Picking up a brush again (December 2002) after nearly thirty years, has proven to be a blessing and a gift. I have been fortunate to be entrusted with the ability to paint in a way that I enjoy and others find interest in as well. It’s wonderful to see and know that a painting has touched someone and it truly means something to them personally. When I work, it begins with a feeling or connection to the landscape, cafe’ or object that I need to paint. I can sense that the composition and all of the objects in it will be extremely interesting to work on. It’s all interpretation to me. It’s a relationship with a gift, the heart and mind.

I have learned that a good piece of art doesn’t just happen, it evolves.  There is something about earning that finished piece. It is personal. It is a visual statement of who we are, what we feel and what we want that piece to convey. I don’t believe that success is in sales, recognition or awards. It is in how I feel about each and every painting I do. If I am completely satisfied with it, feel it is  good art then I have accomplished what I had hoped to do and there-in lies the  success. If a lifetime of those standards and objectives are our guide, then we are not bothered by those things outside our control. Remaining focused on my craft is essential. No matter what, I’d still go on painting. I have to.

Personal satisfaction comes in knowing that what I have finished was through the assistance and divine guidance of my maker. It is His work. I merely hold the brush. That is the truth for me. I also know that if  we work very hard at any passion we may have, the results are fantastic. It is that combination of the heart, soul and mind that creates passion for the work we were meant to do. It all starts with a gift. It’s what we do with that gift that matters. There is no other way for me to explain how or why this has all come to be.  We all learn from the masters and one and other. We pass it on. That is what it is all about.