How I Learned to Embrace Constructive Critique

Judging by what I do with my art, I'm sure most of you have gleaned that I'm an animal lover. I am, and very proud of all my animal accomplishments, but i wouldn't have had any wonderful animal accomplishments had it not have been for MY animals. I've always surrounded myself with furry creatures. Every once in a while I've come across some very special animals. Ones that would become my best friends. Take for example, my first horse Moose. He was a BIG and UGLY Appaloosa, 19 years old with arthritis but a heart as big as a hot air balloon. I always thought that if I'd have painted him brown and taped antlers on him, he would look just like his name. Oh how I loved that horse. I would spend hours grooming him, so much so that i knew every spot on his body, even down to the freckles on his nose and chin. I share this particular memory with you, so you can be assured, I know how you feel about your pet. I feel the same way about mine and if I were to trust an artist to capture the beauty my furry friend, I would hope they would accept my feed back to ensure the finished product is MY pet. Not a generic dog or cat. This is the reason I send 2 proofs of my work during the process. I want your feed back! You now your pet better than anyone, If you see something in my proofs that isn't right, please do not hesitate to point it out. If you can't put your finger on what is off, but it just doesn't capture your pet, let me know that too! I'm not above starting over. You probably know every spot, stripe or graying hair. You know the quirks of your pets personality. I can only guess. So if I ask a lot of questions about your pet or if I request a couple more reference photos, it's only so I can get a better feel for the finished piece. Moose taught me to accept critique because if i hadn't known him so well, I don't think i could understand the importance of an accurately portrayed pet. My goal is your satisfaction. Thank you Moose, for teaching me that lesson.