An experience that will remain in your mind, it is great to be able to share the same passion with other people, it is not the same to share the works done that see them live, see how the artist begins to create his art, how he visualizes that idea that he wants to capture and that It must be very exciting and at the same time very motivating. Too bad you did not do something, surely in the next you are encouraged to do it. You are shy? that is cute! And tender, it's normal, I don't know if there is someone who speaks with everyone at the first moment (Although...), I think that more than anything it would be a strategy to break the ice lol, and after you're acclimatized and you feel in your environment, everything will be normal! ;)

I'm glad you could talk to him and be able to clarify all those things that were wrong. You never know the whole truth, at that time you:

My ex told stories about him, which I believed.

It is understandable but as that version may be another, as it happened with your new friend, we never know what that person thinks or how he really is... we cannot believe what he is not, just because someone told us that it is such, At least until we talk to him / her we can realize that and if that person is bad or good.

But we humans always make that mistake, in my case many times and then I discover that they are incredible people and that I was missing out on living incredible moments by having a wrong image of those people and just by believing in someone else's version.

Congratulations on both of you! and for the art! Regards!!!