I think the purpose of art is sometimes to help us see, sometimes as if for the first time and other times to see the seen from a new perspective. Sometimes I want to express quiet, reflection and other times I want to create the feeling of some tension that moves us from our comfort zone. I want to paint things that I find challenging and worthy of the time I invest in the creative process. Most of my works take between 15 and 25 hours to complete and I sometimes redo parts of a picture two or three times until I get the look I want and the feeling I want to express. When I create I want it to be worth my time artistically and I want it to be worth your time as a knowledgeable viewer and potential patron.
Have done art most of my life starting with pencil and crayons. As an adult, I realized I probably wasn't going to make a living as an artist and so have had a number of widely varied careers through my working years--so different I often refer to them as different lives. Now in retirement I have once again picked up art, this time primarily as an acrylic painter. I allow the work to help paint itself so I don't really have a style as the piece gets to share it's personality as much as I do. And since I'm my own patron I don't need to charge a lot for the works I create. I'd rather they be enjoyed by a loving owner than gathering dust in a gallery or storage space.