eagerly turned the pages to the portrait of Tamara.

My art teacher thought I was a laugh, I knew at that instant. Apparently, I put a lot of effort into the portrait, if the five stars were any indication; however, my heart sank at the two stars next to the ‘achievement’ bar.

My comment was simply, “Very nice expression on the face, though you could use some work on proportion. I sank back in my seat. Why do art teachers have to be so darn nice all the time? I mean, my artwork is nowhere near as good as the Mona Lisa, but my work didn’t deserve a comment as kind as that one.

I set to work on the next project, determined to earn my comment.

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A/N: So…whaddya think? F.Y.I., I love reviews! (hint, hint)