Q. What started it all for you? How did you get into the arts?
A. Unlike some artists who knew they wanted to paint at a young age, I did not. I came to America at 19 years old and was first exposed to the arts through a painting class. I started learning more about art and eventually moved to New York City. I received a scholarship to study art in college and spent four years working day and night and was eventually rewarded by my first art sale. After that I started selling more of my paintings and even commissions to private collectors. I was even lucky enough to meet my wife in the studio where we both rented. We have been married for 38 years now, so you could say art has been good to me. I may not be rich from my paintings, but I am rich in happiness.
Q. Tell me about your creative process / How do you approach new projects?
A. I have always been drawn to landscapes, but recently I have started a new series. My Restless Landscape series plays with iconography. It speaks to the chaos coming if we do not take care of our environment. You can tell these are landscapes, hidden behind a jungle of vibrant shapes, but underneath there is a revolution happening. That is why the imagery in these paintings appears to almost not make sense.
Q. Who and/or what are your biggest inspirations and how do they influence your work?
A. Nature will always be my first inspiration. I also like to look back at eras when artists were creating new styles that were totally their own. These artists provide such inspiration to me, and I work to create my own style as well. Every artist perceives the world differently - I try to sympathize with what’s happening and create something that will show how I observe life and make sense of it.
Q. What is your favorite subject matter to focus on and why?
A. I like to observe the human condition and the world around me. I take these ordinary moments and add elements that aren’t there in a painting. I create these beautiful moments and then assimilate them together with pieces that maybe don’t belong but speak to the world, and the conditions we live in.
Q. If you had a motto, for your art and life, what would it be?
A. Don’t waste time, make art, life is too short.