Closed A Painting Lesson (Valo)

[Besnik]

Besnik 11th of Winter, 512 AV ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Besnik had been up since just before sunrise, having gone against Valo’s advice and instead investigating the woods surrounding Zeltiva for the remainder of the day. By the time night had fallen, he’d located a small crevice amongst a pile of boulders in which to shove his pack and squeeze his dhole form. Having slept there the night, he’d proceeded to go hunting, successfully catching a rabbit in the process. Instead of eating it himself, he had returned to his pack and changed into his human form. After such kindness shown to him by the red head, he’d decided yesterday before leaving that he wanted to repay him in the way a canine knows how to; by hunting for him. Now the Kelvic was stood in loose fitting, faded fabric shirt and trousers, just outside Valo’s house. It was still early, the sun barely peeking out over the roofs of the cottages surrounding him, and he contemplated knocking on the door. Tilting his head, he stared at the handle for a small while, before reaching out to try it. Locked. Scowling, the canine lifted his hand and bashed it a couple of times against the door, before sitting down, facing the street. He wasn’t sure whether the man was even awake yet, let alone in the mood to answer the door. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ||Besnik|| ||3 years|| ||Kelvic|| ||Bondmate - Valo||

[Valo]

Valo's sleeping habit varied perhaps a little more than his artwork. For often he would wake up before sunrise him self; but today was the day tat when the loud thudding on the door cake, he was still very much in Valo land. His own personal realm of dreams. The nature of dreams was such that the most unpredictable things had a habit of constantly occurring. And Valo's dreams were the perfect example of that, for despite his age, he dreamt like a child. Dreams of becoming great and famous and ruling the world of art. He'd dream of flying and monsters and other such nonsensical things. Knock, knock, knock... The sound came like an arrow, ripping him painfully from his fantasies. Puling the threads of that blissful state from his body. A sound that, much like cold water, was both unpleasant and sharp as glass. And so sluggishly pulling him self to his feet, Valo threw on a cuffed shirt and without even buttoning it up, unlocked the door. The key, turning in the lock with another unpleasant crack, as the door swung open to reveal no one other than Besnik him self. When Valo mentioned seeing the man again, he had not anticipated in his wildest of dreams, that it would be so soon. A smile lit up the sleepy man's features, even though the ghosts of his dreams still lingered within his deep set eyes, dulling down the green hue. He ran his slender fingers though the crown of those vibrant red locks of his, his chest growing paler by the minute in the outside cold. But buttoning his shirt up at this time of day somehow slipped his mind. "Well good morning to you Bes." he chuckled a little. "Care to come in?"

[Besnik]

Besnik ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Besnik spun around as he moved to stand, cheery grin on his face to meet Valo’s smile with his own. He noticed the sleep dimmed green eyes, completely different to his own brown orbs that seemed to shine. Having been awake for a while, hunted and then wandered through Zeltiva, he was more than awake by now despite the early hour. The Kelvic almost felt bad about waking his new acquaintance up so early, yet that vanished as the other man chuckled a greeting. Besnik’s grin widened, if that was possible, and his posture straightened slightly. “Good morning Valo,” his voice spoke in a tone as alert as his eyes looked. The canine nodded happily, stepping past the other in an effort to get out of the cold air. He was glad he’d had the thought to put on the shirt and trousers rather than just a cloak as there was a considerable nip in the air. In a quick movement the pack was removed from his shoulders and fell to the floor. Besnik’s mouth watered at the scent of the recently killed rabbit, yet he still went through with his plan. Carefully he removed the body from the top of his pack before turning with it in his hands to face Valo. There were no teeth marks, or anything else to distinguish the body from a creature merely asleep, for he had killed by trapping it with his paws and then wrapped his jaws over its nose and mouth, waiting for it to suffocate. It lay limp in his hands, a large specimen of its species, and he lifted it up towards Valo. “For you,” he said with a kind expression. He remembered how the other hadn’t understood a lot of his actions yesterday, so instead of leaving it at that decided to explain a little more, “as a thank you for yesterday.” The Kelvic dropped the rabbit’s body as Valo’s feet for him to pick up, giving over possession of the meal he’d otherwise enjoy digging in to. While out hunting, he’d also caught himself something and eaten it before leaving, but in his mind set there was never knowledge of a next meal definitely coming and any food was good food. His eyes once again glanced around the room, which smelled as good as he’d remembered, and settled on one of the many paintings resting propped against the wall from the floor. Moving quickly the Kelvic went from being stood before the other man to being crouched by the painting in less than a second. His eyes darted over the colours, head tilting at the scent of oils that accompanied the image. Careful this time not to touch the creation, he simply observed and took in each detail. Brown eyes turned up to look back at Valo, head tilted ever so slightly, as he spoke up, “How do you make these?” The question was simple, yet spoke volumes of their different lives. Besnik knew the scent of the oils, and knew what a painting was, yet he’d never learnt the process of mixing coloured oils to create a piece of art. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ||Besnik|| ||3 years|| ||Kelvic|| ||Bondmate - Valo||

[Valo]

Besnik's very presence was filled with energy radiating from every with of muscle beneath his skin, every sparkle in the reflective surface of his liquid chocolate eyes. He was a physical manifestation of such energy, such zest for life and the elaborate innocence that came with it. And that very quality cause Valo to light up, infected with this energy as if it was the blight it self. A curse of Besnik's company was happiness. The Kelvic wasted no time before removing him self from the cold exterior and once again entering the familiar, disorderly interior of Valo's humble home. At least this time he was properly dressed for the occasion. Though the ordeal from two days beforehand would always remain as a pleasant, if not a little awkward memory within the red haired artist's mind. A memory in line of many, preceding the marvellous friendship which loomed on the horizons of his timeline. And alas, a humorous memory which - if the gods turn their smiling faces towards him - he would no doubt tell his grand children about, with a mischievous flicker upon a face as old as time. Much to Valo's surprise, and truly not at all to his dismay, Besnik quickly produced a large rabbit from his bag. At first sight Valo had thought the creature might have been asleep, for it's eyes were closed in a blissful sleep. Only after it flopped lifelessly to the floor had he realised of the condition that the animal was in. Or in fact the complete lack of animation which pointed to only one thing, death. “as a thank you for yesterday.” stated Besnik as Valo bent down to retrieve the rabbit. It would make good stew, if only he could get his hands on a good cooking book. "Ah thank you Besnik." smiled Valo. He was about to ad 'You really shouldn't have.' but refrained him self from doing so, for he was quite aware of the subtle simplicity of Kelvics. He didn't wasn't those words to be mistaken for ungratefulness, so instead he grinned a wide, warm grin - hoping it would convey the surprise and indeed the gratitude for this wonderful gift. With those simple words, Valo turned on his heal to place the rabbit on the table, where he'd do something splendid with if after he finished receiving his guest. Hospitality was indeed more important. But much to his dismay, as he turned around he saw Besnik once again by his paintings. A silent prayer to Laviku formed in his mind, to prevent his friend from touching the masterpieces on which he had spent so much time and effort. Thankfully as he rushed to the Kelvic's side, Valo realised the man was only looking at the work, keeping his hands by his side. “How do you make these?” he asked with almost child like curiosity. If there was ever a way to Valo's heart, it was though art. And one didn't even have to be particularly competent at painting or drawing to execute this perfect. All that was needed was a teaspoon of curiosity with perhaps a sprinkling of admiration, which Valo could then disregard and deem mere flattery. "They're oil painting." he replied with a soft crescent of a smile to his alabaster features. "It's really quite simple as long as one understands the strengths of the medium. In fact I believe it is perhaps the easiest medium to paint with, once one educates him self upon the complex chemistry behind it. A few basic rules and there's no limit to the masterpieces one could paint."

[Besnik]

Besnik ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Valo’s thank you caused happiness to bubble up within the Kelvic, the warm atmosphere in the small house making him feel better than he’d felt in a long time. He’d been on his own for so long that the feeling of friendship, comradery, had almost been lost to him. Of course his manners were a constant companion and he never treated other ill if he could help it. However he’d not had an equal companion, someone he could call his friend, for many seasons. Being around his new red haired acquaintance reminded him of how great it was to stay in one place and just get to know people, rather than pass through quickly and move on. The canine was glad Valo had accepted the rabbit. It was early in the morning, but Besnik had already been up for a few hours in order to track down a good warren and find a healthy animal with enough meat on it to make a decent meal. Thankfully the time hadn’t been wasted and the man had recognised the gesture for what it was. As he crouched by the oil painting, curious about how it was created, he tilted his head round and back to see Valo. The rabbit had been set aside on a table for later, and the other had looked over to the Kelvic. A look Besnik thought was something akin to worry flashed through green eyes before it vanished, leaving the Kelvic wondering what the man had been thinking. The incident with the paint still fresh in his memory came to mind and he leant back a little, putting a slightly larger distance between himself and the painting to settle the others nerves. Deep brown eyes looked up at Valo with an innocent expression, waiting for the explanation. The painting looked so delicately created, each part seeming to reflect the time and effort Besnik imagined went into creating it. The colours mixed and swirled on the canvas so that each tiny portion attracted attention individually and caused interest, as well as the fact that the whole piece was fascinating. The small smile and overall tone of the other man’s voice told Besnik just how passionate Valo was about his work as he began to explain. The words educate, complex and chemistry began to make the Kelvic regret asking. He wasn’t stupid, but simply had no desire to study academic topics, and as Valo spoke he could felt as though there must be some sort of academic base to all things. However the actual act of painting still intrigued him and he wondered if it was possible for everyone to learn. “Can anybody do it?” he asked quietly, looking back to the canvas for a moment before turning back to Valo, “Can you only paint if you’ve learnt all of the complicated education stuff?” He was eager to hear the other talk more, content listening to him speak about a topic he obviously loved. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ||Besnik|| ||3 years|| ||Kelvic|| ||Bondmate - Valo||

[Valo]

The innocent question amused him thoroughly, for spoken with such profound innocence that Valo couldn't help but smile softly. Besnik was such an endearing creature. Sweet and soft and innocent, a true statement to the wonderful beings the gods could create. "Besnik." he spoke the Kelvic's name with a radiant smile in his face of alabaster. "I tell you solemnly, you can paint knowing absolutely nothing about painting, for though such action you learn the tricks of the trade. And though continuous practice you learn how to truly be a great artist. Of course theoretical knowledge helps; anatomy and colour theory and the like. Priceless knowledge but one can live without." Valo's slender fingers combed though his red velvet hair, bringing it off his face and allowing it to fall freely onto his shoulders. Strands tickled the flesh around the opening of his shirt, though he took little notice. So absorbed in his speech he was, so absorbed in art. "It's also good to know the medium you're working on. For you see there are so many different kinds of paint out there. My chosen one is oil as you can see." an ivory arm swept gently around the room which was cluttered with paintings of thick, textured paint with a soft glisten to it. "A true paint when it comes to cleaning brushes and a nightmare if you get it on your clothes, but a fluid medium and a versatile one. There are those perhaps easier in theory but harder in technique, but the technique is to choose one that you're comfortable with and stick to it." His very speech became somewhat a monolog now and a habit it was of his, to ramble on about nonsense. But nonsense that was important to him none the less. He hadn't had the chance to do so in a while and so grabbed at the opportunity without completely realising this. "Of course ability and technical skill and even knowledge of this frivolous nonsense that I love so much and nor perhaps you, nor many other soul out there care for. Though it really is a pity. Yet all of that matters not, for the real thing that makes an artist is perception. In every painting, even the most insignificant, a true artist portrays his personal vie on the world. An exploration into what the world looks like on a two dimensional surface, one might say. And that is something truly interesting." The words rolled on in an endless stream. He wasn't even looking at Besnik now, nor looking at the painting, but his eyes sweeping over the paints and the brushes that lay scattered about the room. "You see paintings are not representations of the world. They are not photo realistic copies of the subject. No. True art creates life, until the subject gains an identity of it's own, that is still very much a part of the original subject yet somehow separate." "Perhaps that's precisely why I'm so fond of portraiture. Even though I don't merely paint enough of it. It allows one to dive a little more into the personality of the person being painted and pull out those qualities most wonderful and most original and then throw them all together and create a true world of art. Art is life." Valo finally realised he'd gone off on a tangent a little. Well 'a little' was a complete understatement of just how much he had trailed off. And embarrassment flickered across his brilliant green eyes and a little awkward smile carved it self into his features. "I'm sorry dear friend. I have a habit of talking too much sometimes. But, back to your original question, you most certainly can paint whilst knowing very little theory. Though I'd encourage you to learn it anyway. It has it's habits of being useful"

[Besnik]

Besnik ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Besnik tilted his head as he twisted his body so that he could properly look at the man as he began his speech. It was nice to be back within Zeltiva; he’d grown fond of the city over the week and a half he’d been there. Although returning to the wilderness for a night in order to move far enough out to find the rabbits he’d caught had pleased his animal instincts, the social side of him had felt slightly lonely after being around people for the last few days. It was also nice to see Valo again. Though they barely knew each other, the Kelvic already felt a sense of admiration towards the man. He couldn’t put words to why he immediately felt he could trust a man who was barely an acquaintance, but there was an evident connection between the pair. The canine’s eyes crinkled as his own smile matched the bright one across Valo’s face, intrigued to hear the more intelligent man speak about a topic obviously close to his heart. His smile possibly grew wider upon hearing that he could paint even without knowing anything about the trade; it was a talent different to those he’d come across, most of which required experience and help. Wandering off into the wilderness and attempting to hunt didn’t work without a guide showing you how to track and telling you which scents to pay attention to. Attentative eyes followed the movement of the other’s hand as he brushed vibrant hair from his face. He was surprised as Valo continued to speak, learning that oils were not the only kind of paint. As he’d only ever seen the finished product, after smelling oil and entering the other’s home he’d assumed that everybody used one oily substance referred to as paint. Curiosity over the new discovery made Besnik wish to know more and he was glad as Valo continued his monologue on the theory of paint. His eyes followed the gesturing arm that drew his attention to all the oil paintings around the room, before switching back to the artist. His eyes were gentle, features on his face softened as the passionate man went on to mention the nightmare of removing paint from clothing. A small laugh left the Kelvic’s mouth as he remembered the day before, mentally adding that it was difficult to remove from skin as well. The passionate way in which the man before him spoke drew the Kelvic in. It was comparable to the way the scent of a fresh kill took priority over all his senses when he hadn’t fed for days, capturing him so that no other distractions could draw his attention away. It was peculiar for one so easily distracted to pay attention, but he readily listened to the words coming from the man’s mouth. The way he described art made something that didn’t seem to have reason suddenly have a point. Besnik, while noticing how lovely a lot of paintings looked, hadn’t seen why art was valued so highly. Sure, it was hard to capture a precise image, but at the end of the day it was simply that; an image. There was nothing more worthy to his mind than actually visiting a place, seeing the views that artists so desperately tried to put in paper. Nothing could compare to seeing, smelling, feeling the surroundings and becoming a part of the ever growing history of a place. However, Valo provided the Kelvic with insight he’d never considered before. Art, he was beginning to realise, wasn’t so much a way of capturing the image before the artist as a way of capturing how that artist views the world. Each piece was different, providing a separate view into how the artist thinks, their own permanent record much like an author writing books or a hunter keeping track of the amount of kills they’d made. No two people painted in the same way, or wished to paint the same views, and when they did it was always captured in different ways. In a way, paintings could provide a view into a person’s soul. For Besnik, he experienced this through the eyes; by looking at someone he was either instinctually suspicious or trusting of them. Not having known any artists before, he’d never noticed the personal touch in a painting. However, as he became more and more accustomed to Valo, he could see a little bit of the man’s personality within his paintings. He couldn’t put words he how he knew, whether because he wasn’t experienced enough around art or because there simply weren’t words to put to the feelings he didn’t know. The Kelvic’s head tilted as Valo’s attention drifted away, eyes flitting around the room that encompassed his passion in a visual representation of his words. Art is life. The statement spoken by his new acquaintance was a short three words, able to summarise everything he had been trying to think as the speech was given. Valo’s way with words impressed Besnik immensely, making him glad to have met the other man. His happy smile was spread across his relaxed face as the other man seemed to realise how long he’d spoken for. “It’s alright,” his tone was full of a content kindness, “I enjoyed listening to you talking about your art. I’ve never taken much of an interest in it before, but the way you talk about it with such passion makes it hard not to feel a similar passion.” His eyes turned back to the painting he was crouched before, studying the swirls and strikes as they danced over canvas. He saw it in a new light, not as a mere image of a scene now but almost managing to see the life created by the artist, attempting to look through the creator’s eyes. He turned back to Valo, unsure what to say next, wanting to answer with his own intelligent observations of the world but unable to. He say things in black and white, metaphorically speaking, either trusting or not trusting people, doing what he needed to do to survive and then only doing other things when he felt like it. He looked back to the painting, an unexpected urge to learn the art himself washing over him, before once again looking to the red haired man. “Could you teach me?” he asked quietly, as if afraid of the answer being negative. Valo had said anybody could learn, but perhaps the Kelvic wasn’t included in that statement. Unless it was to do with nature and survival, he often found things difficult to grasp or lost interest easily. The strange desire to learn how to paint was entirely new, something that had come about from listening to Valo’s talking about art in such a way as he had, but was oddly not unwelcome. He didn’t understand why the sudden wish to learn something new, but cast the thought aside for the moment. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ||Besnik|| ||3 years|| ||Kelvic|| ||Bondmate - Valo||