Whenever I'm asked when I began painting my answer is that I have always been painting. The earliest memory of my life is a day that began with my father and I in some wonderful wild place in Northern California. Among other things I remember seeing a deer standing in the shallows of a lake. When I got home I excitedly created my first painting inspired by nature. I clearly remember the moment and still have that painting of the deer. The paper around the image has disintegrated so all that's left is the painted shape, but the image is very alive, the artist capturing the essence of the animal with a few bold, uninhibited strokes. Another thing I clearly remember is having prints by so many great artists hanging on every wall of our home. Thanks to my mother's love for art I've had Van Gogh, Leornardo da Vinci, Gaugain, Cezanne and many other great artists influencing me from an early age. I'm still working now to be as true and inspired an artist as that 3 year old.