"The Child Within" by Peter Schmidt

I saw this painting, and my heart said "This is me!" My childhood was filled with imagination and messiness and books and paint and warm drinks on cool nights. To this day, I am a glad I grew up in a home that encouraged reading and creativity. If my child-mind hadn't looked like this, my adult mind wouldn't be this way either. Although I feel that escapism is not the best option, fantasy is not a bad thing and can often show a window into deeper issues of life. Books and art are windows into the soul of the creator, or as my parents' college professor used to say, "Literature is a repetitively selective series of concretions revealing a value scale." The same is true for art. Every decision that is made affects the final product, and it comes from values that the artist holds to be significant. Thus, Peter Schmidt, I salute you for making a piece that resonates with me. Your value scale is wonderful. :)