I have heard that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. I know people who live by this rule and everything in their life proceeds in a nice orderly manner. This rule has never quite worked out for me. Only after moving to Florida did I decide it was a great idea to create art with driftwood from my home town in Michigan. Only when I was in my late forties and after growing a successful law practice did it occur to me that I needed to start doing something with my passion for art. But, such is life. I know there is a greater power that controls my life, and I try my best to let life take me where it is supposed to. Life is like a drift dive - there is no sense fighting the current, because you will lose every time.
I learned to scuba dive in Michigan in 1989, and enjoyed diving in Florida in the mid 1990s. But, after getting married in 1996, I did not dip a fin in the ocean for 10 years. Sometimes it just seems that life gets in the way, and likewise, sometimes it will surprise you when you are not expecting it.
I got interested in diving again because of a silent auction that I never expected to win. After all, why did I need to take a scuba class when I was already a certified open water diver? But that is exactly what happened. But, don't think that I went willingly into class. I tried to get my brother interested in diving, but no luck. Neither was there any luck with by nephew. So right before the certificate expired, I decided to stop by the dive shop (thanks to Mike and John for putting up with me). It didn't take me long to realize how much I missed diving. I missed it so much, I decided to take as many classes as I could. Before long, I became a certified PADI scuba instructor.
Funny as it sounds, scuba diving actually pushed me back into creating art, but not with any burning desire to try and turn it into a business. That spark came from my 10 year old daughter and her wonder of the underwater world. I am blessed enough to have a daughter who loves water, and even more blessed to have a daughter who likes to hang out with her dad.
My daughter, Gigi, learned to scuba dive when she was 10 years old. She soon discovered her favorite fish - a Rock Beauty. Truly a beautiful tropical fish. Every time we went scuba diving, Gigi would make a point of finding one and pointing it out to me. She did it so often that I decided to draw the fish for her. The picture is on the heading of this blog. From the Rock Beauty, the drawings started flowing, and the creative stream has not stopped since. So how do I start this new adventure - moving from creating art for myself and my family - to creating art for other people to buy and enjoy? No different than a ten year old scuba diver taking her first breath underwater - you just jump right in!
I learned to scuba dive in Michigan in 1989, and enjoyed diving in Florida in the mid 1990s. But, after getting married in 1996, I did not dip a fin in the ocean for 10 years. Sometimes it just seems that life gets in the way, and likewise, sometimes it will surprise you when you are not expecting it.
I got interested in diving again because of a silent auction that I never expected to win. After all, why did I need to take a scuba class when I was already a certified open water diver? But that is exactly what happened. But, don't think that I went willingly into class. I tried to get my brother interested in diving, but no luck. Neither was there any luck with by nephew. So right before the certificate expired, I decided to stop by the dive shop (thanks to Mike and John for putting up with me). It didn't take me long to realize how much I missed diving. I missed it so much, I decided to take as many classes as I could. Before long, I became a certified PADI scuba instructor.
Funny as it sounds, scuba diving actually pushed me back into creating art, but not with any burning desire to try and turn it into a business. That spark came from my 10 year old daughter and her wonder of the underwater world. I am blessed enough to have a daughter who loves water, and even more blessed to have a daughter who likes to hang out with her dad.
My daughter, Gigi, learned to scuba dive when she was 10 years old. She soon discovered her favorite fish - a Rock Beauty. Truly a beautiful tropical fish. Every time we went scuba diving, Gigi would make a point of finding one and pointing it out to me. She did it so often that I decided to draw the fish for her. The picture is on the heading of this blog. From the Rock Beauty, the drawings started flowing, and the creative stream has not stopped since. So how do I start this new adventure - moving from creating art for myself and my family - to creating art for other people to buy and enjoy? No different than a ten year old scuba diver taking her first breath underwater - you just jump right in!
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