[Marta Prime]

Mike,

I think you'd make a marvelous teacher! Hope you decide to do it!

On the subject of public commentary, I did my first public painting last month at Los Abrigados, a beautiful Hotel ot Oak Creek Canyon in Sedona AZ. The residents of Arizona probably know of it. My family and I usually stay there for a week every summer, and this year I decided I wanted to spend some of that time painting in the park-like atmostphere of the creek on the premises. I brought a painting I was about 2/3 done with and set up near the creek under one of the shade tree's there. They had a wedding going on at the other end, and it was peaceful despite the visitors and occasional tour guides coming through to sell timeshares. In fact, some of them stopped and admired my painting, and so did several other hotel guests. For the first time, I saw real admiration from people I did not know, and I was almost bowled over at the wonderful things they said. It really restored some of my confidence. The funniest part was when 2 little girls from the wedding party came over and watched me paint. The oldest girl, maybe 10 or so said to me "Can't you paint someone in person, or do you just paint from photographs?" I smiled and told her I could, but mostly just paint from photos because people don't usually have the time to pose long enough for a painted portrait. She looked thoughful from my answer, but unconvinced. The younger girl, maybe 6, piped up and said "I wouldn't mind posing!" all the time dancing around as she was saying it. I really wondered if these girls had been listening to adult opinions, or had decided this on their own. It sounded more like something they had overheard, but you never know. Out of the mouth of babes!