What is the best thing that I love about my work? The problem-solving. I enjoy the guerilla engineering involved in denying gravity or creating false shadows. I enjoy playing with people’s perception, making light things look heavy, or hiding things within other things.

What is my idea of perfect happiness? Perfect happiness is floating weightless in space with a cigarette that won’t kill you  in one hand, and a plate of bacon that won’t kill you in the other. In other words, unattainable. Normal, mortal happiness is wanting to get up every morning to spend the day doing what you love in the company of people you enjoy. I get that occasionally.

What is my greatest fear? That I will not be able to provide for my wife’s retirement. That I will not reach a sustainable plateau in time.

What is the trait that I most deplore in myself? I am quietly, internally judgmental. My mind at an idle state, while waiting to cross a street or make a purchase, is constantly making wild assumptions about the people I see around me.

Which living persons in my profession do i most admire? Patrick Dougherty. I had the good fortune to learn how to manage a public art project, a physically demanding project, from the very best. Patrick is a workhorse of a sculptor, building monumental-scaled sculptures out of freshly harvested sticks of willow. His projects are often volunteer driven, and he has raised up some professionals in his wake because of his generous spirit.

What is my greatest extravagance? My greatest recent extravagance was a much larger studio than I needed – 5,000 sq.ft. in downtown Los Angeles. It was like owning a second home, and I was not able to activate it as I’d hoped.

On what occasion would I lie?
a) I would never lie, have never lied, and will never lie.
b) When asked that question on a questionnaire.

What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work? My lack of confidence in painting. I build things out of other things that already exist – pieces of furniture & such. I would like to confidently add and change color within some compositions, but am regularly disappointed when I do.

When and where was I the happiest, in my work? Installing “Bounce” from the roof of the Spring Arts Tower. The piece consisted of 15 five-foot red rubber balls suspended within the interior light atrium of a 13-story building, the lowest at 86’ deep. It was a commissioned work, but it was pure play with a good friend and mentor, and a successful result.

If I could, what would I change about myself? I would like to be able to remember my dreams. There are many other things I’d change, my weight for one, but they don’t start with “if I could.” Of course I could, I just don’t.

What is my greatest achievement in work? My greatest achievement, a body of work I consider my masterpiece, was commissioned by Google for their Canadian headquarters. Consisting of a dozen components, including a 10-piece willow work which extends through all four floors of the building, it utilized almost every skill I have, and required me to work in ways and with materials new to me.

What do the words ‘The Financial Freedom to Create’ mean to me? At this point in my career, this is what comes with commissioned work. I’m hired to do what I like to do and someone else is paying for the materials. That’s financial freedom to create. If the argument is 9-5 work vs: creating things, I began creating while in school, and continued creating while working various jobs and raising two boys. I attended night classes to develop skills in design, claywork, writing. My garage was my studio, and I’d do occasional workshops and Art in the Park weekends. Creation is sometimes more a matter of priority than financial freedom.

Where would I most like to live? In a house, with my wife. We currently live in Pasadena, California. I’d prefer not to live in the United States, but that’s where California is, and I like California.

What is my most treasured possession? My eyeglasses. I am lost without them. My most cherished possession is a leather toolbelt which belonged to my grandfather, a carpenter.

What is my most marked characteristic? My right leg was shortened by a Firebird in 1984, so I have a bit of a limp.

What is my most inspirational location, in my city? Mor York, a gallery/studio/museum. When I first walked in, I felt I’d found the mothership.

What is my favourite place to eat and drink, in my city? To grab lunch, Ye Olde Taco House #1 at the foot of Angel’s Flight in downtown Los Angeles. For a celebratory dinner, The Edison.

What books influenced my life and how? Walt Kelly’s Pogo books introduced me to typography and playful use of language, still two favorite things. Earlier, a couple of phone books made it possible for me to gain sustenance as a child, too short to reach the table.

Who are my favorite writers?
Walt Kelly, Billy Collins, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Daniel Handler

You Only Die Once. What music would I listen on my last day? Alice’s Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie, In Spite of Ourselves by John Prine, and anything by Bedrich Smetena.

Who is my hero or heroine in fiction? William Foster in “Falling Down”. He’s a fallen hero, but he embodies my frustrations with modern city life. George Munroe in “Life as a House” is a hero who, when he gets a terminal diagnosis, uses his time to build his family’s character and ability.

Who are my heroes and heroines in real life? My current heroes and heroines are the people at the front of every march calling for an end to unwarranted police violence against young black men.

Which movie would i recommend to see once in a lifetime? Secondhand Lions. It’s a small film with a small story, told and acted well.

What role plays art in my life and work? My life’s work is to make things. Some of those things are art. I have a unique set of skills and experiences which seems to be best utilized as a studio artist. Art is also something I love, not just the making. I’m inspired by the art of others, from ancient to current. I love museums.

Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime? My greatest fan is my wife Vera, who has continued to believe in me for over 30 years. My greatest sponsor is my studio landlord, who supports art and likes my work. He’s commissioned several temporary and permanent works in a couple of his buildings. My greatest partner in crime has been Vince Moskowec, who matched me as my equal and made a huge project possible while staying fun.

Whom would I like to work with in 2017? I miss working with Patrick Dougherty, as our schedules haven’t matched up the last couple of times he’s asked me to join him. It is always inspirational and instructional.

Which people in my profession would i love to meet in 2017? Laurie Lipton. We’re friends on social media but we’ve never met. She draws these incredibly dense, detailed scenes without an inch of empty space, and her drawing skill, her draftsmanship, is inspiring.

What project, in 2017, am I looking forward to work on? I just finished a big project I’d been looking forward to. Now I’m starting a new body of work which has some challenges, and I look forward to finding a way around or over them.

Where can you see me or my work in 2017? My office in the Spring Arts Tower in downtown Los Angeles acts as a showroom with a rotating cross-section of my work, and I have a mural and some other work nearby. I have a piece in a group show at the Loft at Liz’s on La Brea, and will have a couple of pieces at The Neutra in late summer.

What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me? If you are doing what you love, why would you want to hang it up? Keep going until you can’t, then reconfigure and continue. Rinse and repeat.

Which creative heroes should Peter invite to tell their story?
Patrick Dougherty, Robert Vargas, Clare Graham

How can you contact me?
lovejoyart (at) gmail.com