Thank you, Maria! I think we all paint a part of ourselves when painting portraits!

Thank you, BJ!

Thank you, Jakki!

Thanks, Elizabeth!

Thank you, Betty!

Christina, thank you for your interesting comment. Personally, I am driven by achieving more skills and increasing the quality of my art, so “arty” is not an answer to me but I can see that it can take the pressure off and allow more creative play!

Thank you, Lin! I whole-heartedly believe in creative exploration and creative play, and I think that even if many artists do that, they keep that hidden. That can make people think that you need to repeat only one style, one way, one idea.

Thanks, Nancy!!

Thank you, Jacquie!

Thanks, Colleen! However, this is not my first Renessaince painting, here’s my first one: http://www.peonyandparakeet.com/learning-old-masters/

Thank you, Zay! Your comment brightened my day!

Thanks so much, Mary!