Very well done though, Renate! I have to wonder if “getting lost in detail” is virtually a necessity if it’s going to be done that good! But that’s a bit of a guess; just a hunch.

@Renate Wagner Very interesting, “This copying has nothing to do with art.” And upon that feeling unable to be proud of it. I agree that that can be true as I found out years ago. When I saw painting as only an attempt to look like something rather than as a form of art it was boring for me. But when I discovered visual art as art my interest became much more alive. This was especially so in my college days years ago with abstract sculpture. With line, shape, form etc. I aimed for and created a sense of mood and beauty that was satisfying for me. While I now like realism in my painting presently I like striving for beauty at least and I’m enjoying that. Anyway the realism done in your painting obviously shows genuine talent and then your understanding that even this level of realism isn’t necessarily art and your interest in Sam’s painting as art, to me shows talent on the side of visual art as art rather then just copying something. Again I find your take on this matter as very interesting.

Thanks much for sharing your experience at a show like that. The display of your paintings made for a splendid show of your very beautiful work! Glad you had an overall good experience though you sold only two paintings and the cost was high. Interesting that you are mainly storing your paintings. Which reminds me of a glad for storage system for my paintings that I, somewhat by accident, worked out. I glue canvas pads, typically already cut to standard sizes, to water color paper to stiffen it up enough to frame them (the frames having further backing to them). But I frame them only for shows. Then I can take them back out for storage. I have just 1/16th inch thickness on each painting for storage where I can stack maybe fifty or more paintings in just one of the saved boxes that my ordered canvas pads came in. I tried selling some quite cheap but my luck was such that I decided that now is training/learning time without trying to sell anything at the small shows I put them in. Right now I like keeping most of my paintings for reference and learning purposes. Maybe later on I'll try to sell a few. But my main objective is to have fun painting and painting something beautiful as best I can. I want to be content with that. Painting is a hobby a way of recreation and fun while making something beautiful more then anything else for me. I don't have to sell nor am I particularly interested in selling, nor interested in the pressure of trying to sell. Meanwhile hopefully I'll have a bunch of paintings to look at down the road for my enjoyment, and reminiscing and maybe share them with some others to enjoy browsing through too.

Very nice sketch, Marilyn! And a great place for sketching if one stays warm!

Beautiful work, Kamlesh!

Very nice work. Dreamy yet quite realistic.