So many paintings have hidden meanings or need wall texts, but my work is not in that category.

So many paintings have hidden meanings or need wall texts, but my work is not in that category.

I had a visit from an artist friend who basically said, "Your paintings are wonderful. Now stop." It did resonate with me. It hit on the percolating need for change that was already there. I got a little push. I did a group of the paintings early on that were among the best. It was sort of beginner's luck with these.

I'm not such an artist type that I can't handle the real world. I read the financial pages, because most people don't talk about art.

I was never exposed to art school. I grew up in an artist's studio. I was exposed a lot of studio time between of my father and a great painter I studied with in Barcelona. That was my art school, as Europe was.

When I have a creative block, I take walks. I like to see what shapes stick out - so many legs rushing by at once, it can seem abstract. I don't need to see great art to get stirred up. Music does that for me more easily.

All my siblings became artists. One's a novelist, my brother is a painter, my sister was a costume designer.