My Blank Canvas



The Amherst Table from Pottery Barn

Looking back I was truly blessed to grow up in a very creative family.   Trips to various galleries and museums were frequently on our family agenda.  My parents were our own personal tour guides, weaving us through the maze of gallery rooms.  They would point out various brush strokes and shading in Monets and how Rembrandt could capture that soulful look in a child's eyes.  It was probably unavoidable that some of this artistic energy would penetrated my mind and that of my siblings.

But, growing up, I always felt the artistic talent was more innate in my brothers and sisters than in me.  They could paint an apple that looked like you could grab it and take a bite.  My sister, Mary, always fascinated me with perfect drawings and sketches of fashionable ladies that would challenge that of the House of Versace.  I vividly remember after taking a junior high art class one summer at the famous Albright-Knox Art Gallery, my sister, Katie, left with a frame-ready oil pastel painting.  I left with refrigerator art.

It wasn't until years later, as an adult, my Auntie Rose, the free-spirited older sister of my father, who was also a talented painter, made me look at "art" in a different way.  We were chatting on the phone one night about a cake decorating class I was taking and I was bubbling over with enthusiasm about it.  Then, the conversation must have somehow drifted to how much more artistic I felt my siblings were than me.  Auntie Rose backtracked quickly to point out something I had overlooked all these years.  "Well, Margie, cake decorating, baking, decorating a home---you have to be artistic to do those!  Don't sell yourself short, kiddo!  You are very artistic!"   She went on to elaborate on how much artistic expression goes into creating a pie, or a yellow buttercream rose, selecting paint colors for a bedroom.  Suddenly, I realized, "Yes, maybe I was an artist, too!"

Since then, I've learned to appreciated my artistic talents.  Especially when it comes to planning a party!  I might not be able to sketch a table, but I can sure as hell set one! With Thanksgiving less than a week away, I enjoy coming up with creative ways to present my holiday table-- my blank canvas--to my guests.   My table never looks the same, just as no two paintings from an artist ever look the same.  I love considering the possible color combinations and the mood it will all convey.  And, when my "painting" is all done, I hope all the little brush strokes that went into it don't get overlooked as they slice another piece of my carefully crafted pear galette.  But, then again, it really doesn't matter if they notice.  As with all great artists, I do it for me.