Those of you who know me probably wouldn’t consider me a talker by any meaning of the word. I don’t come off as overly friendly or extroverted. I have limited interests- my family, my art, and the outdoors. I’m not the guy that will be standing out in a crowd. I’m hanging back watching the clock to see when I can leave. Simply put--generally not a people person.
Those who know me know my wife-Jen. She has her own idea on what my half of the relationship looks like. Basically the opposite of mine. She drags me to her work functions where she makes me wear a suit….no tie….proving she understands my limitations but just chooses to ignore them. My wife’s a pusher-as in loves to push me out of my comfort zone. She says she does it because she has total faith in me. I say she likes to watch me squirm. It’s important to understand this dynamic of our lives. It’s why the beginning of this whole art career should not have been a surprise.
Years back we traveled to Yellowstone National Park. As we were walking by an artist drawing on one of their pieces Jen stopped to watch him work. Smiling at me she said ‘That’s pretty cool’. I shrugged my shoulders and said something cocky like ‘It’s ok. I can do better”. I should have known better. I remember the look and the smirk-they said I’m going to hold you to that. Shortly after we got back from our trip I came home to all of my art supplies sitting on the counter. I asked what it was out for. Simply put if I thought I was so good I could prove it. I laughed and grabbed a piece that I had been working on. I finished Grand Display that night and handed it to her with a smug look on my face. She took it from me, looked at it and set it down. ‘Doesn’t count. It was already half done.”—
Long story short I ended up completing two more pieces before she allowed me the victory of my win.-It was short lived. A couple weeks later I received the voicemail that started this unexpected ride. It was Yellowstone National Park and they were extending an invite to me to be a visiting artist the following summer.-Based on my submitted samples……Oh, no……she didn’t.
I got home and asked her about it. Her smile said it all….she did………….
That was years ago. My art has been sold around the world which is amazing. I have had the opportunity to meet thousands of people who want to know more about me and how it all began. So here I am, this is my attempt to let people see wildlife through my eyes. No, every piece is not perfect. Some pieces are raw and basic with bold lines, others gentler and smooth just as they are in nature…..welcome to my journey.
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