An artist cannot work in a vacuum - Everything he's experienced becomes a part of what you experience when you look at his work. In a successful piece of artwork, regardless of the media, emotion is communicated between the artist and the viewer. That, to me, is the simplest definition of "art", and it doesn't matter whether the piece in question is hanging in the Louvre or the lobby of your local cineplex.

Some of the greatest artists ever have been "commercial" illustrators. Maxfield Parrish, N.C. Wyeth, Norman Rockwell and Drew Struzan all move me emotionally, and all of these artists are primarily known for commissioned paintings designed to sell products.

So that's my goal. Whether I'm painting a portrait, or book cover, or something personal, it's important to me that the finished piece has some sort of emotional content. For me, painting is nearly always a joyous event. I lose myself in the process, and time flies by. I guess most of the time that joy is evident in my work, and that's fine by me - There's enough darkness in our lives anyway, and I enjoy occasionally bringing a little light to the world.