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I am often told "You must be having so much fun as an artist," and I find it hard to respond. Yes, I do enjoy my work, but after many years of having  a "real" job, it's difficult for me to admit to the joy of creating. What I do IS my job. It's hard work. Most people see the finished project, but not the years of what it took to get to that point. By the end of a long day of painting, I am bone tired. And that's when I paint in my studio. When painting outdoors, I'm also fighting the wind, bugs, rain, and the changing light. I have to cart or carry all of my painting gear, which I estimate to weigh about 15-20 pounds, over sometimes rough terrain, often up or down hills, grasses, rocks, and weeds. I'm always on the lookout for ticks, spiders, and snakes. I once had a hornet climb up my pant leg and bite me about 12 times before I could get him out. How it made it all the way up to my thigh inside long jeans without my knowing it, I will never understand. I guess I was in "the zone."

Yes, I do love my job, and I do have fun painting! But it doesn't come without pain. So, if I don't respond enthusiastically when you tell me what fun I must be having, it might be that I'm not feeling it at the moment. But it doesn't mean that I would ever give it up. "Being An Artist" isn't something most people just decide to do one day. It takes long hours, years of dedication, and a commitment to constantly strive to be better than you were the day before. Talk about pressure! I don't have to do it. I can go back to the work-a-day world, make a steady paycheck, and have regular hours in the comfort of an office setting. But I don't want to get to the end of my life and wish I would have done something else.

Most artists I know don't draw, paint, sculpt, write, or sing because they want to have fun. They do it because they are compelled to. They do it because they have a gift that is yearning to be shared. And sharing your gifts is one of the greatest blessings we can give as humans. It's a lasting legacy that will live on long after we are gone. Am I having fun? Yes! I can only hope that my work brings as much joy to my viewers and collectors as it brings me in creating it.