When did you realize that you wanted to pursue an artistic career, and what influenced your decision? At an early age I knew I had talent and I was fortunate enough to have an uncle who was a successful landscape painter to serve as an example in this profession. My observation was because of the career he had chosen, he had a lifestyle which allowed for a lot of freedom. Are there artists that have particularly inspired you? Ryder, Whistler, Homer, Crane, Lathrop, Blakelock, Tryon, Twachtman, Degas, Turner, but most of all Inness and Rembrandt. What are some of the greatest joys of being an artist? The opportunity to spend a lot of time looking both inward and outward and there by create a record of those emotions and thoughts that in turn cultivates me spiritually. Also, the freedom it allows in my time and where I go in this life. What 3 adjectives would you use to describe your work and yourself as an artist? Melancholy, hopeful, sincere. Do you have a muse or other source of consistent inspiration? Anything that gives me evidence or glimpses of the eternal in the mystery of life. I find it in moods of nature, in books, in music, in people, just about anywhere I can find or see it really. Describe a typical day in your studio. I try to get into the studio before 9:30 in the morning. If I am on and in the mood to paint, I put on music or NPR and just start painting. There are many days that this is not the case. When that happens, I may look through art books, put on headphones, play on the computer a game of chess, smoke a cigar, sit out on the deck and drink coffee, read, research, meditate or just whatever to get me into the proper headspace so I can paint or come up with new ideas. I try to leave the studio for lunch to get away from the work so that when I come back I have a fresh perspective, also to clear my head of any paint fumes. I paint the rest of the afternoon and try to get home around 6:30. If I am painting for a show, I may go home and have dinner and then come back and stay until about 11:30 or even later sometimes. What leisure activities do you enjoy? I like reading and researching. I like getting in my SUV and going for long drives and listening to music and taking pictures. I like to mountain bike near my home. I enjoy wine and good food. I love having good long conversations with fellow artists. I enjoy playing games or watching basketball with my boy Ethan. Have there been particular highlights of your artistic career? Describe. Really, just when I have had the opportunity to meet interesting people who connect with my work and have a good conversation about their impressions or feelings they receive from the work. This usually happens at the show openings and though I only have the opportunity to have a long conversation with just a few, it is most satisfying. Entering into a relationship with a gallery reflects a transition from private to public. Works conceived and executed in the intimacy of the studio are displayed for all to experience. Describe this process. Obviously an artist paints for himself first, but to find sympathy the work must move into the public eye. The more eyes that see the work the better, but what I find difficult is shipping paintings out of the studio and what comes back in return is a paper check. A necessity obviously, but a great disconnect between me and the viewer. What would you like your paintings to convey to the collector? A sense of mystery and that in nature with its moods and twisting trees which have withstood the elements tells something about humanity. How would you like the next generation to view your work? In high definition (joke). If they view it at all that would be something. In the end an attempt to rekindle something that was lost in the 20th century in art. Does critical feedback affect your creative process? No, but not to say there will never be a time that it would. Describe your studio. It is in an old twin home built in the late 19th century and about one mile from my house. I am on the top level, which would be a total of three floors. The lower levels are used for NACD which is the National Association for Child Development. My level has several rooms; the room with the skylight is where I have my easel and a 42inch computer monitor that I paint from. The other room has a futon and my camera set up as well as frame samples. The last room has all my books along with a table that has a microwave and coffee maker on top of it. All rooms have one window and vaulted ceilings. There is also a deck that I can walk out onto that gives a great view of the surrounding area. Oh, yes, cannot forget the bathroom that includes a bath and shower. What quality or qualities, in your opinion, elevates a well-crafted work or work into a work of Fine Art? More important than craft, is that it is evident that the intention of the artist was a whole hearted attempt in a search for truth. It has to be a work of character and honesty. What are some of your artistic goals? That I am able to remain honest and true to my work through out my career. I would hope that sometime, hopefully in the next ten years I will be doing work that might be considered worthy of hanging along side the great late 19th century American landscape painters. Not that I want to replicate what they were doing, but have the same level of quality, emotion and sincerity. Finally, what question would you have enjoyed an opportunity to answer? What quality to look for in a gallery. A gallery that is not completely overwhelmed by commercial necessity and stays true to their artistic instinct.