Discuss: Tell us about your most memorable work of art.

bsherwin: Have you ever felt like one specific work of art defines who you are as an artist? Did you have a hard time letting go of that artwork? Do you still have it? Can you explain the bond you have with that work of art? Tell us about your most memorable work of art -- and how creating it made an impact on your life.

	Carolyn Hancock via faso.com	10 months ago
	My pastel painting titled "Maasai Mama" is a yes to all of your questions. After a trip to Kenya and 500 photos (before the digital days), one popped with a paint me now. A Samburu mother carried her child strapped to her back with the kanga, sarong style. Her proud profile and the child's suspicious look to the side were remarkable. I've painted them three times, each one getting stronger as my skills improved. The first painting was exhibited in the Middle East, and I put a fairly high price on it, wanting to take it back home. It was an awesome feeling to go through the crowd, with everyone talking about that painting, and that it was sold. That was at the beginning of my art career, and I certainly did not push the pastel as far as I do now. Several years later I painted "Maasai Mama II," adding the African background; she sold at an art fair in Orange, Texas. "Watching Her Village," which is on my website, embodies more of the natural surroundings and the ochre color that dominates their life. Because I used the same subject three times, I can easily see my growth as an artist. I've painted the Samburu and Maasai people many times since "Maasai Mama." Kenya, its people, and my memories are all wrapped up in this lively video: http://youtu.be/80ApGXBXKbM