That voice would shout loud and clear as I approached the easel, picked up my sketchbook or even glanced at the unfinished works sitting at my workstation! I was in the DOLDRUMS!
Well, once I got through with the moping :-), I shouted to myself ENOUGH! AND I rolled up my sleeves and went back the the beginning. It was this small sketch of Teddy that helped me.
One big change that I will pursue is one that I've heard other professional artists suggest about commissions:
Paint 2-3 variations of that commission. This can be done in different ways...small sketches (sort of what I did with Teddy) or 2-3 larger pieces of the same theme or request. Then the collector can choose. This concept of choice leaves the "critiquing" to the collector not to the perfectionist gremlin!
It's like practising a piece of music. I need to play things over a few times (well in music for me LOTS of times!) until I learn to interpret and connect with that song. I can apply this to my paintings.
Angie and Michelle...thanks for your patience while I worked through all of that.