I painted this self-portrait 20 years after the photo reference was taken.  

When I first finish a painting I feel happy with what I have created and within an hour I am thinking of what I will do better next time. This is a naturally occurring phenomenon. It is how my brain works.

When I was 14 my great aunt, artist Julia Greenwood, give me art painting lessons for a month while I was visiting my grandparents in Oceanside, CA. She said, “Never be satisfied with your art or you will stop improving!” This advice was easy to follow since I had felt this way since I was four years old.

I believe we should be pleased with our accomplishments and then always strive to improve. There is nothing wrong with patting yourself on the back when you have worked hard as long as resting on your laurels is not where you take a permanent nap.