My first memory of art was sitting and watching my grandfather stretching a canvas onto stretcher bars, seeing the painting come to life over the next couple of months. I was a young boy and did not realize what an impression it made on me at the time.
As far as I can remember, I have always wanted to achieve great things and have my voice heard. I also knew that I was not an actor, musician or writer, but drawing always seemed to come naturally.
I learned at an early age that I could draw well. It was something that I could do better than most people around me and It brought me attention and praise that I felt that I needed at the time. I carried this thought with me all through college where it was always a competition for me to be better than everyone else.
I began as an interior design and architecture student. In those days all renderings were done by hand which meant we had to draw them. There was no AutoCAD software back then available in colleges. My teacher saw that I had good drawing skills and recommended that I take art classes in addition to my design classes. Long story short, those art classes changed my life. I found my calling.
When I first started, art was a challenge to outdo everyone else. These days it's not about competition, or vanity, even though I still drive myself to be the best that I can. Nowadays I view art as a form of communication. I see it as a way to communicate ideas and thoughts and to bring awareness of what is happening in the world today. I see every brushstroke as if I am a writer that is working on communicating a thought or an idea while they are writing a book. If you look close enough you can see between the lines.
Over my career I have experimented with many mediums, however oils have always felt right to me. Oil makes me feel at home. I love the way it smells and looks, the way it spreads and mixes with other colors. There is simply no other paint that works like oils do. Oils are extremely versatile and they allow me to create and achieve everything from landscapes to ultra modern and abstract paintings on metal.
I love many artists' works and they all speak to me on many different levels. They teach me different things and ways to see things that I wouldn't have otherwise. I feel that it is very important to study and appreciate other artists work, but one should always strive to speak with your own voice and paint in your own style while incorporating elements from others. We learn by standing on the shoulders of giants that have come before us.
“My paintings are mostly a collage of ideas and images that I bring
together to form a work of art—my images are like a snapshot of time and place.”