Neural Visions Interview - (1/2002)
(Conducted by the Neural Visions website )

1. Could you share with us a little about your creative process.
   " First the idea. Without the idea you have nothing but accidental happenings and /or a blank canvas. Now the idea might be more involved, more conceptual or it might be as basic as I am going to concentrate on using Gouache today on various mediums to see what comes out. It's all about experimentation until you find what works for you. Everything won't, but you won't know until you try. Get some household bleach an pour it on a unused photograph, What is the result of that and do you like what you see? Let that be the start of many more experiments. Explore different mediums, explore different approaches. Me? I am a user of ALL mediums, some are successful some are not. I find the ones I am comfortable with and utilize them in my art. If anything is to be learned from art school it is that simple fact. Of course it's nice for someone to point out ways of using mediums such as chalk. You can rub it, erase from it, draw with it, pour water on it, add color to it etc. My ideas and inspirations come from many sources, dreams, art galleries, movies, reading, emotional states of mind and generally that idea of creating art that "I" would like to see."
   
   
2. What are your favorite tools, digital and traditional.
   " Currently, I am specializing in horror, surreal and dark metaphysical illustration combining a mixture of drawing, painting, assemblage, collage, photography, and electronic composition. I have no particular preference when it comes to conceptualization, but I do most of my finishing touches in the digital environment. It really depends on what the idea requires in the form of mediums to best reach the end result composition. I think all mediums have something special to offer that gives an particular piece the feel it needs. It is really up to the vision and the style of the artist how it all comes together. I do use Adboe Photoshop for composition, but it is still only a tool to reach a desired result. A lot of my materials start in the "physical" construction using paints, textures, colageing ...etc."
   
   
3. Have you ever considered writing tutorials for your style of work?
   " It would be nice to do a published book of this stuff, as I see a lot of art out there ...some of it very good while others fall a bit short. I think there is not enough out there published on methods and techniques to reach desired results....... I know for some artists it becomes the is holy grail and some sort of secret trade that no one else should know in fear of competition ...but really it all comes down to ideas, concepts and vision .......if your piece is just simply a photo with a texture thrown over it and an eye pasted onto a forehead your work is going to lack substance. There should be some idea or purpose behind every composition. In any case, it has been very experimental and time consuming to reach desired looks due to the fact that the instructional material is lacking out there. So that might be a nice breath of fresh air."
   
   
4. What accomplishments to date are you most proud of.
   " Simply taking a vision and a head full of ideas and getting traction in the professional world. I put energy into everything I work on so I can't point to specifics right now."
   
   
5. What goals are you currently pursuing with your art.
   " Goals,.... always trying to find new twists in artistic perspective and ways of presenting it. Really for me, the most desired field of pursuance would be to move into the motion picture world. By that I mean, the art, the posters, the storyboards, the scenery, the motion work, the video sleeves, the initial conceptualization .........there is a big world of need out there, it is just a matter of finding the right avenues. Other future goals would be to get an art book published. Right now, I'm preparing to release an on-line version of a collage project book entitled "Inner", there should be more on that soon."
   
   
6. Have you translated any of your work into video medium, or music videos? If so how was that experience.
   " Yes, I have been using After effects and Premiere for a while. I have found that you can set all your still ideas into motion and take it all to a entirely different level. I have much more planned on the horizon for that stuff, the only drawback is the amount of usual illustration time increases to about 10 times as much so it takes much longer to produce quality work. I do though have many ideas that I'd like to move forward on, so I'm sure you'll see more on that end as time allows."
   
   
7. Does your art have a 'moral'?
   " Hmm, well quite frankly ....that would be don't be afraid to create that which makes you happy, don't be afraid to do it on your own terms and don't be afraid to express yourself you'll always find an audience if your true to yourself."
   
   
8. What is your opinion on tax funded art/artists? Do you think that receiving public money for art should require the artist to be socially responsible in their content?
   " To be honest I don't know much about that, but where do I sign up? An artist should be responsible for whatever they put out to the world, but not concerned to the point that it begins to scrutinize their expression and their freedom of creativity. Not everyone is going to have the same opinions ...no matter how hard you try, so just do it and don't look back."