DS Art :: INTERVIEW

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Your drawings are all black and white. Why no color? The medium. Ballpoint pens represent a rather limited palette, and most colored inks fade over time. For that matter, most black ballpoint ink will fade. I have to be careful which pens I use.

What pens do you use? Papermate.

That's it? Yes. They're good pens. They feel good in my hand. The ink flows smoothly without piling up, and it lasts.

The ink doesn't fade? Right. I have pictures that are twenty years old that still look great. Some others that were drawn with different pens are nearly gone.

Do you ever use a computer? I get asked that all the time - it's quite flattering. I certainly don't use one to draw, don't have the software or the training - or any desire to learn. Recently I have started using the web to research ideas. It's a great resource, but only if you know where to look. The VW home page, for instance, is a lousy place to find images of vintage beetles.

What is your favorite piece? Don't have one. They're like your kids, you know? You love them all, for different reasons. Some pictures work better artistically than others. Some are more successful at capturing my original idea, or at conveying the humor that's intended. Some, you're just glad they're done.

You used to practice medicine? Not really. I used to study medicine. I never practiced on my own.

Medicine to art, it seems like such a major change. What happened? I wanted to be a doctor when I was five years old. That never changed. I loved science, and always enjoyed doing things that made people feel better. In medical school, the notion of actually getting in and fixing the problem was especially appealing. That turned my attention toward surgery.

Working with your hands? Yes.

So why did you quit? I met very few surgeons who were having any fun. That may sound simplistic, but at the time it was an important observation. I trained with a lot of really great people; by the end of residency most of the joy and spontaneity had been beaten out of them. It wasn't very long before I knew that this was not for me. So I finished my intern year, got my license, and said goodbye.

Have you ever regretted it? Not yet.

And now you're having fun. Oh, yes. The best part is, I get to share the fun with so many others, through the pictures.