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– Then draw a forest, which you’re doing adorably. Let it be a fairy tale forest, though. – he nodded, pleased with himself and a found decision. The art school principal often friendly admonished him for departures from the educational programme, but always admitted that it gave amazing results – the finalists of his courses were said to be the best in their field. 

The girl looked at him thoughtfully but didn’t object. And the teacher continued:

– Today you won’t have time to complete the work on the given topic. You can only make markings, think over the plot. So this very task will be your homework as well. Please, take your priming canvases, they’ve already dried out. But please, don’t cheat in the search of the best canvas like last time. They’re all signed with your names. Go ahead! – and again he clapped his hands cheerfully, making it clear that students can start working.

The girl looked at the new, absolutely blank canvas and thoughtfully ran her little fingers down the chin.

The teacher often told her that she’s among his most talented students, and that drawing nature is what she does the best. Well, then she will cope with this task without much difficulty. And the sense of a fairy-tale…The imagination of her audience will add it, if they want to see a fairy-tale. After all, everyone finds what they want in what they’ve seen…

The girl was boldly applying the lines of the future forest to the snow-white canvas. She knew it well enough – every autumn she went there with her parents for mushrooms. So pleasant memories helped her, encouraging and inspiring to draw.

The bell rang soon – at this school lessons alternated with breaks. The girl pried herself away from the sketch and glanced at the clock gloomily. Time flies when you’re doing what you like – and she liked drawing.

Having finished her other home tasks in the evening, she started working again. She was looking at the dozens of touches she had done with a pencil and shifting her gaze to the palette, was thinking about the shades of green she should use for this painting. She was only nine, but since she turned five she didn’t leave her brush for a minute. And when it was impossible to take the brushes with her (for example, at PE lessons), she always had a little notebook and favourite stub of a pencil with her. Sometimes classmates laughed at her. But what could she do? Drawing was her biggest weakness, and her greatest talent.