What about me? I just really, really, really like to work. ‘Workaholic’ about sums it up. I’m not proud of that, or that I’m something of a recluse, or that left on my own I’m not particularly good at having fun, but there it is.
I’m a Midwestern townie by birth but moved a lot. . . the best places have been a log house in Montana with horses right outside my window, and a farm along the Appalachian Trail here in Pennsylvania. Out of the many day jobs I had before working full time as an artist, the only one that really suited me was a wonderful summer working at a greenhouse and nursery.
What I can tell you about ART and me is that it’s been my work and play for as long as I can remember. I love doing it, don’t feel right when I’m not doing it, and am lucky enough to have more pictures in my head than I’ll ever be able to finish.
I spent some time in college as an art major – a year at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and two years at Montana State University in Bozeman – but describe myself as self-taught. I was never really there at school... it just didn’t seem practical enough to me at the time (I’d find it all more interesting and be a far better student at this point in my life!) and I was anxious to become part of the 'real' world.
My way of learning has just been to work obsessively in one medium at a time until it almost seems I exhaust it, and move to another one. Not the smartest way to do things when I had the chance to take the immediately recognized and respected path (which looks a lot better in a resume!), but again, there it is. (read more...)