When I left my medical
practices to devote more time to art I left behind people who trusted me with
their medical care; relationships and friendships that were forged from that
trust ended because of the choices I made. I still feel the guilt and remorse over the disruption I
caused, leaving the noble work of medicine to “become and artist.” Perhaps it was an effort to compensate
for this that I silently promised them I would never stop trying to be the best
artist I was capable of becoming.
This year will mark our
tenth year in Paducah, ten years to totally immerse myself in my art. Have I achieved the best of my
capabilities? Probably not, in
every journey there is always the opportunity for one more step. But I have kept my promise to try to
take that ever-present next step.
Art has become the defining purpose in my life and my commitment to it
has never wavered.
Do I believe art is as
noble a calling as medicine? No, I
don’t; a physician has the responsibility to serve others, directly, whereas
the artist works in solitude, touching the lives of others indirectly, through
the finished work. But it was a call, one that I could not turn away from. I
have no regrets about the paths I have followed and would do it again in spite
of the consequences. The
alternative would have been to live an unhappy life filled with regret and unfulfilled
dreams, always wondering…what if….?
I’ve learned a great
deal about the craft of making art since my first gallery show in 1977, and
over the year have become comfortable working in several different media. I’ve become familiar with the basic
principles of color, composition, and perspective, and the importance
professionalism and the rudiments of self-promotion. Finding answers to the many technical and professional
questions I encountered was not very difficult, but the one question I have always
struggled to understand is why I paint and draw what I do.
Black at sunset...acrylic...10x30"
Cambridge...watercolor...12x17"
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