1. What is Special about Original Art?
Most people understand the difference between Original Art and a copy of (or facsimile) of the art. In most cases, an original work of art is something that is handmade, i.e. not created by a purely mechanical process such as printing an image with a printer. Original Art is created by a creative person, also known as an artist. It is a true One of a Kind thing. The finished product is a 3-dimensional artifact that has color, weight and texture. It is not merely a representation of something in the 'real world', but an energy that stands by itself as a completely new object. Original art is unique and highly valued by society for its ability to visually entertain us, and also to communicate ideas and inspire many.

One can also take note of degrees of originality. Some artists have a very distinctive style; a good example is the artist Vincent Van Gogh. With bold colors and strong, sometimes violent, brush strokes, his masterpieces stand out and clearly distances him from work by all other artists. American artist Andy Warhol became an art phenomenon in the 1960s by creating unique screen prints using everyday objects rendered in bright flat colors.

When you look at my work, I wish that you see something that you have not seen before.

Most artists borrow ideas from others, and our images are a product of the things we see every day. I also borrow and sometimes I paint a copy of some art work that I admire. By reproducing, I try to answer the question: 'How was that done?' Then I try to use what I learned in my own work. I hope that when you look at my work, that it is not instantly recognizable. In most of my work, I do not try to be strictly realistic, or even slightly realistic. When I start to work on a new painting, I have some end result in mind. I usually start with a simple sketch. The purpose of the sketch is to help with placement (composition), and I may add some colors to the sketch to decide what will work. I like to play with words, so I usually think of a title before I start painting. The words influence my thoughts and what I wish to express with my art.

As the work progresses (usually over many days and countless hours), and the image takes shape on the canvas and in my imagination, I find myself becoming more at one with the art. At this point it becomes more obvious what colors and strokes and shapes need to be placed to create harmony or contrast. The final stages of painting cannot be simply planned out from the beginning. I only know to stop when the work feels right, and that is very hard to define.