the inspiration

 Have you ever had an experience change your outlook on life? I have, and it's what made me decide to become an artist for real. When I moved back to Massachusetts with my wife and kids, I was so inspired by the city, the people, and the proximity to the ocean that I started painting again - after a lifetime of doodling.

We moved back in large part to be near family, including my mother-in-law Suzanne Goldsmith. Sue was one of the biggest fans of my art. She was diagnosed with terminal cancer shortly after we moved back. Instead of brooding, she took the extended family on a weeklong trip to the beach in South Carolina.

I brought 8 canvases and a set of paints on the trip. I hadn’t spent serious time painting in many years. For a week, I painted the ocean, the family, the sunset, the dunes, and anything in front of me. The style ranged from realism to abstract, and I decided I’d pursue this passion once again. Sue loved every one of them. The 8 paintings I created during that trip are the foundation for every painting for all the paintings I’ve done since. And they are all dedicated to Sue. She was a true inspiration.

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