“ I was fascinated by circuses.  I was working as a water boy during the summers when the circus would come to Youngstown, Ohio, and I had a chance to see them putting on their makeup before going on stage.  I’d see if I could make drawings of them and later I would use these in paintings.  Clowns portray such a range of emotions from carefree joy to profound sadness.  I used to watch the vaudeville clowns and then I found out that I couldn’t stop painting them since I enjoyed them so much.”