Elfling

The secret to happiness, according to Winston Churchill, is "...to find a task that requires perfection, is is impossible to achieve, and spend the rest of your life trying to achieve it." That's the way I felt painting this one, for sure! I think what I've learned is that for an easier time, I should pick a subject that is less beautiful and a photo that is less magical. This little girl won the childrens' costume contest at the Renaissance Festival a few years back, and I've been awed by her beauty ever since. She really did look like an elf, sprite, or woodland fairy creature. She had an ethereal, otherworldly glow about her and an expression of such innocence that after no less than four completed attempts, I still didn't quite catch. I also made her look older, not on purpose. But after the struggle I had working this into a painting that I could be happy with, I decided to stop well short of the perfection of her reality.