I do so like green eggs and ham!
Thank you! Thank you! Sam-I-Am!

 

It still doesn’t look right,” Diana mumbled as she placed her brush down. She had already moved from water colors, to oils and then to acrylics. It was clear the medium wasn’t her problem. She had it in her, knew how the painting should look, she just couldn’t get it onto the canvas.

“What’s wrong, Di?” Sam looked up from her own project to check on her friend. Both girls were working diligently on assignments for their classes in the art workroom at their college in Boston.

“It’s not coming out right. It never comes out right!” she moaned.

“What’s wrong with it?” Sam crossed the room to look at Di’s painting for herself.

Diana was painting a landscape. It was a river scene looking off a bluff and the snapshot was taped to her easel.

“The mood is all wrong! Look at the picture; see how the water’s moving? It’s clear in the picture that the river’s moving swiftly, and the ice on the branches of those trees make the limbs glisten. I just can’t get it right in the painting.”

“Hmmm. I see what you mean.” Sam studied the painting thoughtfully, then looked at the photograph. “Why are you painting this? Where is this place?”

“It’s the Hudson River. That’s looking over the bluffs near my home in Sleepyside.” She put her brush down and wiped her hands with a towel.

“Where did you get the photograph, Di?” Sam couldn’t keep a touch of impatience from tainting her voice.

“Oh! I took it when I was home over Thanksgiving.”

“Well, take a good look at it, then.” Sam insisted handing it back to her.

“What do you mean?” Di asked, looking at the picture. “It’s like I told you; the photograph shows everything I’m trying to capture with this painting. It’s me -- I can’t seem to get it right.”

“No,” Sam answered slowly and deliberately, “you’re wrong about that. You’ve already got it captured.” Sam smiled at her friend.

“What do you mean?”

“Di, I think you finally found the right medium for your talent.”

 

 

Sam had taken the photograph from Diana straight to her own advisor. Dr. Barnes was a respected professor in the art department and always took an interest in developing student talent. It was rumored he had never missed a single student’s art exhibit.

Dr. Barnes studied the photograph, looking over his half-moon glasses. After a few moments, he advised Sam to tell the artist who had taken the picture to come and see him.

Sam couldn’t wait to hook up with Di up later that evening at the dorm. She chortled to herself as she left the School of Arts building. Diana is going to just die! I hope she doesn’t kill me when she finds out what I did!

It was closer to the broadcast of the Late Show than dinner time when Sam finally had the time to talk to Diana. As she had expected, her friend was stunned.

“The Dr. Barnes? You showed him my photograph?” Diana’s shock was apparent. “But… but… that’s just one picture! He needs to see several to really decide if I’m any good!”

“Of course he does!” Sam nodded as she walked over to Diana’s photo box. She picked up the box and handed it to her. “That’s why you’re going to go through these pictures and pick out the best ones. And make sure you include that picture you keep by your bed, the one of all those bird friends of yours.”

“They’re quail, not birds. You mean the Bob-Whites.” Diana’s eyes immediately sought out the picture Sam mentioned. The group looked as if they were casually arranged. But, in truth, Diana had painstakingly arranged the group on the outcropping of rocks before setting the timer and stepping into the picture. She had been very proud of it, and copies had been given to all of them as a keepsake. The vivid red of their BWG jackets combined with the gray stones and the filtered light of the game preserve to create a portrait that was nothing less than spectacular. Once I got Mart to stop clowning around, Di remembered with a grin. She looked up at Sam. “Okay, but it’s going to take some time to pull together a small portfolio.”

“Don’t take too much time, Di. Don’t give him time to lose interest. If you want my help, you know you’ve got it.”

“I promise to start tonight and I’ll get over to see him before the weekend.” Di had already started rifling through the photos.

 

 

“Dr. Barnes?” Diana knocked on his door. She was only a freshman and Dr. Barnes was a senior faculty member in the art department. Diana was more than a little in awe of him – all the art students gossiped that he could easily be Dean of the Art College if he had wanted that job. His preference was to work more closely with the students.

“Miss Lynch.” He motioned for her to come into his office. “How can I help you?”

“Samantha Slavick told me you wanted to see me.”

“Oh?” his bushy eyebrow rose as he tried to recall a conversation with the talented Miss Slavick.

“About this photograph,” she added shyly, holding out the picture of the bluffs.

“You took this picture?” he asked, failing in his attempt to keep the surprise from his voice. He had seen Diana’s attempts at painting and had been unimpressed. He never expected she would be the photographer.

“Yes, last fall.”

“What type camera did you use?”

“An older Nikon camera. My Dad gave it to me, when I first started taking pictures in high school. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s a good little camera.”

“It’s not an F-series? A professional model?”

“No, sir. It’s always taken great pictures, though.”

“Do you have more pictures you’ve taken?” Dr. Barnes asked.

“Yes, sir. In fact, Sam told me to bring them with me. Diana offered a small portfolio that included her favorite pictures from the past four years. There were several scenic shots of the river; more than a few of the horses; and of course pictures of her family and the Bob-whites. She had even brought her favorite picture, a shot of a bob-white quail, huddled in the snow. That one had come totally unexpectedly on a trip to Virginia.

The questions continued, about film, f-stops and lighting. It was obvious to David Barnes that Diana Lynch had the talent to become a noted photographer. By the end of the discussion, he had set up a meeting with her counselor and suggested she immediately enroll in Photography 108. She had missed three weeks of class, but with his endorsement, she could make up the lost work. He agreed to assign his graduate assistant to work with her and help her catch up.

 

 

“But Diana,” Carol Lynch protested. “You were so adamant about this art history major. Now you tell us you’re going to major in photography instead.”

“Mummy, I’m going for a double major. I’ll keep art history and add photography. If I take a few summer classes, I can still do my junior year in Europe.”

“Diana, are you sure about this?” her father asked, frowning. It sounded too much like freshman folly to him.

“Daddy, I’m sure!” she insisted. “Everyone at the school has recommended this to me. Dr. Barnes has helped me tremendously, and the counselors agree with him. I’m doing the right thing.”

“Okay,” Ed Lynch hedged slowly, “we’ll support this decision, Diana. But we’re warning you right now, we’re not going to tolerate you becoming a perpetual student. If this is just a whim or something you think you’d like to try, we’re going to be disappointed.”

“Oh, Daddy!” she jumped up to hug him. “It’s not, I promise it’s not. Just wait until you see your birthday present, you’ll understand completely.”

Diana rushed from the room to call her friends and share the good news. She felt extremely fortunate that Mart was home at the same time for spring break.

Carol and Ed Lynch looked at each other wearily. “Do you think we’re doing the right thing, letting her change her major so soon?”

“Yes, Carol,” Ed answered with a firm nod of his head. “She’s still a freshman. Lots of freshmen don’t even declare a major. I think it’s to be expected she would find what she wanted to do while she was taking classes.”

“But photography!” Carol protested. “Do you really see Diana running one of those photography studios taking pictures of children all day, and doing weddings?”

“Maybe,” he replied carefully. “But I think you’re selling photography as an art a little short here. “

“Edward – Van Gogh did not take photographs!” she insisted.

“No, but what’s on the walls of my office? Is it Van Gogh or Ansel Adams?” he asked, his jolly eyes twinkling.

Carol opened her mouth and shut it. She gave a rueful laugh. “Okay, dear. You’re right, I was being a snob. It’s the artist, not the medium.” Carol paused before she continued. “Ed, you didn’t seriously believe Diana had the talent to paint in the league of the old masters, did you? I mean, we’ve both seen her work. She’s good, but she’s not a natural painter.”

“No,” he answered thoughtfully, “I knew she didn’t paint at that level. She’s okay, but no one’s ever going to pay thousands of dollars for a painting by Diana Lynch.”

Carol laughed, “Darling, I think you’ll need to be satisfied with them paying thousands for a Diana Belden!”

“What!?” he cried, sitting up straight. “What are you telling me?”

Carol Lynch leaned over and gave her husband a kiss. “Darling, I’m not telling you anything, but I’ll bet you the usual amount that she has already called Mart Belden about her change in major.”

“Carol, she’s only eighteen, and he’s not much older. You can’t honestly believe they’re seriously thinking about that?”

“Ed, how old was I when Diana was born?” she asked as she ran a finger down his neck.

“Nineteen,” he mumbled.

“Then wouldn’t you think it’s fair to say they’re seriously thinking about that?”

“She’s not supposed to grow up,” Ed complained a little wistfully. “She’s my little girl.”

“She’s growing up, Ed. She’s a beautiful young woman and I have a feeling you’re going to be very proud of your daughter the photographer.”

 

 

“Mart?” she spoke into the phone.

“Hi, cupcake. What did they say?”

“They agreed. They think it’s the best direction for me to take. Oh, Mart. I’m so excited! You know how much I wanted them to agree.”

“I do – you’ll still do that year in Europe, though?”

Diana knew that as much as Mart wanted her to be accepted into the college abroad program, he had already expressed how much he would miss her.

“Yes. But for the most part, the only difference is going to be seven hours. I can call you after my classes and you’ll just be getting up. Then if you email me to chat when you get home from class, I’ll have plenty of time to chat before going to bed. We’ll have plenty of time to talk.”

“I know, sweet pea. I won’t get to see you at the breaks -- that’ll be the only difference.”

Diana was silent. She would miss Mart as much as he was going to miss her. The two of them had talked more in the last two years than she had talked to Trixie and Honey.Daddy would give me anything I wanted, including sending Mart on a European vacation if he knew I really wanted it. But Mart would never accept a gift like that.

“Do you know what I think?” Mart’s voice interrupted her musings.

“What?”

“I think I need to take you out tonight to celebrate.”

“Mart! I’m the one who should be taking you out. If you hadn’t supported me, I never would have the guts to consider a double-major.”

“Okay, you can take me out. We are talking about food, right?” Mart had learned early in their relationship that if he were going to be successful in dating Diana, he would have to occasionally let her do the treating. He had quickly discovered his first year in college that many couples shared in the expenses of dating; it was not a factor of Di having more money.

Diana giggled, “Of course we are sweetie. Wimpy’s and a movie?”

“Will thou also be procuring popcorn for us to partake of during our cinematic excursion?”

“Sweetheart, I’m buying popcorn, candy, sodas – the works!” Diana couldn’t hold back a laugh. Mart always manages to make me laugh.

“Mon petit chou! The utterances from your divine lips have me counting the seconds until we meet. Will my sweet cupcake be ready at the usual time?”

“Yes, I’ll see you at six.” Diana chuckled again as she hung up the phone.

Mart’s face broke into a wide grin when he heard his best girl laugh. His hand went automatically to his pocket where he patted the square box he hadn’t been far from since his purchase two weeks earlier. Wonder what her reaction will be when she sees this!

 

 

“Did you finish your portfolio for your photography final?” Sam asked Diana as the two of them met walking into their dorm.

“Yes, I turned it in yesterday. It was a relief to actually have something finished early.”

“I know what you mean. When the final exams include portfolio submittals, it really turns up the pressure.”

“Well, even with the three-week delay in starting that class, I’m pretty sure I’m going to end up with an A on the final exam. If I do, then Daddy’s sure to buy me a professional quality camera for my birthday.” Di’s face beamed as she spoke. “I met with the counselor, and I’m going to take some classes at home this summer. I’ll have to go into the city twice a week, but it beats missing out on seeing Mar… my friends all summer.”

“So, how is Mart?” Sam’s eyes twinkled. She wasn’t fooled by Di’s sudden correction.

“He’s great. He gave me something to celebrate my new major.”

Sam grabbed her left hand. “Diana Lynch! Did you get engaged? Where’s the ring?”

“No silly!” Di laughed and pushed her sleeve up and held up her arm. “Look – he gave me a camera charm for my bracelet.”

Sam turned the shiny silver bracelet until she located the camera. “That’s cute, Di. Your Mart seems like a terrific guy.”

“He is.” Diana affirmed. “But you know what? I’m pretty lucky. I’ve got great friends back in Sleepyside, Mart and the rest of the Bob-Whites. But I’ve got great friends here in Boston as well.” Di looked at her college friend earnestly. “Sam, I really appreciate what you did for me, talking to Dr. Barnes.”

“Oh, pooh! That was nothing!”

“No, it was really something! I don’t think I would’ve made the changes in my program if it hadn’t been for your help.”

“You’re giving me too much credit, Di!” Sam insisted.

“No, I’m not!” Di answered quickly. “Thank you, Sam. I never expected to find friends here at school like the ones I had back home.”

Sam flushed. Diana’s serious tone and sincere words embarrassed her. She gave the dark-haired girl a hug. “You’re welcome, Di. Now – tell me – do all of those other male bird friends in your picture have girlfriends?”