What's my secret? It's not meant to be a secret.

Every single image is a challenge. It's not enough to simply like it. It's important to figure out why?

Why is this so amazing? Powerful? Unexpected? Overwhelming? Exquisite? Unique? Mesmerizing?

Or, with "middle-level work," how is this successful? What is especially well-done, or original, or clever? Where is the craft most innovative or exemplary? When would something like this not work as well as it does here?

If something seems particularly unexpected, is it a detriment, or exactly a counter-intuitive asset? (Spotting counter-intuitive assets is like wrapping one's hands around magic...)

Every single piece is a learning experience, a chance to recognize something useful. (I've joked for a long time that you might sometimes catch me "taking notes." ) An opportunity to learn from our collective success, and yes, from our mistakes too.

And most of all, tell one another when we're doing something right. That seems so much to me what this site should be about.

There's so much more to an image than the result. In every work, there are countless deliberate decisions made by the artist, and/or happy accidents perhaps even unnoticed by the artist.

I just look for 'em.

And they thrill me to find them.

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I'm no comment-snob. I think straightforward expressions of enthusiasm and support are terribly important, and one of the deeply beautiful things about this place. A whole site full of "keep doing what you're doing" is an incredible venture, and quantity of enthusiasm is an irreplacably good thing here.

But when someone has really worked hard on something, made all those decisions and produced something earnest, we would always want someone to notice all that work, as much as the result.

(I should shout out a quick thanks here to those who comment my work - I feel blessed to receive some of the very best comments on DA.)

Wish I could be that someone twenty times more often than I am. In fact, if I have any regret about today's commemoration, it's only that it's gonna be a terrible month to live up to it.

My carpal tunnels are still in bad shape, typing is still treacherous, and I'm gonna be jamming like mad to get all my prints ready for the show in April. This month's gonna be an all-time low for my participation here, and now that feels a lot more unfortunate.

But make no mistake, I am thrilled almost to tears. (Imagine the look on my face this morning when I hadn't even had my espresso yet...)

I deeply believe we are all of us making history here, that in twenty years, or fifty, or a hundred, "Art History" will celebrate the most important movement in turn-of-the-21st-Century art.

A global reawakening of both art and art appreciation, in a thriving community and context, in which every single interested party is welcome and encouraged to be an artist. A critic. A sponsor. A difference...

I believe very deeply in this "long view" of the history we are all of us making here.

And so I am just so deeply proud and thankful that the powers-that-be have seen fit to carve my name into it.

And tell me I've been doing something right.

Bless every single one of you who had anything to do with this, and every well-wish besides.



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Where Credit is Due...