How long have you been creating?

We are all artists when we are children. I, like most kids, began with fingerpainting and playing with clay. As adolesence kicked in my focus went towards drawing with a pencil or pen. I started college classes for Graphic Design in 1993. I started painting when I was in my early twenties. I changed my major to Studio in 1997 and ended up dropping out of school to paint out in the country setting of middle Tennessee. I now live in Memphis, TN and sell the majority of my work on ebay and in local galleries. It has been a wonderful journey of experimentation in all aspects of Art and I am learning new things as I go along. I keep my mind open and I am always looking for inspiration.

What, besides your art, brings you creative fulfillment?

I would have to say that cooking is one of the things that I get satisfaction from other than art. It incorporates visual stimulation along with the sense of taste and smell. I get a creative spark in the kitchen and really take charge as if the pots are a canvas and the food is the medium. Bon Apetit.

What are your motivations for creating?

As a child I was strongly influenced by my GrandMother or as we call her MeMa. She would sit me down with paints and clay and let me play as long as I wanted to. I would watch her paint and a child and I would be mesmorized by her talent. She would always put on Bob Ross and other painting show that would keep my attention and teach me in the same time. I have kept the drive to create and it is that drive that motivates me still today.

How do you know when a piece you're working on is done?

I try not to over do anything and I take constant breaks to walk away for a minute so that I can come back to get a fresh look. It's hard to say exactly when I can tell a piece is done but the easiest way to explain would be the word balance. When I feel inside that there is complete balance then I know my piece is completed. I mean a visual balance of color, size, shape ect...

What do you find stimulating right now? How does this influence your creative process?

One of the things that stimulates me is fishing. I get so much inspiration from being in the outdoors. My senses seem in tune when I am in nature and I am like a magnet pulling inspiration from every angle. I observe the wildlife and try to capture the feeling of being out there getting my feet wet. I think it's important for an artist just to do what he/she likes to do and inspiration will come naturally.

What brought you to EBSQ?

I came to EBSQ to be part of a wonderful group of Artists and share my love of Art. Birds of a feather flock together and I just feel like one of the fish in the school. I take pride in being part of such a talented and diverse group of Artists.

Please share some of your artistic goals for 2008.

One of my goals in 2008 was to be published in a national magazine. That goal was achieved in the March issue of, Timber Homes Illustrated. I am having fun and enjoying every minute I think this is the main goal I have set for myself now. I just want to be able to create images that people feel drawn to and can't get out of their head, but in a good way. I want to see t-shirts with my fish on them all over the beach. I want my Funky Folk Fish to be something that everyone can get a smile from. I think that is my main goal for 2008, to put a smile on everyones face.

What would you like your fellow EBSQ artists and our collectors to know about you and /or your work?

I am not a big talker and kind of a recluse. I take pride in my artwork like most artists do, and I appreciate the time people take to learn more about my artwork and about myself. I have a need to create and to share, I just want to say thank you so much to my collectors and I will continue to dig deep for that new piece that I haven't seen yet either.