So, you know that stomach illness you come down with after you accidentally rip a extremely wonderful work in progress that you've spent over 100 hours on and the deadline is right around the corner? Yeah. That icky, twisting, gut-under-a-guillotine feeling. That's my gut.

And then you feel mentally sick for taking a day to yourself to loosen up? You hike a bit, you eat a bit more than you ought too, you sleep a bit more than you should. That guilty beyond guilty feeling that follows you while you happen to be awake. You think you should keep moving, now that you've lost so much time, but you do nothing about it. And you pray: "Lord Jesus, come!" That was my today.

And then it results in something akin to a quiet anxiety attack? That is me now.

I perverted my own masterpiece.
....

Never mind me.

Let me turn your attention to some lovely artwork.

These are other very anal, perfectionist artists, who no doubt, understand where my pain is coming from- for they too, work countless hours on a very photo-realistic drawing or painting in the time other artists can whip out a hundred digital sketches or what not. (nothing wrong with that)(I just don't think they can sympathize with me)...and I've been wanting to feature these works for some time, because they truly are sources of inspiration and envy.

Feast your eyes on this. Not a 1/30th of a second photograph. 30 hours of pencil madness.

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Don't pet that kitty. You might smear the delicate graphite fur. Behold two weeks of life.

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Don't wait for it to blink. Just a drawing.

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I wouldn't take a bite from one of those plums- you'll get a mouthful of sweat and color pencil.

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Don't adjust your monitor. That is a painting.

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Never has cold metal been so life-like. In acrylic.

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So those are a few. There are many more. Some from the same artists as featured above. There aren't many gifted with that sort of patience, believe me.

And now after reviewing those, I feel extra-unproductive.

So wish me luck as I try to repair the damage and restore my will to work on. It really is a crime.

Over and out.

-Emily Luther