NYC Art Expo

Friday I headed over to the Art Expo Show at the Javitz Center in NYC. My trip had a 2 fold agenda. First I knew I would be seeing some other artists and photographers whose works would inspire and motivate me to keep pushing along and second I wanted to see what the show was all about and if it would be something I'd like to give a crack at next year. The best part of the show for me was heading over to where the solo artists had their booths. I met some amazing people and had a chance to talk to them about their work. The one person that stands out for me is a photographer by the name of Greg Davis . I found his website the other day on the Art Expo site and after reading his Bio I knew I had to find him at the show. Not only is his work incredible, but so is his story. The short of the long is basically that he worked for Hewlett Packard for 10 years and decided that Corporate America wasn't for him. He left his job and traveled around the world for a year experiencing other countries and shooting photos. 3 years later his vacation pictures have turned him into a professional photographer. He is selling his prints and working on a book to tell his story along with another trip, this time to base camp on Mount Everest (my wife’s dream trip that will come true in the near future). Talk about "living" the American Dream! Go to his website and take a moment to read his story it's truly inspirational. I met some other great photographers there as well as this Watercolor artist Sinclair Stratton who does the most amazing paintings of animals. She donates part of her proceeds to many different charitable groups that help animals. After leaving the show I realized something that I kind of knew all along and that's that artists are a little "out there" but it's that being “out there” that has kept them true to living the life they choose and to follow their dreams and passions. They may never become wealthy, then again, maybe they will, but to them it doesn't seem to matter. After speaking to many of them I have found that they’re happy and a passionate group of people that live to create and keep their dream alive. For me this is so important, It's the philosophy I've taught I've my Martial Arts students for 23 years and it's what I struggle to live by in my life everyday. I've listed some websites below of some of the artists I met at the show. Check them out, their work is incredible and motivating to look at.

I've kind of been lazy about my blog this month and procrastinated getting up some other posts I wanted to write. Within the next couple of weeks I'll be posting some new paintings I've done along with some new locations and shows you can find my work in. Until next time, stay motivated and keep living your dream whatever that may be.