So many people ask, " what is the inspiration behind your painting?" That is a very complicated question. For  one thing life itself is an inspiration. Friends, family, events, people , places,  things , the mind and the spirit.  I'll  try to  tell you in as few  words as  possible the inspiration behind just one painting "Woodstock Waves".

In 1989 I moved into my families abondoned 22 room farm house, near Woodstock,  in the Catskill  mountain region  of New York State. The property 187 acres of raw land had been abandoned and neglected by my own family, It happens!  My father  origionally bought the farm, as a  retreat from  Manhatten, for  summer vacations and holidays for his wife and six children. But the children grew up and went their own way.

          Alone on this farm, by a dirt road, I collected animals: sheep- goats- chickens- ducks- dogs cats- and an incredible, pink pig who went by the name of Martin. There were 27 animals in all, they  were free range. This means that they were not tied up,  well that is,  except for the goats, Margo and Mini, because they  ate everything, why they would even eat  the coat off your back if you were not watching. 
You can imagine with these animals came many varioties of shit, yes, along with painting, I became an expert with a rake and shovel. 

       I lived there alone without electricity or plumbing ,but I did have a bucket and a  well ..... so  I also became an  expert on droping the bucket thirty feet into the well and pulling up the water.      The farm was very remote, but the dirt road that ran past the house was a shortcut  from the highway. This dirt road  connected  Quarryville and Katsbawn , no not towns or even villages, just hamletts.
     I opened the house to artists, musicians, dancers,  people of inspiration , people  who could  help with the chores. They came from the city and country to help with the farm, painting , rebuilding , putting in the plumbing and electric. There were always different groups of people at the farm.