Having Really Bad Hair Days That No One Else Can See.

Do we ever see ourselves, or our own performance objectively? I doubt it.
I've spent the best part of this week invigilating the Y11 GCSE Art Exam. After getting the room (and students) ready, getting all the basic equipment out, trawling through y10 data, getting additional equipment out, as and when they ask for it, catching up on email issues raised at Parents' Evening, getting even more equipment out that the students decide that they also need, I was able to do some painting. I have to confess, sitting with them in their exam is something that I enjoy.
At the end of the final session, I said to G*****, a lovely, talented but under-confident student, "Well done. I'm really pleased with what you've done". She blew out her cheeks and said "Oh thank you for saying that. I've been so worried that this isn't very good". I looked at her painting, a beautiful picture of highly decorative, semi abstract carp, that I couldn't have done at her age, and thought..Why?...Why would you worry about that? I told her her work was beautiful.

It was good to do some painting, but it was great to see G****** leave with a real smile on her face.

This is one of the pieces that I managed to do this week. It is from a photograph taken from my Kayak on the river Ure a couple of summers ago. I love it when the sky gets darker than the land...always very dramatic!