1989-2002
Dora and Stephen Shooster
ARTIST STATEMENT
1989-2002 marked my age as 31 to 44. Diane and I were married in ‘89; by 2002, we had four kids and a dog. I was working full-time, but I still found time to make art on weekends, after work, and on holidays. I found myself on-call 24x7. At any time, I would have to rush down to the office to fix critical components. When I wasn’t fixing things, I invented them. I was constantly finding ways to improve the business. I was very fortunate. The world was changing quickly, but I could always find a way to go along with the changes, making adjustments that made the business better as we did. I had quality time along the way making art: woodworking, ceramics, figure drawing, painting, poetry, and stained glass. I was still exploring multiple genres and styles, including abstraction, figures, Chuck Close, Paul Gaugin, Henri Matisse, video games, caricatures, Bar Mitzvahs, primitives, hippy posters, insects, and iconography. The range is broad.
I am very fortunate I had structure around me to keep all these interests on track. My wife is a champ; we always had great help. The company grew nicely, allowing me to hire a team. Things never seemed to be settled; there was always a big challenge, but somehow, we learned, implemented, and grew. Luckily, our kids were all healthy. It seemed they would be young forever, infants, children, and finally teenagers. The time seemed to move slowly. Looking back now, their childhoods were the blink of an eye. All of them turned out to be talented artists. I can’t help but think I had something to do with that. While making things, I feel a certain kind of joy, and I believe everyone wants to feel that way. With a bit of space, our kids flourished, three in music and one as a visual artist. Notable work: Self-portrait with Carly, based on the style of Chuck Close. A collaboration of father and daughter.
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