Every so often a real pearl of wisdom drops between my ears and makes itself known.  This, from the sound of it, may not be one of them.  But on further consideration...

"BETTER IS BETTER".  Okay, it don't look like this mare's gonna win the derby, but think about it.  We are raised to achieve greatness.  Our parents and teachers fill our heads with dollops like, "Unless you win, you're a loser" and "Practice makes perfect".  Or my favorite, "Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades."  What's this message tell us?  It says that we need to be perfect in order to be acceptable.  Well, personally, I only know of one guy who was labeled as perfect and he was nailed to a cross!  This is the planet Earth- an imperfect world made of imperfect people, using imperfect materials trying to create perfection?!?  It doesn't even make sense!

The truth is that we are consciously aware of the concept of perfection but we never will attain it.  We are driven by the goal and that's real deal.  We are all absolutely equal in the fact that none of us can achieve perfection but we all can take aim in that direction and that is the only reason we've ever progressed beyond our limited ancestors.  The truth is that perfection is a nice target but "Better Is Better".  It means that improvement, no matter how small, is significant and important.  It means that trying hard does count, even if the achievement is minor.  And most importantly, it means that we aren't destined to fail!  Under the concept of achieving perfection, our whole history is a complete and utter failure.  Under the weight of being told we need to be the best, endless generations of capable, creative people have been stifled into inaction out of fear of failure.  It's not only cruel, it's criminal because the actual achievement of perfection is impossible and therefore it makes all of our race doomed to fail.

This may sound like a pretty heavy handed cross to bear for the simple request of achievement and for a lot of people, the request is fine because they never take it seriously.  But so many people I've known to be bright, strong, capable, beautiful people have spent their lives in remorse and self loathing for not being able to live up to the goals their parents, their peers and their society has set up for them.  For the highly sensitive individual, which most creatives are, knowing that perfection is expected is enough to never try at all.  What a waste of talent and imagination!

Don't let yourself get caught in the doomed cycle of perfectionism, either for yourself, your kids or your friends.  When you or others are working on project, any project, give yourselves a break: it doesn't have to be perfect- it can't be.  Just aim up and remember- Better IS Better!!  Get it?

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.