Painting and drawing in one form or another is something I have been doing my entire life.  I started when I was three or so, and I clearly recall seeking out coloring books where the inside cover was white and untouched. 

I used to draw make-believe monsters until there was simply no more white space, at which point, I was immediately in search of another coloring book.  I did this for years.  I was drawing constantly. I didn't concern myself with color until around the age of 19 or 20.  I wanted to be able to draw anything and everything, and I wanted to be able to do it effortlessly and convincingly,  focusing mainly on people as my subject matter.  I'm not exactly sure where the attraction for drawing people came from.  The only thing I can really say is that I received a real sense of accomplishment by making a few marks on a page and having others recognize the person or persons I was drawing.  I didn't realize this at the time, but by learning to draw people, I was learning to draw in a way that, in later years, would not limit my choice of subject matter.  Allow me to clarify.

When drawing people, there is absolutely no room for error.  All shapes must not only be exactly right, but these shapes must be in precise relation to one another.  If any one element is even the slightest bit off, the mistake can glare from clear across the room.  So by learning to draw people, I forced myself to simply draw the shapes for what they were, not what I thought they were.  There is a large difference between the two, and I spent countless frustrating hours learning that crucial lesson.  By the time I introduced color into my work, I had a solid drawing background, and was able to focus solely on learning about color without the frustrations of learning about it on top of a poorly done drawing.  Color, like drawing, is another component entirely, and in most cases, if not all, takes many years to a lifetime to master.  I've always said that if I live to be in my nineties, the day I die I will have an unfinished painting on my easel, and I likely will have learned something on that day.  The drawing element is far and away the most important element in all of my work.  And because I have worked so hard over the years to acquire this ability, I am now able to paint or draw anything that I find appealing.  Where subject matter is concerned, I have no limits as to what I am able to do.  It's a nice thing for me to know that if I see something or someone I feel would translate well into a painting, I know I'll be able to do it effectively.  That is my goal every time I start something new.

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