Inn of the Mountain Gods Painting

For many of us working in the arts we do not choose this life as one might choose a profession to work within. Many, like myself, are somehow compelled to create art. That compulsion is all that stands between being alive or being essentially dead! It is not that one cannot do anything else, it is just that the only thing that motivates and expresses the truth of life for me is the creative process; everything else flows through that. Finally, I think it important to say that at the core of any worthwhile endeavor and in particular the arts, it is essential that the artist maintain a sense of integrity that hopefully will be reflected in the work. I am not suggesting that we all have to great or create great works of art, but I am saying that we must each try to maintain the highest standards within each of our particular strengths and even our weaknesses. That is honesty! I try to make my work express my truth and within that, create fluid visions of my interpretation of what I experience through the senses. My work is about this truth and the developing themes in my life. I feel there is not a true beginning nor is there a true ending; there is just this process! I start sometimes with a line, a series of lines, a drawing and then add color and then the lines begin to interact with the color and they take certain shapes and forms and this process just seems to continue from start until finish. Or, possibly not finish, but just "feel" right. The work, like most non-objective art, really has no place in time. I do not want to have my work trapped in any one particular time or space because it just reflects where I am through my life.