While working on one portrait I think about the next. I rarely know for sure what will captivate the eventual audience, so rely upon the spark that excited me in the first place. I can't say for sure what it is: lighting, the story, an emotional connection? It is a big commitment to start a new portrait. There's the huge expenditure of time, yes, but also the emotional roller coaster that ensues; the fear of failure. Somewhere in the middle of a big project I will teeter on the edge of the proverbial abyss, my hand dangling the art over the trash bin. The trick is to find balance with faith. I have to create something, so it might as well be this. I won't know if it works until I take it all the way. With a little divine help (and a long walk), it just might be the best piece yet.