At an early age art found me, and I happily embraced it as a way to express how I felt, especially when spoken words or writing could not. Drawing became a way for me to discover and uncover the life that was within me, and explore the wisdom and beauty of the world around me.

In elementary school, from listening to the reactions of teachers, I became conscious that I had a natural gift for art and creativity. While I excelled in these areas, however, by high school I realized I was mainly drawing in order to impress others, and not really because of what was really alive within ...

At an early age art found me, and I happily embraced it as a way to express how I felt, especially when spoken words or writing could not. Drawing became a way for me to discover and uncover the life that was within me, and explore the wisdom and beauty of the world around me.

In elementary school, from listening to the reactions of teachers, I became conscious that I had a natural gift for art and creativity. While I excelled in these areas, however, by high school I realized I was mainly drawing in order to impress others, and not really because of what was really alive within me. Feeling dismayed, I stopped drawing anything significant for years. Instead, my creativity turned to writing and poetry.

In my senior year of my Bachelor's Degree in Recreation, Adventure Travel, & Ecotourism from Paul Smith’s College, inspiration found me in my Mythology class where the project was open to creating our own myth in whatever creative expression we wanted. I felt amazed by the excitement and the energy that flowed within me as I picked up my drawing pencil again. The experience of drawing again from that alive energy left a lasting impression. I realized that my natural talents were given to me, were a part of me for a reason, and that to deny them is also denying a precious gift. Using that gift for the enjoyment of creating aligned me with something greater than who I was.

Now, when I create something, I trust the wisdom that is guiding it to life. When I draw something for someone else, it is not simply to impress, but to truly create something that will be lasting and meaningful for them. That is when the drawings become only a matter of uncovering what is already there within the white sheet, and each stroke simply unveils the hidden treasure. I’ve come to see that there is a message waiting to be known, and I feel eager to learn what it is.

I want my art to always convey a sense of wonder, beauty, awe, intrigue, reverence, joy, purity, playfulness, adventure, or hope…things that ultimately add life to the world. In the end, it is the meaning that makes all the difference.

Thank you for taking the time to visit.

- Peter A. D. Scarpa