glanced over with a frown on his face.
“You have samples of your work?”
“As a matter of fact I don’t, Monsieur Dever. I didn’t have room to bring them with my luggage.”
“We do not take people without talent.”
“I hope I have a little of that.”
“It takes more than talent. It takes devotion, dedication.”
“Well, I trust I have a little of that too, monsieur.”
“I will allow you to enter on probation, Monsieur Winslow.”
Tyler gave the man a check for the tuition, and then Monsieur Dever said, “I will assign you to one of our instructors. You will be here Monday morning at eight o’clock.”
“Certainly, sir. I trust I will be able to meet your standards.”
Dever’s look said, I doubt it, but he refrained from saying anything.
As Tyler left, he thought, They need a better recruiter here. Quite a cold welcome.
On Monday morning he was at the school on time and found his instructor was quite different from Dever. His last name was Genis, and he was a huge bear of a man with fingers like bananas, and already, although it was early, he had spots of paint on his hands. He had a loud roar of a voice and seemed to shout everything. The teacher showed Tyler where the supplies were and got him set up by the window.
“Come let me know when you have something for me to look at.”
Somewhat intimidated by Genis, Tyler began work at once. He decided that painting a still life might be the safest thing to do, so he gathered a few props that were sitting on the counter. He arranged a teapot, teacup, and saucer on a white tablecloth that he folded in waves. A number of other students were coming in, but no one stopped to talk with him.
He worked as quickly as he could, but it took him two days before he finally got the effect he wanted. He was nervous,but he went to Genis and said, “Monsieur Genis, would you look at my work?”
The man grunted and walked over to the easel without speaking. He examined the still life but still did not speak, which made Tyler’s nervousness increase.
Finally the instructor said loudly, “If this is the best you can do, you need to go someplace else. This school is for those who have achieved a certain level, which you have not.”
Genis’s voice was loud enough so that everyone in the large room heard it. There were at least ten other artists at work, and Tyler felt that every one of them was looking at him, hiding smiles. He stood there as Genis pointed out the flaws of his painting, and finally the man said, “I will have Monsieur Dever refund your tuition.”
“You won’t let me try?”
“You are not ready to try here. Go learn some fundamentals. Come back in a year and we’ll see.” He lowered his voice then and stepped closer. In a hoarse whisper he said, “You would be wasting your time if you stayed here, Winslow. There are numerous other schools that will teach you the basics. Monsieur Dever can give you the addresses of some of these.”
“Thank you,” Tyler said quietly. He waited until Genis left to begin putting his supplies away. He knew his face was flushed, and when he left the room, every student was taking pains not to look at him. In humiliation, he stopped by Monsieur Dever’s office to collect his refund, but he was too discouraged to ask the man for the names of other art schools he might recommend.
****
The shame of being dismissed from the art institute ate at Tyler, and after depositing his still-wet painting in his room, he went out and walked the streets. He did not feel the cold air; all he could feel was the deep embarrassment of being rejected. It had never occurred to him that he would be turned away like this, and after a time he stopped at a bar.Several women approached him while he drank, but he gave them no encouragement. Finally he went back to his room, undressed, and got under the covers. Even in his numbed state, he couldn’t forget that he had failed in France just as certainly as he had failed in New
“You have samples of your work?”
“As a matter of fact I don’t, Monsieur Dever. I didn’t have room to bring them with my luggage.”
“We do not take people without talent.”
“I hope I have a little of that.”
“It takes more than talent. It takes devotion, dedication.”
“Well, I trust I have a little of that too, monsieur.”
“I will allow you to enter on probation, Monsieur Winslow.”
Tyler gave the man a check for the tuition, and then Monsieur Dever said, “I will assign you to one of our instructors. You will be here Monday morning at eight o’clock.”
“Certainly, sir. I trust I will be able to meet your standards.”
Dever’s look said, I doubt it, but he refrained from saying anything.
As Tyler left, he thought, They need a better recruiter here. Quite a cold welcome.
On Monday morning he was at the school on time and found his instructor was quite different from Dever. His last name was Genis, and he was a huge bear of a man with fingers like bananas, and already, although it was early, he had spots of paint on his hands. He had a loud roar of a voice and seemed to shout everything. The teacher showed Tyler where the supplies were and got him set up by the window.
“Come let me know when you have something for me to look at.”
Somewhat intimidated by Genis, Tyler began work at once. He decided that painting a still life might be the safest thing to do, so he gathered a few props that were sitting on the counter. He arranged a teapot, teacup, and saucer on a white tablecloth that he folded in waves. A number of other students were coming in, but no one stopped to talk with him.
He worked as quickly as he could, but it took him two days before he finally got the effect he wanted. He was nervous,but he went to Genis and said, “Monsieur Genis, would you look at my work?”
The man grunted and walked over to the easel without speaking. He examined the still life but still did not speak, which made Tyler’s nervousness increase.
Finally the instructor said loudly, “If this is the best you can do, you need to go someplace else. This school is for those who have achieved a certain level, which you have not.”
Genis’s voice was loud enough so that everyone in the large room heard it. There were at least ten other artists at work, and Tyler felt that every one of them was looking at him, hiding smiles. He stood there as Genis pointed out the flaws of his painting, and finally the man said, “I will have Monsieur Dever refund your tuition.”
“You won’t let me try?”
“You are not ready to try here. Go learn some fundamentals. Come back in a year and we’ll see.” He lowered his voice then and stepped closer. In a hoarse whisper he said, “You would be wasting your time if you stayed here, Winslow. There are numerous other schools that will teach you the basics. Monsieur Dever can give you the addresses of some of these.”
“Thank you,” Tyler said quietly. He waited until Genis left to begin putting his supplies away. He knew his face was flushed, and when he left the room, every student was taking pains not to look at him. In humiliation, he stopped by Monsieur Dever’s office to collect his refund, but he was too discouraged to ask the man for the names of other art schools he might recommend.
****
The shame of being dismissed from the art institute ate at Tyler, and after depositing his still-wet painting in his room, he went out and walked the streets. He did not feel the cold air; all he could feel was the deep embarrassment of being rejected. It had never occurred to him that he would be turned away like this, and after a time he stopped at a bar.Several women approached him while he drank, but he gave them no encouragement. Finally he went back to his room, undressed, and got under the covers. Even in his numbed state, he couldn’t forget that he had failed in France just as certainly as he had failed in New
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