"Fantella Fantastic" Sculpture

Being raised on Mill Street, in the lower to middle-class mill town of Hope, Rhode Island, has been both a blessing and a curse in my ongoing creative endeavors. On the positive side - It encouraged me to be the dreamer and the optimist that I've come to be. Age five, is the first time I remember making the statement that I would one day become a famous artist. In my late fifties, I am still pursuing that dream. And when I consider that the most powerful works that I've ever created have been inspired by my indelible dreams, both nocturnal and waking, I can truthfully say that I am forever grateful for my modest upbringing. It forged in me, a tenacity of will and persistent attitude, which has kept me creating in spite of every setback or hardship. On the downside - I was raised with a mindset of poverty consciousness and trained in blue-collar work ethics (I was taught to work hard for meager wages). This well-meaning but misguided value system has regularly stymied my efforts to follow through on the artistic ambitions that I expressed as a child. Throughout most of my life, I've worked day jobs that I don't care about, simply to put food on the table for me and my family. As I've grown and become a seasoned artist, I've learned to see the beauty in all things, including my own station in life. I'll be making art until I draw my last breath, and if I should draw that last breath today, I am completely satisfied with how far I've come on this wonderful creative journey.