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Q: First of all, I have to ask you, how does one decide, "I want
to be an artist for a living?"
A: Growing up, I
never thought of "being an artist" as a realistic choice for my
career. Actually, I was somewhat interested in Medical School and when my
mother heard this, she encouraged me to reconsider. She said, you will be
wasting a God given talent if you choose to ignore your artistic
interests. Well truthfully I was not very interested back then, I just
figured I was a good draftsman like all the other kid's. For the next six
years, I did not draw a thing! Then after enrolling in a few art classes,
I was encouraged to apply to Art School.
Q: What inspires you?
A:
Capturing
a moment in time! If I can capture the pure emotion of a particular
moment, this will often result in a successful painting. I like to give
the viewer just enough to capture their interest, and let their imagination fill
in the rest.
Q: We all know you have an interest in painting golf subject
matter, but in fact you enjoy painting other subjects just as well. Is this
true?
A: Perhaps my
favorite subject to paint is Horse Racing. To be able tocapture the
intensity, strength and beauty of the horses is unbelievable. Boxing,
Hockey, Football, Auto Racing are all exciting to paint as well. Although
sports is something I truly love, it is not the only subject I enjoy painting.
Q: Is golf something you have been interested in from
an early age?
A: Not at all. In
fact I was never exposed to golf as a child or teenager growing up. It was
not until 1991 that I began covering & painting golf. Then, in 1994 I
began playing golf.
Q: I've read somewhere that you often have a particular
fondness for the actual subjects you paint?
A: In some cases I
certainly do. This is why Golf is so special to me. Many wonderful
friendships have developed in and around the game of golf. Not only have I
a great admiration for some of the PGA & SPGA players I work with, but I
also enjoy meeting many of my collectors as well.
Q: What is a typical day like for you in your studio?
A: Interesting
question! A typical day for me is anything but. Every day is a
little bit different for me, which is the way I like it. Having a very
short attention span causes me to get bored very easily. Consequently, I
must try to make each day a learning process so as to keep things interesting.
Q: Do you have to travel often in order to capture your
subjects?
A: Sometimes.
Usually, for an exhibit or a signing or often a golf tournament. The more
I am away from the studio, the fewer Paintings get completed. However, I
enjoy personally meeting the collectors, who continue to support my work.
Q: What medium do you use in your paintings?
A: Usually Oils.
Although sometimes I will use other mediums such as
Acrylics, Watercolors or Pastels, depending what it is I am trying to
communicate to the viewer.
Q: Lastly, what advice would you give any young, undiscovered
talent interested in pursuing a career in art?
A: Anyone
aspiring to be an artist should first and foremost have fun with it and not put
too much pressure on themselves to create masterpieces. Once you have
figured out if art is the genre you would like to pursue, perhaps you may want
to consider art school or some sort of professional training in order to develop
sound fundamentals. I am a true believer in positive reinforcement, and
therefore I always encourage children and parents to go after their dreams.
I love the saying, "love what you do & do what you love"!
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