Yes, I am. I’m married to a Portuguese lady I met in South Africa. We came here for our honeymoon, and loved it so much, we stayed.
2. Do you have any children?
Yes, I have two children.
3. Do they share your passion for painting?
Unfortunately not. My oldest son has great ability, but he doesn’t use it, maybe because it comes too easy for him.
4. When did you start painting?
Ever since I was boy, because back where I grew up we didn’t have much to do, so I either played football or painted.
5. Where do you get inspiration to paint?
I get inspiration from what I see, from people, TV and other artists.
6. How long does it take to finish a painting?
It depends. It can take a day or a month. Sometimes I look at a painting and there’s something wrong with it and I can’t put my finger on it. So I try different solutions until I am satisfied.
7. How long do you paint every day?
Not many hours. I spend more time drawing.
8. Did you study Art or are you self-taught?
I’m self-taught, more or less. There was an American lady who taught me a technique, but other than that I learned by experimenting.
9. Why do you say that everyone can draw?
Because our brain is divided into two parts. The right part is the logical side and the left is the artistic side. If the left side is developed, you can draw.
10. Where do you usually paint/ work? Indoors or outdoors?
It depends on the weather. I prefer to paint outdoors, because of the natural light and because of the toxic products I use.
11. What is your opinion about Portuguese art?
There are two Portuguese artists here I admire: Julio Pomar and Paula Rêgo. They are fantastic. There are so many great artists in Portugal.
12. How is people’s reaction to your work?
I get a lot of different reactions, but in general people like my work.
13. Are you a professional painter or do you need other sources of income?
Unfortunately, I need other sources of income, because not everyone can afford to buy my work. Only rich people can buy my work, but they don’t buy, because I’m not famous, and I can’t be famous if they don’t buy my work.
14. Do you get your inspiration from other kinds of art, such as music, cinema or sculpture?
I get it from everywhere.
15. What is your favourite picture?
After the Twin Towers in America was destroyed, I painted it and sold it immediately. I wanted to buy it back, but she didn’t sell it to me. When you paint, you put a lot of yourself in it, and you feel like a traitor when you sell it.
16. You work with emotions. Do you usually work with negative or positive emotions? Do you use your own emotions or emotions from people around you?
I use my emotions and I seem to get the best results when the emotions are really strong. For example the Twin Towers painting, I had a very strong reaction to that event and I had to put it in a painting.
17. How long have you been in Portugal?
For seventeen years.
18. Do you think the economic crisis is affecting your work?
Very much so.
19. What is the meaning of the painting “Detached”? Why?
The reason for that is, have you been in a crowd, surrounded by your family and friends and still you feel alone? That is what the painting represents.
20. What’s your biggest dream?
To be recognized as a professional artist. Once I used to draw for two hours before going to work, and I would like recognition for that.
21. Why did you adopt Leiria as your town in Portugal?
That was pure coincidental. My mother-in-law had a vacant house in Leiria and she said we could stay as long as we wanted. We came, liked it and stayed.
22. Why did you start recycling different materials in your paintings?
Creativity. When I look at something, I think what I can do with it.
23. Did you have any artists in your family before you?
Not this type of artists. In my family there were artists in music. My grandfather and my father were musicians. I was the first “artista plástico”.
24. Do you ever get frustrated with your work or with people’s reaction (non-reaction) to it?
Yes, often. When I look at a painting and there’s something wrong with it, I get upset and I’m not myself until I solve the problem.
25. What do you do when you can’t get any inspiration?
I spend a lot of time looking at people at things and that’s where I get my inspiration. On TV we look at things in a picture format, so I often get my inspiration from it.
26. What do you do in your free time?
I watch TV. I spend a lot of time with my family. I love my children and my wife. so I spend a lot of time talking with them.
