I began this picture thinking it would be such a breeze and yet somehow it still turned into a fight to the death. After four failed attempts, each one almost finished, I was in complete and utter despair and ready to give up. Luckily, Randall courageously dared to come down to the studio to see what all the wailing and smashing of furniture was about and calmly pulled this version out of the trash. "You can save this one. Really. I'm not just saying it." With no hope left and nothing to lose, I dove in again, oddly liberated by the thought that I would be no worse off than before she came downstairs.
I've been learning this lesson over and over again since the first time I picked up a pencil-- to throw caution to the wind and trust that it will work out. Easier said than done. But after all that struggle and some help from my lovely wife, I have to admit, I kind of like this piece.
It's not the one I pictured, but really, how often does that happen anyway?