Frederic Back

Frederic Back

Philip Guston

Gemini GEL has a great site with examples of prints by many great artists including Philip Guston.

Gary Panter

I first saw Gary Panter's work in RAW magazine back in the early 80's. As comics it was revolutionary to me. His style of storytelling (which I admit was challenging for me), his use of texture and the abstraction of Hanna-Barbera character design elements were very exciting to me. I saw it as "art."

Oscar Kokoshka

Oscar Kokoshka

Chaim Soutine

Chaim Soutine

Jack Levine

I was invited to speak about my career to students at a local junior college. They will be finishing up and possibly moving on to University or four year art school. I wanted to include the struggles I faced at their age and talk not just what I do every day but, how I got to this place. I also wanted to include the work of artists who have had a big impact on me.
As a kid it was all comics and animation but, when I started college I was exposed to more and more interesting and challenging points of view. Stumbling across Jack Levine's work in a gallery catalog, I fell in love with his drawing, color, texture and storytelling. He's a "fine artist" but, still employs narrative and character which annoyed my painting instructor who dismissed his work as too "illustrative." Fair enough. Levine is obviously borrowing from some pretty heavy hitters who came before him. I still love his work and believe he opened me up to amazing painters like Chaim Soutine and Oscar Kokoshka.

Dave Cooper

Dave Cooper