Painting and drawing are part of my life because of the enjoyment that they have always brought to me. My goal is to share this enjoyment with others through my art work. I am inspired by Michelangelo’s sculptures of extraordinary technical skill and strength of symbolic imagery and also by Raphael’s paintings of monumental quality with the dynamic and complex positions of figures as well as Rueben’s frenetic energy and lusty ebullience displayed in his paintings. I strongly agree with the great artist Leonardo DaVinci who believed dedication and practice were of great importance. He taught to draw simple things like eggs repeatedly; at least five hundred tries in order to draw the egg correctly. In what way did they draw an egg correctly? It was necessary to rely on the artist’s detailed powers of observation together with continual practice. I learned DaVinci’s lesson as I attempted to develop my artistic capabilities through observation and continual practice.
As I continue to study and develop my capabilities, I continue to improve my understanding and appreciation of aesthetic beauty. However, the controversial question remains, “What is art?” To me, it is aesthetic value. A second question is, “What is the relationship between art and difficulty?” Much of the famous art of the twentieth century is “difficult” art. Now I am exploring the intriguing, puzzling, sometimes exasperating and controversial questions about the way that we humans experience art. I am also exploring the boundary between “art” and “non-art.”
The key to success is through endless learning and that is my aim. There is a Chinese saying, “Learn as long as you live.” I love to challenge myself. In my mind, second best is not good enough, so I want to strive for the best and explore as many techniques, styles and media as I can. The process for each of my art works is to take as much time as possible, using my powers of observation and meticulous technique to produce a work of art with details that evokes people’s interest and contemplation.
