I often get asked just how I got into this business. The answer is I just did. I've been into art for longer than I could remember - as long as I could hold a crayon. It has been my passion since then. As a young kid and right though my teens and to this day I remember spending a great deal of time drawing. My mom encouraged it by keeping me supplied with the endles materials I needed. As I grew up my dad let me help with building projects around the yard. With his example I learned little was not possible although it often required a great deal of effort and sweat. Both of these things would influence me for the rest of my life. I believe my passion was sparked way back then.

Through the years my passion was focused and directed by many experiences and opportunities along the way. These happened by both chance and deliberate acts on my part. My first paying jobs painting seasonal Christmas windows at age 14 were inspired by my older brother Garry winning $15.00 in a contest for painting a window. A light went on in my head when I realized people would actually pay for this kind of thing. I made an incredible $700 that first year in a couple of weeks - a fortune in those days - especially to a young kid still not old enough to drive.

Through the years I constantly learned new thngs and took on new opportunities, often stretching myself to the very limits of what was possible (for me) at the time. While there were some failures along the way, each success in turn brought new opportunities which forced me to once again grow to the challenge at hand. It has been an wonderful journey.

While I started very young, I believe it is never too late to chace one's dreams. I often tell my students that the only thing that separates me from them is the decades of experience I've wracked up along the way. The secret to success is mostly about wearing out many pairs of shoes as we make our journey.

In short, if you want to get somewhere, it is time to start walking.

-grampa dan