I have dabbled in art all of my life. As children it was what we did to keep busy. Art was what we made for others when birthdays and Christmas came around. However, it was not for making a living–that’s what my Dad used to say. I recently retired after over 35 years as a software engineer—ten modeling 3-D virtual worlds, and four programming 5-axis machinery, which used some visual artistic skills. However, I love expressing myself with art, and have always set aside one hour a day for this purpose. I was often asked why I didn’t quit working and spend all of my time painting. Dad was right; it simply doesn’t pay the bills. I am an experimental artist working mostly in Watercolor and Oil—but also pastel, charcoal, and gouache. My pieces are nostalgic, but incorporate texture experimentation, most notably by infusing oils into my watercolor pieces. I grew up in the post Korean War era with farm land, animals, and implements nearby. “Progress” and soldiers returning from war, needing homes for their new families quickly cleared the farmland, and brought the city closer. The images of this time are haunting because of a simpler way of life that we lost and the way it disappeared in the blink of an eye. These memories eventually drew me to study with Osral Allred, a master of rural imagery and watercolor experimentation. I learned to let the medium flow naturally and to follow where it leads. His sense of pure abundant color is also incorporated into many of my pieces, both in watercolor and oil. I hope that my artwork draws the viewer in by its color, texture, and innovation, but also sparks a forgotten image of a simpler time.
