I do not want to wind up becoming a technician in my painting and I think that is what I should come out of that discussion with. That there should be places of effortless disregard in the painting that are intentional and much more profound then endless perfection of technique. That of course takes confidence and the ability to know when to stop trying to create a sense of realism. I need to have a greater reliance on my own translation of what I am seeing and create a sense of poetry of expression. That is what great painters have, above and beyond technicians, a method of emotional painting that evokes the same response within the viewer. I think I began to understand this the other night when I was at the local gallery. I was immersed in the paintings, while the gallery itself was filled with life. It was a celebration and I was moved by the art becoming alive as it was surrounded by its human family. Of course, this connection is what really makes a masterpiece, the artist speaking with their human family.