1. When did you realize that you wanted to pursue an artistic career, and what influenced your decision? After winning an elementary school art competition I knew I wanted to be an artist. But it wasn’t until senior year in high school that my art teacher inspired me to pursue my dream. (sidewalk Sam) 2. Are there artists that have particularly inspired you? My biggest inspiration was an artist by the name of George Inness. Others are Alexander Wyant and Bruce Crane as well as Charles Warren Eaton. 3. What are some of the greatest joys of being an artist? Being able to capture a personal vision in paint successfully. 4. What 3 adjectives would you use to describe your work or yourself as an artist? Meditative, poetic, moody. 5. Do you have a muse or other source of consistent inspiration? Dusk. 6. Describe a typical day in your studio. Begin with coffee and art books, then look at reference photos, then begin painting when fully inspired. 7. What leisure activities do you enjoy? Music, movies, dining out. 8. Have there been particular highlights of your artistic career? Describe. Some highlights... getting accepted by The Guild of Boston Artists in 1995 and then winning a landscape painting award. Also being featured in the American Artist magazine. 9. Entering into 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. It’s difficult at first to expose your soul to the world, but after awhile, when your work improves, your confidence to show new work improves. 10. What would you like your paintings to convey to a collector? I want my paintings to connect with the viewer and hopefully give them a certain emotional response, as close to what my inspiration was in painting them. 11. How would you like the next generation to view your work? Hopefully they will experience similar emotional content as nature still provides and I try to capture in paint. 12. Does critical feedback affect your creative process? No. 13. Describe your studio. I am fortunate to have a spacious studio with high ceilings and big windows in an old mill. I also have a large attached gallery space to exhibit my paintings. 14. What quality or qualities, in your opinion, elevates a well-crafted work into a work of Fine Art? Fine Art is the ultimate objective of all serious painters. To elevate one’s work one must study and master all the principles of painting as well as - infuse something personal and unique from your own experience. I’d like to paint paintings that move me the way that the past masters have when I view their work. 15. Finally, what question would you have enjoyed an opportunity to answer? Does being a successful artist have anything to do with your happiness...?