Many of my paintings depict old pieces of china or crockery or other articles that people used long ago in those simple days. There is something serene in them. I often snoop around antique stores looking for another special thing that speaks to me so I could put it in my painting. It feels like I am giving it a new life in a way. To me art is about the story it tells, story of beauty, light, charisma, soul. And it begs to be shared. We are surrounded by beauty and there is always something to paint. I can only explain inspiration as some sort of little rush. Oils can be magical more than any other media. Or at least that is my experience. You can smudge them, push them around, put them down in loose strokes, blend them and yes they smell great! I fell in love with oils when I visited galleries in Vancouver and viewed their collection of realistic oil paintings of today’s artists. Excited I went home to try this wonderful medium. First two canvases flew out the window. Ten years since then I just might be getting the hang of it. There are so many aspects of painting that must be done right for the painting to work but when it does work it can have that special effect that reality just does not have…something a bit dreamy maybe. Viewing a finished piece that went well brings on a second rush. (A third rush comes when somebody other than me falls in love with the painting and buys it.) I find that being an artist is actually a bit addicting.