I believe the artist is capable of contributing to the broader evolution of culture in all of its dimensions.

I think there's something important in going against the grain, and perhaps finding value in things that aren't necessarily institutionally recognized.

This is something that, as artists, we constantly deal with-throwing away the past, slaying the father, and creating the new. This desire to throw away the old rules.

The backgrounds by design are a very key part of the conversation, because I want a kind of fight or pressure to exist between the figure and the background.

All art is self-portraiture.

Painting is situational. And my particular situation exists within gender, race, class, sexuality, nation.

I believe that artists should be part of the culture. I think that my work clearly bears that out.

The art world has become so insular. The rules have become so autodidactic that, in a sense, they lose track of what people have any interest in thinking about, talking about or even looking at.

We have a lot of sort of received historical ways of viewing portraiture. And I suppose in some way I'm sort of questioning that by toying with the rules of the game.

We're wired to be empathetic and to care about the needs of others, but also to be curious about others. And I think that's just sort of in our DNA. And so portraiture is a very human act.

I guess art is in the eye of the beholder.

Life's pain. You just have to get over as much of it as you can.-Isabel Culpeper

Tell us which ideas you promote and we will know which type of person you are.

Experiencing something of the grace of God should always cause our self-perceived ideas about 'Who He is' and 'How He works' to pop.

From day one, I have been told I am no different from the male astronauts. As a pilot, I flew in the sky. Now that I am an astronaut, I will fly in space.

Style, is like a frog: you can dissect the thing, but it somehow dies in the process.

You can just sit and space out. A lot of people do that and think they are doing a wonderful meditation.

There is a miracle in every new beginning

A good education prepares you well for anything.

Good novels are not written, they are rewritten. Great novels are diamonds mined from layered rewrites.

This Christmas may we be consistent in living the Gospel, welcoming Jesus into the centre of our lives.