every now and then there comes a painting in our lives.

a picture, as they say speaks a thousand words, and these paintings that we occasionally stumble upon at various stages of our lives are of great value. many long to own these works of art and would pay good money for it. yet true art cannot be bought. an artist cannot will himself to produce art; inspiration has a mind of its own. thus it can come and desert the artist as it pleases. inspiration can "strike" while an artist is taking out the garbage yet seem so far away in a supposed "inspirational" spots: by a stream in a forest clearing. some call this phenomena as fate or destiny, claiming that it had been destined when and where inspiration will strike an artist and allow him to produce a masterpiece.

even when inspiration strikes, the artist still have lots to do. a masterpiece is not mere paint on canvas. it is an idea. an idea that an artist wishes to convey through paint and canvas. therefore, a piece of art is in a way, alive. hence, a painting is deliberate. nothing is coincidental in the painting, a splash of black is there for a reason, it's up to you to delve deeper and uncover the rational.
it is because a true masterpiece requires such meticulous care and attention from the artist the it usually takes months, even years for even the most renowned of artists to complete. every detail counts and the artist comprehends that best. so he will not be rushed into completing his painting, he takes his time to perfect it.

this is why true art is so valuable. it is timeless as it is an idea, and thus different people draw different interpretations from it, and that no two picture can be the same, it just cannot be replicated.

nonetheless, paintings are fragile. unless the utmost care be taken to protect the painting, it could easily be destroyed and something precious and irreplaceable will be lost. while a little smudges to the painting makes it "real" and gives it attitude, if steps are still not taken to prevent more damage to the painting, it'd be ruined. a soiled painting cannot express the painter's ideas and thus is worthless.

no matter how great the inspiration was, how much effort was put into bringing the idea to life, the ex-masterpiece is lost forever.