Thanks, All!
Richard, I can't help but thinking how it is always better (incomparable) to have a living person in front of you when you are painting them! But I don't want to give the false impression that I had to work from a tiny snapshot with flat lighting. The videos provided me with some decent possibilities.
Thomasin, I like your point:
"Art is a privileged career, but it is not a society-supported psychotherapy." I've always felt that, If you express your feelings or ideas in a way that can
only be understood by you on a personal level, or can only be understood if you explain what you're trying to do, then there is an ingredient missing. Art (in my opinion) needs to be both a personal expression
and a way to touch others, to say something that is understood by the person looking at it. Moreover, I would want the viewer to
enjoy the experience of looking at it.
Garth, I knew you were worried that I wasn't going to pull it off. All I can say is: it may have looked like a mess of disparate pieces, but it was all in my head!
Carlos, I'm so glad you feel I've brought her back to life--my ultimate goal, as you pointed out.
Debra, I wish I could play the videos and show people on the forum how expressive Gretchen's face was. Potential energy is a powerful thing in art.