Will the real illustrator please stand up?

I sent off specs to two potential illustrators for my picture book yesterday. Still trying to figure out if self publishing or co-op publishing might be the way to go for this one... Of course cost is a huge issue, and so am hoping for a starving artist, or a person who is enchanted by the vision and willing to wait for royalties, or some other romantic concept made flesh.

The pictures are crucial for this book. I'm not sure how so many children's authors are able to hand off the text to a publisher knowing that they'll have no input on choice of illustrators, style, etc. Perhaps that's why there are so many author/illustrators in picture book land.

I am grateful to be a person of faith, and can rest in the certainty that the right pairing will be made, even if it takes time. Now I just need more patience...