And now a word about that engineer...

Sarah wrapping John around her little paw.

The man who keeps me grounded and one of the creatures who give me wings. Whenever I need honest criticism or a slice of humble pie, all I have to do is ask my husband, "What do you think of this drawing?"  Sometimes he says, "I like it, you should keep it." More often, it is, "I don't like it," "I don't get it," "It looks like a 12 year old did it," or my personal favorite, "You should paint over it." (He actually loves the purple cat that is partially visible in the background and won't let me sell it even though I have had offers.)  His comments might seem harsh to some people, but I truly value his opinion and his honesty. He is always supportive of my endeavors, but he is not my personal cheerleader. I think all artists need someone like him--I suggest finding an engineer, no one can shoot down an artist's ego like an engineer--to keep at least one of our feet firmly in reality. Because of him, there is really nothing that anyone else can say about my work that will hurt my feelings, and quite frankly I think that all artists benefit from having someone to tell them when what they have produced is crap.

The most important thing though is that even when he doesn't appreciate the cats I draw, he obviously shares my adoration of my models, which in the end is far more important to me.