I was never without a pencil or a piece of paper growing up. I have some of my first sketches, dating back to the dawn of time and drawn on all sorts of random scratch paper (paper place mats were a particular favorite) and I can still recall the stories I made up about them. Even now, there is a story behind every picture and I simply have to share it. In #2 pencil, charcoal, color pencil, paint, ink or scratchboard - the right image, in the right style, can illuminate, enhance, clarify, explain, or entertain. That is the definition of illustration - and that is why I draw.