Chapter Two
1052 Words
“What do you think of my painting” Ann asked her mom and sister, who were focused on the painting.
“Wow I didn't know you were so ambitious” belle said mockingly.
“You brought it here to hang it?, when the rich wives see it they'll certainly ask "is this a picture or painting?” she said and laughed.
“This would have been popular years ago, who hangs paintings like this these days, so old fashioned” Mrs Clark said calmly but shady.
“I didn't mean for it to be on display” Ann said stuttering
“Then why did you paint it” her mother asked.
“I just… we don't have a proper family photo” Ann said
“I saw a picture of you and belle at home, it was nice I thought it might be so nice if we were all in it too”
“Don't you know the saying? “When you get married you leave the family” her mother said bluntly.
“Go be a ghost in your husband's family, you married him”
“What more do you want” she said unsympathetic.
“I'm sorry mother” Ann said, lowering her head sadly.
Looking at the painting disgustingly “get it out of the way, I don't want people to say the exhibit sucks” Anns’ mother said.
“Gosh mom…” Belle chuckled to her mother, trying to hide it from belle.
“It's not about being good or bad, Ann your family will know what's in your heart because you are family” Ann’s thought from the radio station early rang through her mind.
“I'm family too” she burst out calmly
“What” Mrs Clark asked
“Why can't you see my heart and not my painting?” Ann said with teary eyes
“Maybe it's not good enough for you, but I did my best with my whole heart”
“Hey…..you….”
“My goodness, what's this?” one of the ladies from Mrs Clarke's friend group asked as they all approached them.
“Why did you bring a family photo?” the lady went on to ask.
“oh my , is this a photo of a portrait?” another lady asked.
“It's a painting, my sister painted it”
“Oh, your eldest” the lady said, she turned to Ann “ whats your name again dear?”
“It's Ann ma’am” Ann answered politely.
“She went to art school, she's an aspiring painter” Mrs Clark cut in.
“Gosh what do you mean aspiring, she's a professional” the third lady said.
“The best in the country, gosh why did you hide such a talented daughter?”
“You are a person with such deep art knowledge, you're just been kind because she's my daughter” Mrs Clark said.
Turning to Ann she said “please paint one for me, such detailed and sophisticated work shouldn't be missed in my home” she said admiring the painting.
Anns painting was later put up for exhibition after the hype, she caught her mother staring at it and walked up to her.
“Don't take what I said to heart” her mother said slightly turning her head to Ann.
“You know your paintings are in storage right? They cost money you know” Amms mother said.
“We made sure the canvas doesn't stretch so the painting won't come off”she added on.
“The temperature and humidity are controlled, and security alarms installed”
“other artist pay much much more but you get special treatment cause you are family” she said coldly
“Do you understand what this means?”
“Yes mother I do” Ann responded
“You should be working harder not stuck on something like this”Mrs Clark said looking towards the portrait.
“It got be a little upset back then, I wondered when you would stop being an amateur”
“I'm sorry mum” Ann said nervously.
“Then, I didn't know your true intentions, you're working on the painting the The Clark company right?” Mrs Clark curiously asked
Ann got lit up as she now felt she had been considered by her mother whom she had been trying to please for the longest she had known.
“Yes mother, I know how important they are and I'm trying to make them as identical as I can as they are paintings for the social welfare facilities like orphanage and rehabs” Ann said beamingly to her mom as she now got her consideration.
“I've been coping pieces by famous artist just like you suggested so people can look at them like real paintings not prints”
“It's for a good course so I'm doing my best” Ann said.
“Let me know if you need any for your studio” her mother said casually and started to walk off
“ I…..i'll do my best, I won't let you down” Ann reassured her mother.
Mrs Clark nodded slightly, turned and walked out “so easy, I like how easy she is….Ann clark”sge mumbled to herself.
Ann walked up to where her painting was hanging, smiled and inspected the painting and caught a red stain at the top corner of the canvas, triggered she rushed to clean it off but it wouldn't come off, worried she tried using a duster but failed and suddenly she was offered acrylic disolver.
“It's okay I didn't get stained” ann said politely.
“Yes I know, I was watching”
“Pardon”
“Acrylic right? This should do it” Tate said, handing her a disolver and a wipe paper.
“ thank you” Ann said.
“Wow. Nice work” Tate said looking at the painting.
“Hyperrealism….or something like that”
“You must know a lot about painting sir”ann said, still wiping off the stain.
“I read somewhere that the goal of hyperrealism is not to portray the subject as they are in reality, but to reveal the fact that any portrait regardless real, is ultimately fake” Tate said
- Writer
