ARTISANS

I have been naturally artistic my entire life. For ten years I owned a t-shirt silk screening business where I designed logos and created original images for clients. My wife and I started and co-ran an art gallery and ecological-based handcrafted gift shop in Redondo Beach. It was open for 21 years until I suffered a debilitating stroke in November 2014.

I spent two months as an inpatient at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center for post-acute therapy. I had lost movement on my right side and was also unable to speak. 

After I was discharged, I reluctantly began participating in the informal art groups they offer. The first time I attended, it was as if something reawakened inside. I was able to focus for hours, mesmerized with creating abstract as well as realistic paintings that emerged spontaneously. Creating art became my best therapy!

When Rancho began offering art courses with a professional artist, I hesitated but was encouraged to enroll. Even though my brain had difficulty understanding and following directions, the perceptive, caring and patient teacher saw my potential. He helped me trust my innate artistic abilities that surfaced rapidly. 

Exploring various media and techniques broadened the scope of my work. Unexpectedly, I developed a unique style incorporating thousands of tiny dots using a black felt-tip pen. These works unfold slowly, taking at least twenty hours as I capture minute details. Often, I integrate unpredictable, whimsical characters doing quirky things, words or hidden meanings…look closely!

Although the trees and mountainous scenery where we live motivate my creative process, I never know what I’m going to draw until it arises organically. 

As a previously right-handed person, I’ve adjusted to using my left hand to create art. Being aphasic, art expresses for me all I cannot speak with words. My physical disabilities don’t stop me; rather, they challenge me to find other ways to overcome them. 

All of my original dot art is made with passion, love and imagination.