Building vocabulary

I just finished this painting yesterday, and though I like it a lot, I can't take full credit for its composition: it's inspired by a painting from artist Anne-laure Djaballah. So some part of me is anxious about displaying it here, because elements of her design are recognizable, but another part of me is thrilled, because I learned so much in the painting of it -- not just the how-to sort of learning, but also about what pleases me, and about new ways to achieve balance in a painting.  And with each new learning it feels like I'm closer to developing a more distinctive personal style.

It's a bit like building a vocabulary: the more words I have, the more effectively I can express myself. And I can relax in the sure knowledge that, in the end, the way I combine them, the sentences I create, will always be uniquely mine.