The Art of It 2 – Jenny 45

 

[For back story go here: Story so far at 30 Nov 2020 and this one.]

[For other back story click in-links] 

Whatever Jenny had expected from this current lockdown, she had not expected online fame. And yet, here it was, at least, it was beginning to materialise, short bursts of notoriety and mentions, countless likes and and a strange sense of pressure building, of expectation that she needed to make sure the next video was easily as good as the last, in whatever way it could be.

And that was the challenge. She and Helen had found a niche through which they could entertain many subscribers, but the trick was going to be making it sustainable and even trying to find new angles to keep them engaged with the task as much as ensuring the viewers kept watching.

Along with the subscribers they’d received a few enquiries of sponsorship and product placement. Producers of artistic equipment were begging them them use their media whenever possible and even a couple of clothing companies were in touch, attempting to convince them that a flash pair of jeans and an awesome T Shirt here and there would pave the way for more subscribers in a mutually beneficial relationship. It was all rather dizzying for Jenny, although she also loved the fact that after everything that had happened she had now found herself doing something that was up to the minute and down with the kids.

‘Painting with Mum’ had boomed very quickly. They’d managed to post multiple videos over the past week, their own momentum translating swiftly into momentum in terms of subscribers. But what should happen next?

“I think we should try painting more and more bizarre objects,” said Jenny.

“Yeah, but there’s nothing entirely bizarre around here, is there?” observed Helen.

A quick venture into the spare room with the loft remnants led to a couple of more interesting videos, running under the title of ‘what is it’? In one case it was a broken down half-forgotten teas-maid, the other thing, they presumed was meant to be a drift-wood lamp. The second of these they painted with the time-lapse on to speed things up a bit.

Inevitably, though, this source of inspiration ran dry: “It’s all household objects that everyone’s got,” complained Helen. “We’re not going to impress anyone with another go at a cheese grater.”

What Helen did like the idea of, however, was finding a more novel approach to their subjects. Never mind the cheese grater, what if it were balanced on top of an up-ended saucepan lid, itself on top of a bread bin supported by four egg cups? “Now we’re getting somewhere,” she murmured as she trained the camera over the teetering pile.

The painting experience was altered with both achieving new levels of quiet and study, hardly daring to breathe as they painted for fear of the crash that would result. 

Next they decided they would take up the sponsor on the clothes deal after all but wear the clothes upside down and back to front, paying homage to the surrealist movement as they did so. On the one hand they received more likes that evening for the episode than they had for the rest of the week put together, on the other hand it was a long time before anyone tried to get them to wear their clothes again – aside from a couple of dedicated artist studio suppliers who offered them a lifetime's supply of smocks. They took up this offer but then heaped them up in the garage, part burned them and created a picture of an artist on the floor using the ashes.

Things went into hyper drive as the twosome created and posted content left right and centre. Past sell-by eggs were thrown at different coloured wooden boards the see what would happen. Raiding the stashed contents of the loft they used water pistols to fire different coloured water paint at canvasses and at each other. They used old remote controlled cars to drive through paint and see what they could create on the other side.

One night they were in the garage trying to paint with volcanoes created using vinegar and baking soda with food colouring spluttering in increasingly erratic ways across white paper on the floor.

Just as they upped the ante in order to get some really explosive effects, the interior door opened and Izzy arrived, pausing to marvel at the duo in fits of hysterics and plastered with multi-coloured paint.

"What exactly are you up to?" she asked.

"We're being an Internet hit," laughed back Jenny.

“Excellent,” said Peter appearing behind her, “Can we all have a go?”