Because there seems to be genuine interest into learning about the beginning stages of my artistic process, I decided to add this section titled "Early Starts" to my website to provide some insights. Call them sketches or drawings or "putting ideas to paper", to me they are an essential step in my artistic process.
Ideas for art works come from a variety of sources. It can be something that simply caught my eye like the slanted glint of sunlight though a cloud of dust. I may find during my research on the acheological interpretations of Anasazi rock petroglyphs that I suddenly have an idea to portray that ancient imagery on a decorative work of art. Ideas may also come from my exposure and observation of a particular subject, as is the case in my wildlife paintings.
Not yet knowing whether a particular inspiration will have the potential to develop into a actual work of art, it is the beginning stages of working out ideas with my pencil and sketchbook that helps me determine whether to proceed or whether to abandon a concept.
