Art has always been my passion. Since my earliest memory, I have always drawn and painted. But, I didn't pursue it as a profession in the beginning, rather keeping it as a hobby while I pursued a more mainstream career -- I guess one doesn't quite know what they REALLY want to do when they are younger….

I arrived in the United States after finishing my Bachelors in Bombay, planning to study for a Master's degree in Economics. After my MA, I started work on a PhD in Management Information Systems, which fostered an interested in computers. I did not feel a life in academia was for me, so I started work as a Computer Consultant. The web came along (I am dating myself here!) and it was the perfect fit for me-doing front end design work and programming/developing web sites was challenging and allowed me to use my natural enjoyment of design and drawing.

I joined CSC (Computer Sciences Corporation) as a Consultant and spent 6 years working on various projects all across America. This was a wonderful opportunity for us, as we (my wife, Christy, who was finishing up Medical School and Residency) enjoyed traveling all over the US, Europe and Asia. I have fond memories of death marches (for those of you that are not in Software development, it means a project with deadlines that are not really meetable!) and relationships with colleagues and clients that I cherish. During this time, I joined the Art Students League in Denver, which is this awesome hidden jewel of an art school - and began to really rediscover my love of painting regularly. It was priceless to become involved in a school that teaches you the 'right' things (my opinion of course!)

It is at the League that I met Mark Daily and Quang Ho, both amazing artists, who have been mentors as well as inspirations to me. My studies with Mark have been a journey in learning about color. He is a wonderful colorist, and not to mention a fabulous painter. Studying with Mark has really honed the way I see and choose color. In class, I have been learning to paint from life - to put down what I see in an accurate way, yet translating it, so that it has a strong and convincing effect and yet not rendering. The lessons are invaluable as they help me solve painting ideas in my studio and outdoors.

Quang Ho is an amazing talent and an immensely gifted artist. His work just speaks to me on a spiritual level and is so moving. Quang has been teaching me about the visual approaches to painting and its technical aspects. At the end of the day, painting is a visual problem to be solved. There are visual concepts such as shape, value, color, edges, texture and so on that need to be dealt with in any painting regardless of approach. There are many visual approaches to painting as well, such as light and shadow, local tone, dark light pattern, equalization and so on. Quang's lectures on painting are a treasure, as not only is he so eloquent, but he takes very complex problems and dissects them into simple solutions-explanations that seem natural once understood. An example of his response to a question that I asked - "What makes a good shape?" he responded after a few thoughts - "Unique and Specific". Wow! And Quang is also a darn good golfer, so we spend many an afternoon (or morning or evening!!) playing golf - though we discuss art and painting during every round! (really, we do!) Too many passions to discover in one life!

Both have also been very influential in teaching me about the painting process, learning the technical aspects of 'how' to make a painting. Mark always says paint what you feel passionate about. And I agree! Once I have chosen the subject, the painting really becomes about abstract shapes-balance, value and color. I am discovering what to bring to the solution as I paint, with one goal being to challenge and attract the viewer into interpreting the visual dialogue.

My family is also quite supportive of my desire to paint full time. My brother, Debashish Chaudhuri, is a student of conducting in Prague, Czech Republic. His own studies have been rewarded by several honors, including a first prize recently awarded after a selective competition in Lausanne, Switzerland. His love and passion has always been music-I am so proud he is pursuing his dream at a younger age; we motivate each other to continue to be creative and dedicated to two very difficult fields of study.

Over the years of traveling as a consultant and painting at the league, I have discovered how important indeed it is to me to be able to pursue art as a full time career. With our lives becoming more settled, I have found an opportunity to do so. Hence for the past few months, I have been able to start painting full time. It is truly a dream come true, but one that scares the daylights out of me as it is more challenging than anything I have attempted before now-as it should be. I hope that it will always be a challenge and continue to make me feel alive. A little fear is a good thing, as it motivates us to stretch and strive for something more, to keep reaching.

This past year, I joined OPA and received an Award of Excellence for a painting of a set of fishing boats in Calcutta, India. Being honored by my peers, especially such a notable group, was very flattering and a strong motivator for me to pursue my passion. I am determined to put all my efforts into improving my technique and making paintings that I feel passionate about. I believe I have the talent to do so, and hope I have the will to put into it - I believe I do. With the help of my family, mentors and friends, I feel like the luckiest guy in the world, getting up every morning to paint. Wow. What a wonderful life!

Join me in the journey as I continue to develop as an artist.

- Raj Chaudhuri