I have been an artist for forty years.
As a painter, my favorite medium has been acrylic paint. However, in the past five years, I have switched to digital art. My tools are a Surface Studio digital tablet/computer and visual software. My ability to think rapidly makes this venue perfect for me, since I can change anything I want in a matter of seconds. Working digitally requires the same skills as using a brush, pen, or pencil. Successful digital art encompasses composition skills, color theory, drawing ability, and creativity. The artist also has to master the complex techniques of digital rendering. Some images have over sixty layers.
As for the role of art in my life, art IS my life. The ability to create drives me daily. In silence, my mind is inundated with new images and ideas. Focusing on just one requires a lot of discipline. I start the day at five a.m. with meditation, then swimming, and back home to the computer, where I spend most of the day creating. My long-term experience with calligraphy brings with it an attention to line and detail; my painting experience gifts me with composition skills and color experimentation. After forty years, I have internalized multiple art skills which make the expression of images spontaneous. The art process is very relaxing; I lose track of time and am immersed in a world of beauty.