Beyond Perfection

I longed to create her.  I felt her within me - she wanted to be shared.

I began with pencil - sketching, erasing, sketching, erasing.  

I was aiming for perfection.  

I should have stuck with the feeling.

Eventually, I began to add color - watercolor pencils, more shading, ...  And the wonkiness of her features still disturbed me.  The hands - oh, the mis-shapen hands! - the lack of symmetry, the....  The thoughts were all parading around my mind, blowing their horns, drowning out everything else.

And then I looked at her.

Hand on heart, hand on stomach, eyes closed in peaceful observance of what is.

I pulled out the (oh-so-permanent) sharpie marker, and traced.

What I was trying to express was not perfection.  It was a FEELING.  And she, with her imperfections, portrayed that feeling already.

**please see note below about this piece 

Feeling her breath dancing with the breath that blows past her face, she is in flowing peace with it all.

I'd love to start a conversation in the comments with anyone who has felt this hindrance while creating - knowing the feeling you want to create, but not having the technical skills to create it OR allowing perfection to get in the way.  I realize that whenever I look at ANYONE else's art, I never judge whether the hands are mis-shapen, or if the features aren't true-to-nature.  I see the entire piece, I resonate (or not) with the feelings, with the messages that it is speaking to me.  And yet, I am in awe of those who have studied and spent years acquiring the technical skills necessary to create exactly what they imagine (and often feel I should devote even more time than I already have to do the same).

What about you?  I'll reply to comments here in the comments section to keep the conversation going, so be sure to join in and check back...  

Namaste

**PRINTS are available for this piece $25 + S/H.  Please CONTACT ME to purchase.