As for the art itself, the things that inspire me most are just outside my window and all around us and free for the taking, such as the great outdoors. I grew up in the country in rural upstate New York and fell in love with the Adirondack Mountains. I spent time in Canada above Toronto and had family that lived on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. I also spent many years in several parts of Arizona. All told, personal experiences and passions are directly reflected in some of the things I create now, if only to catch the mood of the moment, not necessarily to compete with Mother Nature.

The designs I make on the computer are basically an extension of what I used to do by hand, and since I managed to sell every one I ever made, I had no reason to think I couldn't continue with a tool that did an even better job. Bryce makes that easy, and I don't have to spend weeks on end to make something that I might not even like. Because of programs like this, we have the power to make more art in a few months or years than the previous generations of artists could make during a lifetime.

My favorite artists of all time are M.C. Escher and Norman Rockwell (to name two of many), although I was also inspired by a little known guy from South America (whose name escapes me at the moment) dubbing himself the World's Fastest Landscape Artist. As a kid, I marveled at his ability to use a spatula and oil paint to make a complete scene in less than three minutes. As an adult, I can see why that was just plain smart, and this explains why I still think Bryce is in a class of its own: it is smart-ware for those who know how to take advantage of it. I also think highly of Thomas Kincade for coming out of no where in 1997 (when he sold paintings from the trunk of his car) to making over $500 million (which makes him the world's richest living artist) in 2004 alone. The point is: I don't envy success, I admire it. We might not ever reach his level, but we can still have fun trying. The best part is, there's plenty of room for everybody, and programs like Bryce will give you more than a fighting chance.