The Artist is Born

Today I was looking over the drawings I had made of Spike and Mina for POMC Week. While admiring the graceful lines and skillful blending of marker inks, I asked myself, "How long have I been an artist?"

I mean, one doesn't simply make their debut from the womb with the immediate ability to create something like this:

Right?

Then I thought back to a couple of portraits I had made when I was five years old - one of my Aunt Sue and one of my Aunt Shirl. I located and examined a photocopy of these portraits and I realized: I have been this talented since at least the age of five.

And, by "this talented", I mean, "exactly this talented". I honestly just about reached the zenith of my creative ability within a few years of first figuring out that my hands existed.

Here's a photograph of my aunts that was taken two years ago:

Shirl (left) and Sue (right).

Here's a copy of the portrait I drew of them back in 1985:

How can I help but be pleased with myself? Obviously they've aged a little bit but, otherwise, the likeness is uncanny.