"I think I began drawing as soon as I could hold a crayon.  As a small child of about 3, I started coloring on the walls of my bedroom (and the rest of the house) much to the dismay of my parents.  They confiscated every crayon in the house; scolded me; made me scrub the walls; they even tried spanking me. Nothing worked.

 

They finally decided to embrace my creativity and encourage me by buying art materials and supplies (including plenty of paper). Throughout my life my family and friends have encouraged me to pursue my artwork, but I never seemed to find enough time while working fulltime and raising a family.

 

I have always felt that my artistic ability was a gift, and when you are given a gift you should appreciate it, and use it. Otherwise it is wasted.  So now, whenever possible, I make sure I have time in my life for art."