RAMSEY ART

I'm a painter, clothing designer, adventurer................................I have bet my future that passion, imagination, and persistance pave the road to greatness. I paint with my hands. No brushes. I like big eccentric pieces, bold colors, and strong texture. I value statements. I am open to taking art classes one day but grateful not to be influenced by a world that is not mine.My oil pieces can take over a year to dry. I love the aging process. I use more paint than most any artist alive.My grandfather paints. He loves it. His name is Buck. Tonight, I told him painting keeps me connected to him. For some reason, I almost started crying. Buck had an art studio in the home I remember visiting as a kid in Winnetka, Illinois. My painting makes them happy. I would love to, "Knock their socks off one day soon." Buck always says that. I think it's a great thing to say.I knew I wanted to be a painter but I was really scared I would screw up and get discouraged. I knew enough to know that I knew nothing, and I finally decided to just go with my gut. I bought a big 4 foot square canvas and some paints. Magic from the beginning, I started my first serious piece on the rooftop of an apartment building, overlooking Los Angeles on a beautiful day, unknowingly using acrylic paint intended for ceramics. I used my hands to apply the paint. Everything clicked! It certainly doesn't always, but I am grateful for that day.I embraced what excited me and rejected the elements I didn't like. Like a kid, I never had the patience to mess with cleaning brushes and paint thinner and linseed oil. I just want that paint on the canvas without getting distracted by anything that bores me!Art is my forum to be myself without compromising. I don't hide my self-destructive side or my selfish side or the darkness I avoid discussing. I show my love for God in each and every piece I create. I also reveal the level of insanity and fear that can consume me. Painting reminds me of playing with toys as a kid. The canvas, the colors, and the varying materials all become characters and scenery in my very own world. More than anything else, I want to define success as a life guided by passion."A wise man knows he knows nothing."