And this year's Most Challenging Painting award goes to..... MARIO WORLD MAP!!!!
This painting was so challenging. In theory, it is an awesome idea. An awesome idea from my interent friend Swagman. In completion, it is an awesome painting. In the hours it took me to paint it, it was so flippin' tough! There is soooooooooooo much little detail. I did not mentally prepare myself for this painting. I just saw the idea, fell in love with it, accepted the job, and then started. It took a lot of repainting, abandoning a color because I didn't mix enough, and then mixing far too much. I better paint some things that require green and blue, because I have large yogurt containers full or mixed colors.
Last year, the 2012 MCP painting hands down went to Barretts on the Bay. Both that painting, and Mario, took way longer than I anticipated and took many "I just can't do this today" days. But ultimately, they have both ended up joining the ranks of my favorite paintings ever. They also have both broken the metaphorical wall in my creative mind. At moments in both I thought I couldn't do it. I would give up. It would never be completed and never look good. Yet, they both were completed and (fingers crossed for Mario and Swagman) loved by their owners.
This painting also joins the ranks of paintings that go to people who are not immediate friends or family. I've sold two paintings on Etsy.com to complete strangers. This by no means goes to a stranger, but someone that I have not met in person. I've only met Swagman through the Internets. I, and the Gaming Chronicles crew, met Swagman last year when we did the Sonic Video Game Marathon for Child's Play Charity. He was one of our faithful audience members and really made the marathon a ton of fun for us.
He joined us again this year for the New Vs. Nostalgia Marathon, again for Child's Play, and while in the chat, he and I discussed this exact painting. Two months later, it is complete and sitting on my bedroom floor waiting for me to give it to the good old UPS. And I am so paranoid about getting this to him! The only paintings I have ever shipped have been 8x16 inches. They arrived fine and I probably did not pack them nearly as well as I have packed this one. Nonetheless, this painting is 2 feet by 2 feet, and it was 2013's MCP. So it better get to Swagman safely. I do not want to have to redo it!
Positive shipping thoughts everyone please!