Birthday Thoughts

We're always the last to learn everything. Happy birthday, Mark! Here's to simplicity!

"It takes a long time to become young."
— Pablo Picasso
How did this happen? A guy looks and feels (acts) 18 but one day turns 49? But what does that have to do with painting? Everything and nothing. One view is that I'm still making art after all these years, and secondly there's something to be said about maturity (in my painting).

Saying more with less and actually having a more informed opinion is a nice benifit of time. One of my favorite quotes is by a writer in a letter to a colleague and it goes something like "forgive me for writing such a long letter: I haven't the time to write a shorter one." My one birthday wish is to make that time.

Mark Barry (www.markbarryportfolio.com) is an artist working in Baltimore.