What is your medium now? (oils, acrylic, pastel, watercolor...) What medium have you always wanted to use, but haven't yet? What mediums have you used in the past? Why do you prefer your current medium?

My primary medium is soft (dry) pastel. I've painted with many media including: watercolor, oil, and acrylic. Even now, I'll paint with watercolor or oil but I'm always drawn back to my first medium, pastels. Soft (dry) pastels are a good fit for the way I work, quickly and direct. I'm a tactile person and regardless of the medium, my fingers will be in the paint. Because of this, pastels are a perfect fit. Another reason I like pastel is that I have a tendency to focus on the details and the chunkiness of the pastel helps me avoid this tendency.

What new art techniques have you discovered this year that have influenced your work?

I prefer a rigid substrate with a toothy texture. In search of the perfect pastel surface, I've been experimenting with different products and recipes. I like the effects I'm getting with the rough brush stroked surfaces and feel the support complements my style.

How do you think technology, especially the computer, has affected your art? Or art in general

Digital cameras and computers have changed the way artists work. I for one have a computer with a large monitor in my studio. They have replaced my slide projector (another relic on a shelf). When working in the studio, I prefer to paint from a monitor rather than photographs. The computer is a tool that can be used to adjust images, modify color, work out compositions, correct photo distortion, etc. The downfall to using a computer is becoming overly reliant on it and simply copying what is on the screen. One solution might be to remove the color and paint from a grayscale image. Or, start out with the image then turn the computer off and let your creative energy loose.

Have you ever had a breakthrough moment that made you change how and why you do your art? What was it? How has your art changed over time?

Yes, my breakthrough moment was when I realized that in order to become a better visual artist I needed to paint or draw everyday. I carry a sketchbook with me everywhere I go and though not always possible, I try to paint everyday. Doing so has given me greater confidence as an artist. As get to know my medium better, my painting becomes more spontaneous and less academic. Over time, my art has evolved with strokes that are more confident, better color harmonies, and greater consistency. Moreover, my style continues to develop.

What do you think creates artistic blocks? How do you solve them?

I think artistic blocks are created within oneself. We allow the voices of self-doubt and fear dominate and cripple our creativity. Aside from years of therapy and a library of self-help books, I think the only way to solve artistic blocks is to create. Go to your studio and work. Don't put an expectation on yourself or your art. Let your art making be what it is, making art. It's your choice whether or not you share it with others because you are working to satisfy your need to create. Just paint!

Can you recommend a record process for keeping track of art, buyers, galleries, shows, competitions, meetings etc.? Please describe in detail.

One of the biggest oversights in art school is that the curriculum doesn't include basic business practices. Most artists I know are entrepreneurs who run their studios by the seat of their pants. I was one of those artists until I realized that my studio was a business and that it was getting out of hand. Today, people are often amazed when I tell them that I catalog every painting assigning it a unique number. Currently, I'm using a software package called, "Working Artist". It's great for tracking art works, buyers, galleries, shows competitions, etc. Along with "Working Artist", I use "Quickbooks" to manage the financial aspect of my small business.

Who or what got you interested in plein air painting?

I have always painted or drawn. Growing up in Colorado, my family and I spent a lot of time in the mountains. We would fish, hike, and explore our surroundings. As I grew older, I started to take along my pastels or watercolors. After art school, I became part of a group of artists who painted outdoors (we never used the term "plein air," we simply painted "outdoors" or "on location"). My studio was at the foot of the Rockies in Old Colorado City just minutes away from Garden of the Gods. Although, Garden of the Gods has lost much of its natural appeal having become a typical tourist trap with sidewalks in place of dirt hiking trails, parking lots, and visitor center, I still paint Garden of the Gods when I am in the area.

In light of the current world climate, what do you feel is the role of the artist? (For instance, do landscape painters have a responsibility to record nature before it's developed?

Whether one is an artist, world leader, police officer, or factory worker, our role in the current world climate is to act justly, openly, seek peace, and extend a hand to those in need. Some artists will protest through their art others will "record nature." Others will escape our many burdens and others seek divinity. I do not nor have I ever considered my work to be a documentation of what is/was. My role as an artist, in fact the role of any artist, is to evoke emotion in those who witness the work. Art has many voices and none should be silenced.

How do you feel about art education - the value of a college degree, attending workshops, etc.? Art School versus a liberal arts education. Which path did you follow?

I enjoyed my art education for the most part. I always did it my way and nearly didn't graduate because I refused to become a replica of my professors. We all have our own voice and that should be encouraged. During art school I was a representation painter. I painted abstractly after art school having been overwhelmed with the burden of intellectualizing art making. I couldn't pick up a pastel or brush without a flood of theories, history, or opinion clouding what I did. All of that has become second nature to me and while I'm aware of all that I learned, it no longer clouds the creativity. I've only attended two workshops both of which were good experiences in very different ways. I think the greatest thing I received from both was the relationships I developed with other artists while attending the workshops.

What exhibition have you attended recently that inspired you? Why? Tell us about the show.

A recent exhibition that I recently attended that I found inspirational was 1934: "The New Deal for Artists" at the American Art Museum in Washington, DC. I found the exhibition particularly interesting because of the economic situation of time and how is there is some of that uncertainty in our current economy. This exhibition of the WPAP works reflects the emotions of the artists - some dark and foreboding while others are bright and filled with hope. Today, I hear comments or read articles on how the current economy is affecting the art world. It may not be good - now - but I'm hopeful that things will turn for the better. Maybe the boon days of the eighties and nineties are over but I like to think that there is still a future for me as an artist. With that hope I'll continue to do what I'm doing.