Newborn - Child of the forest

[Pedes]

I might not be able to finish it in time, but it's a challenge for me to make a new painting.

When I saw the title "newborn" I had a few ideas and chose one of them. I thought it was pretty simple and generic, so someone has already done that, but I was browsing though the threads and it seems people try not to be so simple in interpretation here. There are some really great works here, so I just might spoil the average a bit ;)

[this is where final image will go, hopefully, someday]

[AsiST]

if you posted an image I cant see it. Would you mind uploading it as an attachment.

-Asi

[Pedes]

My first idea was "creating life" in a matter of person creating new life. When I was doing some sketches on paper (I'm sorry, don't have them scanned) the idea changed to a woman (the Forest Queen or Mother) assisting with birth/hatching of a new, fairy-like being.
I was re-creating the composition from sketch on computer, but could not get the colors the way I wanted. As I was slapping the brush this way and that I made the face look masculine and for the fun of it went along with it.
Then I realized: putting a male in the same situation changes it drastically; when he was in the same position, with the same expression as the female, he didn't look like a father, but either a lover or uh.. a pedophile (taken the theme). I realized that, instead of changing him back to female, I prefer to change the composition and his expression, as it would create more of a backstory and questions: is he helping and protecting it? Or maybe he's waiting for the creature to hatch to kidnap it? Kill it? Eat it even?
All that said the present stage: quite sketchy, still have to work out skintones and clothes(?) + jewlery (the dress I had designed won't fit for some reason...) and search for good reference of a male back.

Of course critics and suggestions are most welcome!