Chapter 57 - Gabriella (2)

"Well, you already know about my amateur painting."

"There's nothing amateur about your painting, Ree. I personally don't believe in the labels amateur or professional when it comes to art. If you do or make art, you're already an artist. The years doing it or knowledge about the medium doesn't matter."

I take another sip of wine and then place it on the table. "I don't know. I'm certainly not at your level."

He regards me with a clear gaze and patient expression. What he says next causes my heart to gradually thrum in my chest. "Art is a form of self-expression. It's the way we experience things around us. An extension of our personality, our thoughts, our emotions, our…desires. It's a concept that can't be translated into mere words alone. It's more than just colors or the brushes and strokes of the tools we use. It's feelings that sometimes the artist acknowledges—or haven't yet—in forms of unspoken communication. "