I have this friend which also happens to be a musician. She told me that she practiced the guitar for years, but she didn't really learn it until she learned the most difficult song she knew: "A Case of You" by Joni Mitchell.
I feel the same about my Klimt inspired self-portrait. It is still work in progress, but it's a painting where I've proven to myself that anything is possible, even without tutoring. After so many months with painting in self-doubt, I feel truly relieved.
Even though the face is a little more round and pale, it clearly resembles me. It feels incredible to have actually painted a realistic painting. But on the other hand it's not. After all, I've worked with this consistently, and when other painters progress, why shouldn't I?
