Creative Influences: I have many artistic influences: family, teachers, friends and of course other artists - too numerous to mention - however, there are some people, who really shaped my way of thinking about all art and my own art in particular.
My Uncle Dick - When I was a young child I received an eighty-color watercolor set as a gift. Shortly thereafter, my Uncle Dick came to visit. One morning at daybreak, he and I found ourselves to be the only ones awake. Having seen my new gift, my uncle was eager to "test-drive" this paint set, so he asked me for some paper and a Dixie Cup of water. We met outside where I got my first watercolor lesson. He showed me how to paint a forest and a lake, puffy clouds and more. I kept looking back and forth between the paintings and the neighbors' houses. It was baffling to me. How could he see all those things looking across our street? He was really the first person to show me the power of imagination.
My Aunt Marie - At the ripe old age of four, I spent my school day afternoons with my Aunt Marie. She was, (and still is) an artist extraordinaire! She had some paintings displayed in her home that I did not understand at the time, but perhaps my most vivid memories are of a giant totem pole she created and a life-sized Native American "cigar store Indian" she was painting in the garage. These things struck a chord with me and my fascination was so complete that I see both sculptures in my mind's eye today as clearly as if I saw them yesterday. She unleashed my desire to create three-dimensional objects.
My Mother - My mother, was a grade-school teacher (for more than four decades) who still claims to have no artistic talent. Yet, in spite of her supposed lack of ability, she encouraged and assisted me with many projects. Her endless plethora of art supplies and enthusiastic imagination gave me the courage to pursue what I loved.
Craig Anderson - When I reached high school my whole way of thinking about art changed in one felled swoop. Craig Anderson showed me that it was possible to take an idea from pure concept of thought to a working set of three-dimensional drawings - a blueprint if you will - in order to execute any sculptural piece I had in my head. More than 30 years later, the discipline of doing the drawings before executing the artwork is something I still do with most everything I create -both 2-D and 3-D. Preliminary drawings are the life-blood of virtually all of my art.
Charles Rogers- Back in the 1980's, along with another artist friend of ours, Charles Rogers and I co-founded the Anonymous Artists' Alliance. It was an ever changing group of several artists who joined us in - among other things - executing group works of art. Our motto was: "Where the Circle Ends..." We were all very committed to the idea of power in numbers and that we could make our artistic voice heard better/louder/clearer as a group than as any single artist. Charles and I have been friends and co-conspirators in art for many decades now and his art still surprises me at every turn.
Amy Ortiz and Tony Holmes - Amy Ortiz was my first pottery instructor. She gave me the basic skills and the confidence I needed to pursue pottery. Tony Holmes was my instructor for the next five years. His mentoring taught me how to ask the right questions and gave me the knowledge I needed to run my own pottery. Some of their words are so important to me that they run through my head like mantras every time I throw a pot, make a glaze, fire a kiln or create a new design. Both Tony and Amy are elegant teachers who put their emphasis on process and not product, allowing a student like me to learn skills without having to compromise my own vision/version of pottery. Their own pots speak of skill, history, and an elegance all their own. I highly suggest buying one if you every get the chance!
Computer Stuff and ClayArtWorks.com :- More Artist Info CLICK HERE for Page 3.
Background - My Art - My Artistic Philosophy: CLICK HERE for page 1.
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