Tell me about yourself, where you live and your background/lifestyle.
I live in Philadelphia, PA. I am originally from Manhattan, but after
grad. school wanted to live in a more manageable place. I am one of, I
think, a growing number of artists who are serious about what they do,
but do something else for a living. I work with computers and
information for a living.
Who first influenced you artistically?
That’s a bit of a tough one--I think I grabbed from everywhere. I
started out as a photographer and really liked the f64 group (Ansel
Adams, Weston, et-al). Now that imagery bores me. I have always had a
real affinity for Renaissance art. I see the influence of my two early
teachers in my work. Namely, Charles Eldred and Linda Sokolowski, both
incredible artists and teachers.
What first attracted you to the Internet?
The idea of being able to reach a lot of people for very little money.
My art is not exactly the kind of stuff galleries flock to show. It just
seemed a natural thing to do.
Does the Internet allow you to show your work as you would like: How
could it be improved to suit you?
A painting loses a lot of its luminosity and surface appeal. The format
is size limiting too. Certain pieces just don’t read…it tends to make
me think about doing pieces that are more graphic, which is OK, but not
necessarily what I am always about.
The other big problem is you have no idea who your audience really is.
We occasionally get mail, but the vast number of hits are anonymous.
What kind of artwork do you expect to be doing in the next 12 months
or so?
I have been doing fairly conservative landscapes over the last two
months in an effort to break into the art market here in Philly. I don’t
consider it a sell-out tactic, though. It has been a great discipline to
learn how to make a charged image without a human figure. It has also
put the emphasis back on the process on painting, rather than on
draftsmanship. Still, I can’t resist drawing and painting the human
form, so I suspect that all these landscapes are going to become stages
where stories, complete with actors, will be played out.
Have you found other artists on the Internet like yourself?
I really like James Johnson’s work and site. With no pretense to
stature, the amount of really strong work on the ‘net is fairly small.
That’s cool, because I see a lot of nascent artists who are serious that
I hope will hang in there so I can follow there work as it evolves. I
think the whole question of talent in art is a big myth. The people who
get really good are the ones who are going to make art even if they have
to live on Kraft macaroni and cheese for the next ten years. I think
some people have innate ability, but there are a lot of geniuses out
there whose masterpieces will never exist outside their grey matter.
Is there anything about the way you produce your work that you
believe to be unique or unusual?
I work very unmethodically. I may start with just putting paint to
board or canvas, or with a drawing and then let things happen as far as
inventing the painting. Sometimes it flies, other times it sinks. The
style may even be a bit uneven from day to day, as if I have more than
one soul dwelling in me. I don’t worry about that. I am more concerned
with where the painting is taking me than making something called "art."
Strangely, I do a lot of things that are very classical. I draw from the
figure, or from photographs. I might even copy something I like. I
glaze. I observe nature, light, and the things around me.