it

is 

now 

2016

i 

began 

painting in 1994

inspired by the works 

and the life of Vincent van Gogh 

it is as though he looked directly into the sun 

while the rest had turned their backs fearful (full of fear) 

of losing their sight when truth was that
fear had already struck them blind

dictating to them where they

could and where 

they could not 

cast their

gaze

to look steadily intently with fixed attention

i

am

not

speaking

of

navel

gazing

of

which 

there

seems

to

be

an

excess 

of

it
is
a
twenty
first
century
malady

the gaze of one such as Vincent van Gogh requires 

c

o

u

r

a

g

e

a willingness to risk the possibility of blindness for sight

Vincent

inspires

me

toward

c o u r a g e o u s n e s s