I found this set of pastels while cleaning out my art supplies and I was immediately transported to the summer between junior and senior year of high school.

There was framing and art restoration shop near my house that was offering art classes and I asked my mom if I could join. It was very expensive for us at the time, but mom talked to the owners and they let me join the the (less pricey) kids art class. I LOVED this class. They would listen to old time radio shows and big band music while they taught us different techniques - drawing, watercolors, acrylics, pastels… The biggest lesson they taught me was how to see. I remember walking out of my first class literally feeling like I was seeing things for the very first time. To say that class, and those few weeks, were life changing is an understatement.

I also remember how ridiculously expensive this box of pastels was. That my mom bought it for me as a gift. And how precious I treated them- being very careful not to break them (for what it’s worth, I was the same way with my crayons.)

So I hold on to this box (still, nearly 30 years later) and to the precious memories of the class that taught me how to see.