The most asked question
How did you actually get into painting?
Quite a difficult question. If I'm being very honest, I have to admit that it was my partner who encouraged me to do so after I had made some pencil drawings of my grandchild.
The move to painting was the logical next step and a true discovery. In the summer of 2018, I began exploring like a man possessed. Now, 4 years later and 80 canvases richer, I know : portraits and the hyper-realistic rendering of my view of the world, are my thing.
Painting gave me a new direction in my life. I am very proud of my work, especially since I started to paint on larger canvases.
Autodidact "by necessity"
Am I struggling with the fact that I didn't get an education at some art school? No. Would it have been an advantage? Certainly it would have. Do I sill have the time for it now? Making time is not so much a problem. It is if I compare the time invested with what I would get out of it. Then - I think its better to keep practicing every day. So I will always remain an autodidact. Do I mind? No, not at all. It would be difficult to equal John Singer Sargent or Anders Zorn, given my late vocation. But on the other hand, I am not afraid to place my work next to that of many art school graduates. It may sound smug, but in the end it's the quality that counts. And so I do it - like Frank Sinatra - 'my way'.