HELLO EVERYONE I AM A NEW MEMBER,

Hello everyone, I'm from a small town called Boons Camp, ky, and yes it names means what it says, I live out in the boonies, population might be three hundred, and tell you the truth I wouldnt call no other place home; quite and peaceful. I pick up a paint brush for the first time in september, 21, 2011, and I knew from that moment what I would do for the rest of my life, paint, and now almost two years later I have painted 531 painting, most of them no good, but a few I think is all right, possibly even good enough to sell. I started out painting wet on wet doing landscapes, but I never felt that was my true style, and I always loved the impressionist look, and always wanted to take classes, but where I live stuff like that isnt around, besides I work for AT&T and I'm gone two or three weeks a month traveling city to city, town to town installing phone equipment so people can use there cell phones, debit cards, ext. In the last six months I have been exploring and experimenting on my own and moving away from wet on wet and my best work has come out since then, but I can get better, I know I can, and I will. I have people ask me what style painting I paint, and I look at them and shrugg my shoulders and say anythingism, truthfully I do. I dont want just to paint wet on wet or in realism or impressionism, I want to learn it all, cause to me that is what art is about, learning and self knowledge, cause knowledge is the key to succes, and art is the ultimate tool I can use to expand my imagination beyond its present borders. And when people talk about art most always tell me I like to start painting or drawling but I dont have the time, well to me if you cant find the time then your not an artist, I'm gone on the road most of my time of the year and yet I pushed out 531 painting in two years, its hard to imagine what a full time artist can push out in a year; 1000, 1500, maybe. I dont know, I never meet a full time artist, but I understand too, each is there own. From the little bit of experaince I have, which is amatuer, I found out to be an artist is a way of life, have to be dedicated, and take every free moment to do what you love, even if its for ten minutes at a time. Why do anything in life if you are not going to give it your best, I believe in everything we do we must go at it hard as we can and the best as we can, if not why bother, all lazy ever learned was to sit on the couch and eat potatoe chips and drink pop. I'm not in art for money or anything such, I do it cause I found something I truelly love to do. I hope to to sell paintings oneday when i think i am ready, cause it would be nice to be a full time artist, and that is my dream that drives me. One more thing i would like to say i learn everything on my own and lot of the informartion i get is off internet and youtube, but i found there is so much crap out there that it makes it hard on people like me to know where to begin,its like there is a couple good potatoes out of 100 pound sack of rotten ones and i have to sort through them to get the good ones, and in doing so i came across Richard and caught my attention, and joined the workshop, and i have learned more that first night of the workshop i have learned in a month, its nice to get correct advise for a change. Thanks Richard. Sorry i didnt mean to write a novel, i started typing and i couldnt stop. I could go on and on, but I dont want to bore you. So good luck, and if anyone can give me tips I would like to read them.

THANK YOU

SHANE D. PARKS