worse than a big fluffy beaver

So I painted my second painting ever. The painting was done from memory. It's of a fox that I saw on Friday afternoon while I was hiking at Roxborough. I was walking down the trail, looking for more puddles to jump in (it was really muddy and wet, but warm out, and there's nothing I love more than jumping in puddles) when I suddenly saw something running towards me. At first I thought it was a dog, but then remembered that dogs aren't allowed at Roxborough.

As it got closer to me I realized it was a fox. He was about 25 - 30 lbs, so, not small, and he was brightly colored with a little brown beard and a huge tail that was white on the back. He ran almost right up to me, realized I was human, and took off into the bushes. As I was standing there amazed, he turned around, looked at me for a minute, peed, and then ran off again.

For whatever reason, a fox has always appeared at a pivotal point in my life. I thought it was a good sign. Plus, I've always liked foxes after reading the little prince.

Anyway, I tried to paint the fox. But, I was given a bit of bad advice from my friend Neil, who told me I should drink while I was painting. After one glass of wine I decided to touch up the fox, and made him all blotchy. Then, after the second glass of wine, I accidentally put my thumb down on his tail, so it smeared. Thinking I could fix it by adding more paint (thank you, wine brain, for that suggestion) I ended up making his tail bigger and bigger. I tried to add the white at the end but by then he was just a shit show. And accidentally I stuck him with my pinkie when I was trying to move him to the wine shelf to dry (if you click on the picture to look at it in a bigger format the pinkie stick is obvious).

I meant to give the painting as a gift to someone. But, how can I give it as a gift when I know it sucks?

Comments from Neil:

"It doesn't suck. I like everything but the fox. The color of the fox is fine, he just looks trite and out of place in the expressive but still realistic landscape. I guess you could say he's expressive as well. If his shape were more realistic, like the all the other shapes, and you used the same color, I think it would have blown me away."

He looks trite, and out of place, and like someone was drunk when she painted him.

Joe didn't say the painting sucked. He was a little more polite. He wanted to know why the fox's tail was so big.

Jeffy said "I think modern art would accommodate alcohol consumption much better than landscapes with animals." He then suggested I paint an abstract ice fall, and glue a GI Joe doll to it.

Guess what you're getting for your birthday, you fucking smart ass.