Muse: an experiment in storytelling and life drawing

Cameryn Moore—MTC Up the Alley

Really didn’t know what to expect. My last exposure to fine arts was middle school, grade 9. It was at that time when it was determined that I have the artistic talent of an orangutan. I hoped there might be some instructions for us with artistic disabilities, but no such thing.

As I feared, you’re left on your own, medium in front of you and charcoal in your hand. To my horror, the person next to me brought their own materials and drew an audience member while we waited for the show to start. Damn, it looked professional—now I was doomed to have my debacle displayed next to their Degas.

As I suspected, my first rendition was truly hideous, with my subject looking more Yeti than human.
Surprisingly, each succeeding drawing was a marked improvement over the previous, except for the one where you were not permitted to look at your work!

By the last one, I was actually proud enough of my work that I took a photo of it! My fears were unfounded and no one cared what I produced, especially not the person next to me. I had loads of fun here and by the looks of it, so did everyone else in the room.

Ray Yuen