Girl with a Pearl Earring interpretation

My interpretation of Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer. I began building my artistic skills in middle school when I recreated the illustrations in the books that I read. Chasing Vermeer, by Blue Balliett, was one of my favorite books: The plot, the characters, the setting, the artwork - it was all soo good. But I, as a young artist, especially enjoyed the amazing illustrations by Brett Helquist. I would recreate Helquist's illustrations in my drawing book for fun, not realizing that I was practicing my skills. Years later, as a more experienced and skilled artist, I was working on a research page for my art class. The topic was Copyright and Appropriation. I hopped onto Google to look for inspiration for the piece I would work on for the research - As I usually do. On the web, I found the Girl with a Pearl Earring painting, and read that it was by an artist of the name Johannes Vermeer! The name Vermeer triggered the return of memories from my middle school years - back to when I read the Chasing Vermeer book - back to when I recreated illustrations in the Chasing Vermeer book! Inspiration was found! I, over a day, appropriated the painting by Vermeer and finished my research page. By doing this, I honored Vermeer, the subject of one of my favorite and defining books, and showcased my knowledge and skills - Two birds with one stone!