A Memory from Childhood

One summer afternoon when I was eleven years old I happened to be walking down a country lane in England when I came across a girl who had set up her easel and paint-box by the side of the road.

I was immediately enchanted by her beauty (she must have been about fourteen) and by her friendly attitude. She showed me her notebook. I was amazed, not only by her prodigious talent, but by the fact that she was completely unafraid to tackle any subject

She fearlessly attacked flowers, cars, trees, cattle, trains, horses, houses, and even had some sketches of cathedrals she had visited. We only talked for about fifteen minutes, but the memory has stayed with me. I spent the rest of my life picturing the bright world of her imagination.