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My Inspiration

Updated: Apr 18, 2021

Happy 70th birthday, Dad! You have always been my creative inspiration. During my childhood, I admired your artistic talents as an illustrator, painter, and graphic designer for the Chicago Tribune. As I followed your career, I felt like your work was more play. I watched you paint projects. I imitated your drawings. I watched you learn to draw in Photoshop 1. I was baffled and inspired by the digital art. Today, I am proud to have you on my side, inspiring and challenging me in the arts!

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Sand Fall in Lower Antelope Canyon


One of my earliest memories was Disney World. I was only four. I wasn’t allowed to touch the family camera on that trip, but I remember asking questions about how it worked. In grade school, I worked in the dark room for the first time and then again in high school. This was not schoolwork, it was play. Then in college, I began to hone in on my own creative niche. My family inspired me to follow my interest in the arts and today, I can’t see myself doing anything else.

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Canyon Land USA


I always found myself tuned into detail and inspired by the grandiose landscapes that I visited on our vacations. In high school, I visited Arizona with the school. I saw colors and skies that inspired me to take pictures. I took so many rolls of film that I filled a box with one-hour prints. I found myself drawn to the barren landscape contrasted by life, and intrigued by the canyons and mountains.

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Grand Canyon National Park at Sunset


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Havasu Falls, Supai Reservation


When I turned 17, I returned to Sedona, Arizona with my parents. We hiked and toured the paths less traveled. We found a place that filled our souls and inspired us to look at Mother Earth as art.

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San Xavier del Bac


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Sunburst


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Cactus Skeleton Macro


I researched the Southwest, made bucket lists and followed through. I am grateful that my Dad and wife were involved in some of these trips. Many people visit a destination to shop, eat and sight see. During these trips, I put the vistas and culture first. These images are a highlight of my collection of the Southwest. Enjoy the views of the Southwest that fill up my soul!

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Horseshoe Bend at sunset


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Horseshoe Bend at sundown


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Saguaro National Park

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Sunbeam in Lower Antelope


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Looking to the sky in upper Antelope


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Fay Canyon, Sedona


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Havasu Creek, Havasu, AZ


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Havasu Falls, Havasu, AZ


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Enter Lower Antelope


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Oak Creek Canyon


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Spring Bloom


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Skeleton


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Ouch


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San Xavier del Bac


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San Xavier del Bac


Happy birthday Dad, and cheers!

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