The weight of history, tradition and absolute, perfect aesthetics can be very heavy upon the shoulders of a young artist.  Living day-to-day amongst the masterpieces of history, one’s eyes can become used to such an esteemed level of expected perfection that a young artist can become frustrated, if not paralyzed, in his attempts to attain that level of perfection in his own work.  As a young man, I did not understand that the unspoken expectations of the masters are not obstacles and walls, impossible to scale and overcome, but rather, challenges that would, through time and experience, lead to alternative ways to uniquely express myself without denying my artistic heritage.  I was in this frame of mind when I was offered the great chance of my lifetime:  I was asked to become an apprentice at the Vatican Mosaic Studio.