Walking Away Painting

I started out on the street. Well, actually at the park. Union Square Park in NYC. I got a table, a table cloth, a few pieces of the loose canvas - paintings, and that's how I started. It was tough, as I had to get up right after midnight to get that specific location in the park (first come, first serve). I remember the first piece I sold, to an Italian lady for $20. A small piece, around 11X14 inches. I was so embarrassed my chicks turned red. My "studio" was a rented small space, in the basement of the building (in the East Village), where I lived. When it rained the floor would be full of water, so I had to wear rain boots and paint. Since then, life has changed. I have my own big studio in Greenpoint Brooklyn. I have all the top printers and do my own printing. I attend as many shows and exhibitions I can. People from all over the world come especially on weekends to visit, browse, and buy my art. The first question they ask me is what inspires me. Well, I can't really be specific. It could be anything. A combination of colors, a store sign, a street, but I have to admit, most often thoughts do inspire me. Perhaps it sounds strange but when I think, - of anything - images are formed in my head. Images that create emotions. I keep them for a few days or months, and one beautiful day if the mood sets in with an image I sit and start painting. The irony is that when I paint, the brush or the knife take me to new images, new thoughts. The emotions do not change. They become more intense. The question I ask myself is if I'm happy. This is what I always wanted to do, this is what I do, I Keep pretty good company with me.... so the answer is yes...