I started this painting in August while helping to teach a course on Impressionism at a science camp. As the caption indicates, Van Gogh was the genius behind this masterpiece, and I the mere copier. Switching mediums - my watercolor instead of his oil - was the biggest challenge.

When I see something that is good, I want to copy it. Yet often such copying is seen as unoriginal, even a social embarrassment. Woe to the girls who accidentally wear matching shirts to school! However, young children learn nearly everything by copying; they unashamedly copy those they love, trust, and admire because to them it is natural and wise to do so.

Why is it not the same for those older? Is it because by copying, we acknowledge our wisdom to be inferior to those we copy? Yet wisdom bids us copy, to learn and to do better. How ironic.
~EmilyG

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