My Story, My Big ‘Why’
My entire existence as an artist has ultimately been about service. That
encompasses everything I do, whether it is creating art that others are happy to own
and display; entertaining and inspiring audiences with my “Facing the Music” paint
performances; raising more than a million dollars for charities with my art; teaching
classes, workshops and mentoring others in their journey to becoming artists; or
serving my community for more than a decade as a member of the board of trustees,
past president and interim executive director of a respected regional art museum. I
approach every new phase or challenge of my artist life from the perspective of how
it will benefit others.
Now, just to be clear, I also did all of this for myself. You see, I did not originally
choose art. Art chose me. From early childhood I was fascinated by drawing and
later painting, however growing up in a tiny Midwestern farming community, art
just wasn’t considered anything more than a hobby. Later on, having relocated to
Southern California during high school, I was able to take lots of art classes and
although I didn’t know it then, the need and desire to become an artist was baked
into my DNA.
I was later able to sprinkle some college art classes in with a curriculum of
accounting and finance. Eventually I landed in a corporate banking career, raised a
family and had other turns in life, but my desire and fascination with art never
subsided. In fact, the longer I was away from making art, the stronger it became.
Then came 2001, more specifically Sept. 11, 2001 and the whole world changed. For
me that meant reevaluating my life and the direction of my career. So I made the
decision to reinvent myself inside and out. I declared that I would become an artist
and would eventually leave my corporate career, trading keyboard and calculator
for paint and brushes.
I made a long term plan to prepare for the transition and gradually progressed
toward my goal. Somewhere around 2004, I actually began to sell my work. Along
the way I ventured into painting chalk murals at street painting festivals and then I
discovered performance painting. I did not invent that genre, but knew it was
something I had to do.
The skill that is needed to paint a convincing 6 ft. portrait in front of an audience, to
music, upside down in just a few minutes did not come easy. In 2006, I did my first
public performances and will never forget the time I received my first standing
ovation from an audience. I knew at that moment I was doing something I was
meant to do and never looked back.
By 2006, my art career was getting traction, although I was also still planted in my
corporate career. I became aware that I was inching toward having two fulltime
careers, but I stuck to the plan and in 2011 finally left banking for good. I said
goodbye to my life as a respected banking executive with a lucrative income and lots
of other perks. You see, I had to leave all of that behind in order to find my real
purpose and a life that has brought greater rewards than I could ever have
imagined.
This journey has not been not about money. I still would have done it if I never made
a penny from painting. Yes, I have had success as an artist, but the real rewards have
been what it has done for my heart, my soul and my faith in the Creator.
Discovering that my performance painting could be used to raise money for
organizations serving communities was a revelation that was not anticipated.
Nevertheless, I fully embraced it and to witness my art generate cumulatively more
than 1 million $U.S. for dozens of non-for-profit organizations has been an
unbelievable blessing.
My art career has taken me to amazing places, allowed me to meet incredible
people, provided fantastic experiences and created memories I will forever cherish.
In short, this has been quite an adventure, but it always comes back to where this
story began, service. I am humbled and grateful to be able to share all that I have
learned by teaching and inspiring other artists over the past 15 years in their
journey while continuing to develop my own story. As far as I am concerned, the
adventure has only just begun.
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