The life of an artist is not as magical as it is usually perceived, and the expression "starving artist" has some truth to it...The Wild West painting is a parallel life of my own struggles and fights for survival. The road to success is hard work and dedication, and for 6 long years I was being robbed in daylight, while trying to run away from thieves and protecting my life's work and integrity. The dream to be wild and free, and the support and sacrifices of my family and my friends, kept me going. I had to ride through dust and rain, dodging bullets as they came our way, but as we say in the west, if we had no storms, we wouldn't appreciate the sunshine. Life is a daring adventure and no matter the challenges, when the day ends around the desert fire, I am thankful for those cowboys who bravely fought by my side - Redina, Lee, Nick and Gabby.