What inspires one to become an artist?

For me, it was a love of detail. Every time I drew something as a kid I tried to get every one just right. Later, I had the good fortune to study with Dick Grosvenor. I remember going with him to see a show of Andrew Wyeth’s watercolors and staring at “Winter Corn,” with its dried, bleached leaves. I couldn’t believe the clarity. Looking back, that’s what hooked me. Every time I’ve picked up a brush in the 60 years since, I’ve tried to embrace that. During that time I’ve built up an intimacy with mediums, textures, colors, paint, brushes, and endless subjects. I try to bring that knowledge into every piece, and to use the details to tell enduring stories.