Lacey, I wonder how many thoughtless teachers there are out there who have literally destroyed or severely damaged a child's creative abilities by acusing them of cheating because they are "obviously not gifted, intelligent, or capable of such things". A similar thing happened to my husband when he was very young - he drew a fabulous drawing and the teacher ripped it up and acused him of having traced it. I don't think he ever attempted to draw again.
Marcus, I've learned it's a very wise thing to document your work for just this reason (plus, it is interesting to look back on the process, or to use it a a learning tool for others). Still, I think anyone who saw the two busts together would know immediately that one could not have possibly been copied from the other. They are just too different. Wish I could post them and show you what I mean.
A friend brought up a good point that this was probably the perfect way to meet someone of his stature in the art world. Because he might feel obligated to make up for the injustice, the encounter could open some interesting doors.
Anyway, it all ended well. Just a big shock initially to get a letter like that, but it was easy to clear up the misconception and he apologized several times for his initial attack and for distressing me. I'm sure he won't be so quick to judge in the future. We all make a$$es of ourselves from time to time.
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