Acknowledgements:
There are three people who have been influential in my artwork over the years. I would like to thank those people here.
First of all I wish to acknowledge the late Bob Ross. I watched his show The Joy of Painting for years and wished I could do that. He always made it look so easy. When I finally had the courage to pick up a brush and try painting for myself, I bought one of his books to help learn how to handle oil paints. I was devasted to find, just a few years ago, that he had passed in 1995. His passing went unnoticed because my family was dealing with the tragic loss of my brother at the same time.
I would also like to thank Daniel Edmondson. I have only studied with him for a few weeks, but I have learned more about painting in those few weeks than I have in the years of studying on my own.
Finally, I need to thank my dear friend, Hedley Cunliffe, an amazing artist in his own right. He bought me my first set of oil paints, along with numerous other art supplies. He spent hours talking with me about technique and critiquing my work. He is always one of the first to see my finished pieces. But most importantly, he has helped me accept the title of "artist" as applied to myself. For that I will truly be forever thankful.
