How we cite our quotes: Chapter.Paragraph
Quote #7
If I'm going to imitate Kandinsky, I'm going to have to bring on the shapes. I turn on the radio to a heavy rock station and also put in a cassette of a thunderstorm. The shapes come unbidden, as always, and I begin to paint. (4.178)
Is it just us or does it seem like Mia has to have music to paint? We wonder what her work would look like if she turned down the tunes and went free style. Of course Mia doesn't do that, though, because the shapes and colors she sees floating in the air when listening to music inspire her.
Quote #8
"Um, well, I painted the slave ship lost at sea to show that the souls of some of the Ibo are still not at rest." I glance at Roger, who motions with his hand for me to say more. "And, uh, I used watercolor paint because it can wash away easily, just like the memory of the Ibo revolt unless we keep studying it." (12.49)
For her history project, Mia paints the Ibo people choosing to die in the water rather than live as slaves. She's able to capture the turmoil of the event in her painting. In fact, she specifically chose watercolors to show the way people fade into history over time. Yep, it just got real.
Quote #9
Something is different. I kneel down to look closer. I distinctly remember when I finished painting it that Grandpa had a faraway look in his eyes. But now he looks almost content. I definitely don't remember painting him that way. (15.79)
Looking back at her painting of her grandpa, Mia realizes that something is different about the image: Her grandpa seems more at peace than he was before. Of course paintings can't change by themselves, so it's more likely that Mia has a new perspective on her grandpa. She finally feels at peace with his passing.