Okay, I'm gonna say it.  I dislike the possible implications people might read into this, but I have to state the obvious- we create because we are mirrors of our Creator.

This is not a spiritual or religious declaration.  I'm not staking a claim to divinity.  Nor am I putting artists and creators into a divine category that is in any way beyond, above or superior to the rest of you schmucks.  The reality is, if there is any divine spark in any of us, it would be in all of us albeit maybe unrealized as of yet. And, however you may view existence as we know it, we are not our own creation, therefore I choose to adopt the term 'Creator' as a catch all for any interpretation of creation myth or big bang that suits you. 

We are what we are, whatever that is!  It's all perspective anyway and depending on this season's box seats that you pre-ordered online before coming here, your view of this particular moment in this particular miniscule quadrant of this particular perception of reality might actually not be shared by anyone at all. 

What does that make you?  Unique.  There really is no one in the universe that can claim the same mindset, the same vision or perspective as you.  With that in mind, it's amazing that we can agree on anything.  Lucky for us Homo Sapiens, our field of vision is limited to a few basic physical senses with some debatable sensory input on the side so, coming to a general consensus over something as common and shared as, say, the color of sky is a possibility, if only remotely. 

Yet, being the amazingly egocentric anthropomorphs tthat we are, we repeatedly assume that every other creature, human or otherwise, must perceive reality as we do ('we' being the royal, yet absolutely singular 'we').  It requires an amazing amount of study, dissection, revision and speculation for us to even attempt to understand another's perception, let alone another species.

And thus was born art.  Not just as a decorative record of our regal existence, but as a mark of commonality- a place to begin the dialog of possible shared perceptions of a massively complex and chaotic reality.  We've done this dance for so long that we don't even notice the work involved.  Hair styles, fabrics and textures, gestures, utterances, policies,economics, religions, flavors and fantasies all coalescing over eons to bring us to our present moment of self understanding that is equally amazing as it is grotesque.

We've got a long way to go before we can claim any relation to our own concepts of divinity.  This is not an easy task.   But if a picture can say a thousand words, then we might be able to tighten up our own evolution a little more effectively with the use of a pencil rather than a pen or sword.

I was asked by Art and Invention Gallery to produce a 'permanent' logo for the annual TomatoArtFest.  Here's the finished product.

 A Black and white version of the new logo.

"Ripe Red", acrylic on canvas.  Being able to combine all aspects of my art into one piece (color palette, humor, lettering, pop style) brings out the best in me.
 

The client that commissioned this piece gave me free reign to do what I wanted.  I always seem to do my best work when I'm given that license.  This piece reflects the spirit of the client.  I love being able to intuit my patron's personalities and expressing them in art.

"Coming Soon"- a new piece that really captures my love of old signs as well as my sense of humor.
 

"Animato", acrylic on canvas.  This was one of the pieces shown at the annual Tomato-art-fest in East Nashville.  I entered 6 pieces as well as designing the poster and t-shirt art for the event, all of which sold out.

"Miracle", acrylic on canvas.  Also from the Tomato show.  Seems I've found my home here in Nashville.  They actually like my weird sense of humor.

So your child's a star?  This one got his own stage!  Ladies and Gentlemen, let's have a warm welcome...

He also wanted a red guitar- what a rock star!  With paint, anything's possible.

With a border of musical notes dancing around his room, this little star is living his dreams!

Barona Casino, 2 of 3.  Like so much of my commercial work, I created these pieces on canvas and sent them to the client for framing and hanging.  The internet has become an essential tool in my arsenal.

Barona Casino, 3 of 3.  Beyond the French impressionists of the19th century, the California plein aire artists took the concept that the Europeans developed and raised it to the level of genius.  I find this genre to be one of the best challenges to emulate as an artist.

This piece was commissioned to show the possible look of a 'green' community to be established in the Nashville area.  Despite some clingy old stereotypes of Southern life, Nashville, as well as most of Tennessee, embraces positive new concepts such as the 'green' movement.

Barona Casino entry piece, 1 of 3.  These pieces were commissioned by the casino to adorn one of their entrances to the casino.  Done in 'California plein aire' style, they capture the feel of the land that the Barona reservation sits on.

Left side of a large diptych mural for Barona Casino's new Mexican restaurant.  I just wanted to capture the flavor of old Mexico.

The right side of the diptych mural.  I added more space by making a breezeway that's open to the ocean view.