My Turn: Discovering the art of friendship

My creative juices were slowly ebbing when I decided to consider taking a course in Chinese brush painting. It’s such a beautiful medium, and I felt with the right instructor, my hidden artistic talents would be unearthed. Before long, I reasoned, there would be greeting cards sent to friends and family with bamboo trees and birds in flight gracing the paper along with a message or poem to show I cared.

I was eager for the challenge!

In the fall of 2008, a community events flyer was delivered to my mailbox. As I scanned the list of classes being offered, I found exactly what I was looking for — a class in Chinese brush painting. I hoped the class was not filled, and as luck would have it, I was accepted. On my first day I was armed with positive feelings and high hopes of success in conquering this medium.

The room where the class met at Syosset-Woodbury Community Park was surrounded by picture windows that overlooked beautifully manicured grounds. I watched as my instructor proceeded to demonstrate the basic strokes.

Next to me was the only other “newbie” in the class. Have you heard the expression “love at first sight”? Well, this was “friendship at first hello.” Her name was Alice, and within a few minutes of conversation I realized she came from an artistic family.

During the introductory class, I spent two hours struggling to get the basic strokes down on paper.

I looked over at my new friend’s handiwork, and I realized she was an impostor posing as a novice! Just who was she kidding? While Alice had beautiful birds and perfect bamboo trees gracing her rice paper, my birds resembled little stick people. How in the world did that happen?

When class ended, we walked to the parking lot for more chatting, and we wondered whether it was possible to feel as if we were lifelong friends after just a two-hour class.

As the weeks flew by, we were in contact and we would practice our strokes in between our scheduled classes. We shared so much laughter that it did not matter that I was awful at this craft and she, on the other hand, was receiving accolades from our teacher.

When it came to having my work critiqued, a weak smile would cross my instructor’s face and she would say “practice, practice my dear.”

Eventually the class ended. It became apparent to both of us this newfound friendship had possibilities so we decided our husbands should meet. They clicked, and as the saying goes, the rest is history. One of our favorite things to do with the guys was hiking the Elizabeth Morton Preserve in Noyac, sharing nature, laughs and, at the same time, making wonderful memories.

Now after many years of friendship we have shared smiles and tears, heartfelt emotions others might take a lifetime to lay claim to.

My paints and brushes are in the back of the closet for now. But as I reflect upon that adventure to unleash my hidden talents, I see that though I may be inept as a painter, in my talent for finding a wonderful friend in Alice, well, I’m a Picasso!

Diane Sciacchitano,

North Massapequa