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Alene N.'s avatar

I love love love your winter scape. Great trees. The jet mark in the sky is awesome, it draws your eye up to that part of the painting. And I’m glad you were able to alter your painting post-signing. One of the mistakes I make with acrylics is signing and photographing my painting and then varnishing it before I get away from it for a while. I can always find things to fix, but you can’t fix it after you varnish it!

As far as comparison goes, you are right! There is no stone tablet with art rules on it, anything goes, and every artist belongs. When I go to galleries and see other artists’ work, I try to learn while admiring their work. Back when I first started painting over 20 years ago I once had someone

- a frenemy who is also no longer in my life- say, “don’t quit your day job” but she was serious and said it in a nasty way. Keep on going! You are on the right track!

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Nancy Stordahl's avatar

Hi Beth,

Oh, the comparison game - it's always a struggle to not get too caught up in it. It's human nature to compare ourselves to others I guess. But your statement: "Comparing ourselves to others cuts short our enjoyment of life and thus diminishes self-care" is so true!

I know I shouldn't compare myself to other authors, but... I guess it's okay to compare if you're doing it as a way to motivate or inspire yourself. And, of course, if you want to learn from the expertise of others. If you can compare without the competition aspect, I think it's okay. But therein lies the challenge.

As an indie author, I remind myself all the time that it's not about how many readers I connect with at all. It's about the connections I do make with the readers I have. And social media, don't get me started on that comparison game. Ugh.

I like the changes you made to Grasses and Mountains. Good for you for making them even after signing your name. And I love the winter scape. The trees are just stunning. And yes, that plane exhaust is a nice touch for sure. Not sure how you thought of that!

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