“I love cafes and coffeehouses, especially those of North Beach during the Beat era.  It was a time during which artists, poets and writers gathered, exchanged ideas and talked freely.  I’d take my pad and pen and would sketch non-stop as people mingled and chatted. It was also a great opportunity for artists to hang their paintings on the walls and that’s where I got my start…at the Black Cat and the Iron Pot, to name a few.”