"Very," he said, giving an appreciative look over the scene laid out over York's palette. Well balanced, nicely planned, good use of shadows. "You have a good eye for color." His cheery, genuine sunshine smile falters as he realizes his awkward and potentially problematic choice of phrasing. Fell turns pink. "Ah, that is, I mean, well. Knack. You have a wonderful knack for color."

Soldiering on. "It usually takes people a little while longer to get the trick of mixing paints and not muddying them. Have you done this before?"