I stopped by an old friends website today as I was telling another friend about this great artist that I knew. I hadn't been by her page in months, at least 6. When I first met her I was so very impressed by her work (as I still am). I was so honored by her encouraging comments on my work. I don't consider myself a "real artist" yet as I am still learning and haven't had any introduction to most media yet. Only a few watercolor classes and digital mentoring. Anyhow that was well over a year ago and I am still so honored to know her and I admire her work greatly.

her work is so precise and clear, not abstract in anyway, it seemed as if she knew exactly how to dictate her minds eye with the paint brush. She was impressed by my layers and hidden images and my child like approach to subject matter.

Anyhow back to stopping by her page - I was taken aback by the obvious (at least to me) inspiration from a couple of my own pieces. Such a variation from her previous works. I was so impressed, honored, and even more inspired.

What I am doing is inspiring a REAL Artist ie A professional artist, one that makes money from her work, enough to support her family with. It was amazing, breathtaking and joyful to see how she has used some of my techniques to take a new approach to her work.

Imitation is truly the most flattering compliment! It also validates how I do my work - by finding a piece that I truly like and recreating it in my own interpetiation with my own techniques. I am not a copier but an imitator of things I like and works that inspire me.

I am currently working on 4 new pieces - insipired by a sketch my mother did over 20 years ago that I found in an old photo album.

I can't wait for them to be done. I can't wait until I have some instruction in Oil so that I wont have to utilize the much failing patience I seem to have accquired with watercolor.