Screwing up art

Think you've got what it takes to be an artist? Perhaps you should practice your craft for a while, first.

At least before you start trying to restore old works of art. On your own.

Without permission.

The three photos above tell the tale. The image on the left is the original work, a century-old oil painting of Christ called "Ecce Homo (Behold the Man)" that was painted on a column inside a church near Zaragoza, Spain, by artist Elias Garcia Martinez.

Over the years, the work began to deteriorate, as shown in the second image. According to the Centre de Estudios Borjanos, the unnamed amateur artist (without permission from the church, needless to say) thought she could improve the work and set to work with paints and brushes. The third picture is the result.

The BBC reports that the woman realized her mistake and contacted Juan Maria Ojeda, a city council member in charge of cultural affairs for the area. "I think she had good intentions," Ojeda told the BBC.

(from Entertainment on Today)

E. Gad.

Good intentions. Pavement. And all of that.

(Keep your paintbrushes at home.)