I was also on a quest to go beyond genre painting, i.e., painting ordinary everyday subjects. I had a craving to use my imagination, to create my own mythology, to make God-like people expressing the tension of purpose or carrying themselves with pride [8, 11, 12]. I discovered how a central idea or emotional theme could be my beacon of reference as I began the process of making hundreds of choices. "What kind of pose captures the feeling of pride?" "Does the red help to establish the right mood?" "Is the setting supporting the atmosphere of tension?" I was using themes, the invisible threads that hold together and help to create my vision. The result of this drive was "Pursuit" [13] and with this painting I became a "Visionist.".
As I amassed a large body of work,
my studio became filled with drawings
and several life-size realistic paintings.
With the help of good friends,
I had my New York debut in the summer of '83.
Two hours before the front doors opened for the reception,
I went into the bathroom,
took off my clothes,
laid down on the cement floor,
and became paralyzed from fright.
When people started to arrive,
my fear subsided,
and I experienced the rush of an "Opening Night."