Painting a Picture [Open]

[Vinegar ##]

It was not long after dawn and the sun was still low in the sky leaving long shadows stretched across the land. Dawn. It was a strange time not quite daytime yet not night either, Claire sighed before tugging and tying her hair out of her face with an ancient rubber band that seemed moments away from snapping.

Carefully and precisely she removed each paintbrush individually and laid them out before her on the small wooden bench, naturally they were increasing size order. She frowned morosely at them, they were far from the expensive artists brushes she’d longed instead they looked like miniature broomsticks with strands sticking this way and that, painting a smooth line appeared to be something she’d only be able to achieve in her dreams.

She adjusted her easel so that it did not obstruct her view of the landscape, having done so she removed her pallet and pots of paint once again frowning at the poor selection of colours available to her. Even if it was true that she’d have to mix a lot of them together to get the colours she wished for, it would be so much easier if they cheaply sold good quality paints in the colours she needed.

She’d been careful when choosing what to wear that morning, knowing that whatever it was would soon end up completely drenched in various colours. Claire smiled slightly, the brunette adored pretty landscapes; it was these pictures that she wished to capture with her brush, even though she knew that nothing she ever painted could come close to the real thing.

She jammed her favourite brush between her teeth, a nervous habit she’d acquired when she’d decided to take up painting, biting gently on the wood she scowled darkly at the empty canvas before her. The woman hated blank things, in her opinion they needed to be covered with something, even if it was just a blotch of paint but she never could figure out just where to start.

((OOC: She’s meant to be in the graveyard part of the Church. I’m guessing that it has one?))

[Kanchana]

OOC: MINE! I love it ^^ I shall post affter skool though....or i'll miss my bus hehe

[Kanchana]

Keith. Ruan.

The mist seem to float above the ground and the painting was already being planned in his mind. But, he wasn't painting today. He rose before the light, dressing warmly and bringing only the camera with him.

With a practised, graceful movement he raised the camera and peered though the little hole, showing him the surronding planes from another angle.

The mist seemed to part, bearing down on a fuzzy figure in the slight distance. He lowered the camera, blinking his odd grey-green eyes and smiled slightly. Who was this? Someone in the graveyard at this time of the morning.
He ignored the weeping willow trees and the path they made, instead walking quietly on the other side of the trees. Slowly, the closer he came, he made out different features of the figure.

It was a young woman. Short shoulder length hair which was roughly pulled up behind her. A smudge of brown-red paint clung to her cheek and she frowned, seeming to be deeply concentrating.\

Keith had never seen her before, though he hadn't lived her that long. With a slow click of the camera he took the picture, though she was nothing more then a shadow compared to the tombstones.

[Vinegar ##]

Claire stared passively at the tombstones before her; they ranged from exquisite designs to simple oblong shapes that poked out from the ground. It was almost depressing in a way at how easily you could find out how much someone cared for a deceased loved one. There were those who’d come every day and replace the flowers with fresh ones, clean the stone and pull the weeds and then there were those who left the memoire of the dead to be overridden with weeds that wormed through the cracks and choked the stone in their grip.

She smiled sadly at the sight and dipping her paintbrush into the black and mixing it resolutely with the white she already had on her palette. With a smooth stroke she sullied the pristine canvas dirtying it with a smear of grey. They didn’t mix well, the pretty dawn sky and abused gravestones, they were like opposites pulled together to amplify the picture they presented.

Such thoughts soon faded from her mind as she was instead overcome by the sheer amount of concentration required to paint the scene she saw before her, she wanted to finish it before the sun rose completely. It sometimes amazed the people she met how she could be such a perfectionist when it came to painting but cared very little for her appearance. They didn’t seem to understand that she wanted her art to represent herself, she felt that she could always understand people through their art more then she could by their appearance alone.

She stretched and peered carefully at a particular grave in front of her, the light was sending it a weird colour that she just couldn't replicate on her palette and it was irritating her, she knew that she could just ignore it completely and paint another dull grey tomstone but that wouldn't have the same feel. It felt like the whole painting should revolve around this grave in particular.

The woman laughed quietly to herself. How silly! She needn't care so much about how the picture would look its not like anybody but a few kids and their parents would see it anyway and those children wouldn't understand the deeper meaning behind it anyway.

In the end she ignored that tombstone leaving the area around it blank focusing on the details of the clouds and the tiny shadows produced by the grass. It saddened her sometimes to think how little her art would be appreciated but she'd chosen to become an illustrator for children's books even if nobody paid any attention to care she put into each individual piece.

It confused her as to why a children's author would even be writing about graveyards in the first place. Wouldn't that scare them? She shook her head to clear her thoughts and eyed her piece of work once more. She didn't care if they never noticed it but she would get the colouring for that tombstone perfect.

[Kanchana]

Keith. Ruan.

Hidden in his little clove of trees, he continued to watch her. The emotions crossed her face easily, yet they confused him greatly. Laughter? What was it about? Why was she laughing? Each new expression brought a flood of questions to his mind.

Following his newly made path, he crept closer to her. He wanted to know...needed to know her. He blinked, grey-green orbs staring at her from a distance. He was still out of sight, only hidden by the mist between them.
"Hello," he said taking another step towards her and admired the painting over her shoulder. It was beautiful, there was little difference from the painting and the scene.


OOC: I am sooo sorry..I have no muse at the moment only Erosaf is making me post ^^ I am trying to write long posts for you..but yeah...*hugs* soz

[Vinegar ##]

The brunette turned her head slightly with a strange half smile, she prided herself on the ability to remain unfazed when faced with surprising turns of events, after all having grown up in a large family every day revealed at least one new revelation. She had to squint slightly to see him properly through the fog and slowly she lifted her hand above her eyes in order to block some of the sun’s rays.

Intrigued by this strange man she allowed the corners of her lips to twist upwards in delight, the way the soft early morning light danced on his hair and the way his peculiar grey-green eyes reflected the graveyard back at her, it was a sight that she most definitely wanted to paint. A frown overtook her face delicately as she tilted her head to get a better view of his eyes. “I won’t be able to make that colour.” She murmured gently.

Noting that he’d greeted her she quickly attempted to wipe away some of the wet paint on her trouser leg before she offered out her hand. “Good morning.” Claire replied cheerily, for no longer then a few seconds did her attire bother her because if she’d been concerned that people would judge her by her appearance she wouldn’t have decided to become a painter in the first place. “I’m Claire.” She informed him jauntily finally deciding that she could not possibly eradicate any of the remaining paint on her hand she held it out for him to shake.

“I do hope you’re not a murderer.” The woman teased gently wondering idly what other types of men came into graveyards in the early morning.


((I find posts become shorter when two characters interact because you can't predict how the other character will react so you have to end it The only way to stop that is to endlessly describe their surroundings, but isn't that a bit boring and pointless? After all its the character interaction that you want ))

[Kanchana]

Keith. Ruan.

The dark eyebrow rose, staring at her intently before looking over his shoulder.
"What colour?" he asked, eyes flicking to the painting before her. Beautiful, just like her..
The shades were perfect, the painting looked more real than the actual landscape.
The grey-green orbs flickered back to her, shaking the hand firmly.
"Keith," he said with a kind smile and shook his head "nope, photographer."
He chuckled, shifting the camera to show her.
"Nothing like the landscapes at this time of the morning...the fog, just perfect,"


OOC: haha true true...never really thougt about it but I always notice posts get smaller as the thread gets longer... btw, I wont be able to post for a while after this...might make maybe another but...not likely.

Sorry...horrible *head desk*

[Kanchana]

O.O posted finally...sorry it took so long...

[Vinegar ##]

Claire eyed the man once more and at his words allowed a soft laugh to escape her lips, she smiled gently and mentally crossed off ‘potential murderer’. “I was under the impression that only murderers stalked around graveyards at this time of morning.” She smiled cheekily at him, idly tightening the band in her hair so the locks didn’t fall in her face obscuring the view of the person before her, he wasn’t all that bad looking…for a murderous photographer that is. “Please accept my apologies.” The woman chirped jokingly, she pressed her hands together eagerly letting her grin widen as she took a step forward.

“Ah!” She exclaimed suddenly turning on her heel and grasping the edge of her easel, she squinted at the paint. “This is no good. It’ll start drying soon!” She swiftly dipped her brush into the nearest pot and once more brought it to her canvas. Claire looked over her shoulder and offered him a simple smile. “If it’s not too much trouble would you let me see them, one day?” She laughed softly, stroking strong smooth strokes on the front most gravestones. “Your photo’s that is.”

[Kanchana]

An eyebrow rose to look at her in amusement, though it wasn't in a cruel fashion rather a way a father looks at a child. Amused by her child-like way and innocence. It seemed, in a odd way, to add to her beauty.
He waved a hand, not caring for apologies.
"No problem," he murmured, watching as she painted in silence for a few moments.
"Of course," he said and shifted the camera in his hands, as if remembering why he was actually there. He made a mental note to delete the photo of her...he wasn't a stalker. He switched on the camera, looking back on the photographs he had just taken and gasped.
It was perfect!
He knew he couldn't delete it now.
The fog seemed to glide around her, a slight breeze ruffled her pulled back brown hair. She was smiling, concentrating with her tongue between her lips. She looked like a goddess, the way the rising sun shone its light down on her.

The eyes flicked up, looking over as if he wasn't sure this was the same person.
"Would you like to come to the gallery? I have an art show up at the moment..." he offered with a crooked grin. And this, he thought, would be the center piece of the show.

OOC: ick...feel free to make a thread at the Gallery ^^ (I just made the board...hmm) And soz its so bad..I'm trying to set my style right and actually make sense...soo im slightly failing at the descritive bits...

[Vinegar ##]

She allowed herself to smile once more, this time however she refused to remove her gaze from where her brush met canvas, after all if she kept turning around she’d never be able to finish! Claire found herself humming to some random pop song she’d heard on the radio that morning until the man decided to speak again.

This time when the words left his lips she couldn’t help but turn around and face him once more, her ever present smile gracing her face. She’d always wanted to go to a proper gallery but there hadn’t been one back in her home town and she’d never travelled further enough away to find one. The only thing that even came close to it was the street artists she’d watch paint, they always had plenty of painting propped up around them in a mockery of a gallery. The brunette grinned at the memory; she liked to think that it was these people who’d gotten her interested in the career.

“I’d love to go to the gallery but to be honest I’m hopeless with maps.” Claire offered him a hapless look still smiling broadly. “Since I’ve just got here I’m still at the point where I only end up in places by accident.” She laughed gently; dipping her brush in the pot once more she added the finishing touch to the canvas before her. “I’d be thankful if you’d show me where it was. I’m pretty much finished here!”


((Do you want to start the post in the gallery or should I? Sorry I had to have Claire finish her painting first ))

[Kanchana]

OOC: could you? Because i'm not ment to be on...and mum might turn off my internet connection due to the fact I should be studying...^^