White Canvas #12 D. Rei on her Way to the Nude Painting

My path to the nude ... I had to walk barefoot over hurdles, stones and mountains to Lea from art24.

She gave me what a career counsellor couldn't tell me when I was 12, after more than 6 hours of filling out sheets with drawings, answers, tests, etc. I can still remember the first time I went to see him. I can still remember the first time I went to see him. I was in my final year of progymnasium and my classmates already had their apprenticeships.

Lawyer would have been first, but the whole study would have taken several years and would have consisted only of theory. It wasn't laziness on my part, it was my financial situation and it was important for me to earn my own money. 

Anyway, I went to see this career counsellor and as soon as I entered his office, the question shot out at me, "What do you want to do? Which direction do you want to go?".

Honestly, if I had known that, I wouldn't have wasted my free time with him. 

I answered firmly: "Anything except business administration. After a moment's thought, I added: "I'd like to be a stylist (fashion designer)". That would have been 6 years. Art school and an apprenticeship as a tailor.

I started to build up a healthy self-confidence when I was 10. I drew women and enjoyed dressing them. I had a fashion sense early on. 

After 6 hours I had filled in all the sheets to be filled in, and he still couldn't help me, on the contrary. With pictures stretched in front of my nose, drawn by people who were certainly not 12 years old, he said in a stern voice with an audible undertone: "You are not good enough". With his eyes fixed on the pictures in front of my nose, he added in a deprecating, harsh tone, "SOOO!!!! Draw those who develop professionally in drawing". 

Speechless, annoyed and frustrated, I left his office. That's what art school is for, I thought. Those who can walk don't need crutches and those who can read don't need to learn the ABC.

As for drawing, he took away all my confidence in a second. I kept drawing, just for myself. Even more so at vocational school. Just to have an apprenticeship, I looked for an apprenticeship as a businesswoman, like every other one. Insurance saleswoman. School was boring and sometimes I drew at work. However, I am still annoyed to this day that I let myself be so influenced by this person. I am annoyed that I never learned how to measure proportions, how to draw hands and feet. All the drawing books and later YouTube couldn't teach me.

Because I wanted pictures for my new flat, I started painting again and drew many nudes on canvases. 

So I gathered all my courage and sent one to Lea. Lea from art24.

I didn't expect positive feedback. I just wanted to have it confirmed again that I should let it go. 

It turned out unexpectedly different. Lea encouraged me to stick with it and her colleagues also agreed with her. So, after some time, I sat down in front of the canvas again, armed with brushes and colours, and started painting. The result was this painting, entitled "Vin rouge", which is to become part of a series.

D. Rei, Vin rouge, Acryl, 80 x 40 cm 

Here, too, I want to try things out. This, for example, is the first painting I did with a brush and not a palette knife. First a small one of the size 80x40 cm.

I haven't reached my goal yet, but Lea gave me shoes and a walking stick. The rest of the way is on level ground.

That's the philosopher in me talking.

Discover more of her expressionist female nudes here and get an insight into her abstract non-objective painting.