“I’ve been fortunate to travel so much.  When I finished art school in California, I traveled through Europe and went to museums to study the masters.  When I was there, other artists inspired me.  But then I came back and did it on my own.  If you follow someone, you’ll always be second.  If you do it on your own, you’re first.  It can take some courage to strike out on your own, but you just have to find your own rhythm and style.”