MONEKY SEE, MONKEY DO?

YA KNOW, THERE ARE QUITE A FEW ARTISTS OUT THERE THAT I ADMIRE, THEIR TALENT AND TECHNIQUE, JUST SIMPLY BLOWS ME AWAY.  FROM THE RENAISSANCE ERA, ALL THE WAY TO TODAY, THEIR ARE SO MANY TALENTED ARTISTS.  THEIR ARE SO MANY THAT HAVE INSPIRED ME, TO BECOME BETTER, OR HAVE INFLUENCED MY OWN TECHNIQUE.  I DO MY BEST TO REFRAIN, FROM BECOMING TO ENVELOPED BY THE ARTISTS I FIND FASCINATING THO.  THE LAST THING THAT I WANT TO DO, IS COPY SOMEONE ELSE'S WORK, OR TECHNIQUE.  YES I KNOW, IN THE ART WORLD, STEAL, GET AWAY WITH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BUT THERE IS SOMETHING INSIDE ME, THAT, DOES NOT WANT ME TO COPY OTHER ARTISTS.  FOR INSTANCE, TODD MCFARLANE, WHO IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE COMIC BOOK ARTISTS, I REALLY ENJOYED HIS WORK.  HOWEVER, I NEVER FELT COMPELLED TO COPY THE THINGS HE DID.  INSTEAD, I PAID ATTENTION TO HOW HE DREW A CHARACTER TO ACCENTUATE THE FEATURES, HE FOUND MOST FASCINATING.  HE HAD AN EXPLANATION, FOR WHY HE DID THE THINGS THAT HE DID ARTISTICALLY.  J. SCOTT CAMPBELL, WHO IS AN ABSOLUTE BADASS, AT DRAWING FEMALE CHARACTERS, FOR COMIC BOOKS.  HIS PARTICULAR STYLE IS AMAZING, BUT, I DON'T FEEL THE NEED TO ABSORB IT AND ATTEMPT TO RECREATE THAT PARTICULAR STYLE.  AT LEAST, I TRY NOT TO.  I KNOW SOMETIMES IT'S UNAVOIDABLE, BUT I CONSCIOUSLY TRY NOT TO.  I FIND A LOT OF ART WORK, SOMETIMES, IS REGURGITATED AND REDISTRIBUTED.  WE USUALLY LABEL THIS POP ART.  I TRY MY BEST TO REPRESENT MYSELF.  I DON'T STUDY ARTISTS.  I DON'T STUDY THEIR TECHNIQUE.  I DON'T GET TOO INVOLVED IN WHAT THEY DO OR HOW THEY DO IT.  SOME PEOPLE MAY SEE ME AS STUPID, AND ARCHAIC FOR THIS, BUT, I'D RATHER MY ART FIND IT'S OWN WAY.  THAT WAY THE TECHNIQUE AND STYLE, ALTHOUGH INFLUENCED, IS STILL MY OWN.  I USED TO SURROUND MYSELF IN ARTWORKS, AND ARTISTS, BUT, NOT ANYMORE.  NOW, I FIND MY INFLUENCES IN MOVIES, SCENARIOS, IDEAS, AND LET MY ART BECOME WHATEVER MY LEVEL OF TALENT ALLOWS IT TO BE.  I AM ALWAYS TRYING TO DO BETTER, THAT GOES WITHOUT SAYING, BUT, I AM NOT LOOKING OVER ANYONE'S SHOULDER TO DO SO EITHER.   -  925