It Has Been Difficult To Hold Onto

It Has Been Difficult To Hold Onto Many Paintings But I Have Retained A Few. Possibly The Current Favorite Is Titled 'big Band' Completed In 2005. It Measures 13 Feet X 9 Feet. It Has 18 Nearly Life Size Recognizable Portraits Of The Biggest Jazz Stars That I Knew And Saw Perform In The 1950s, '60s, '70s, '80s And Includes Wynton Marsalis.

Throughout My Life, Cigars Have Played Different Roles For Me. They Fit Easily And Well In The Various Stages And Experiences Ive Had -- Like A Companion, Almost. If Youve Smoked A Long Time, As I Have, They Become Part Of You.

I Guess I Created Leroy Neiman. Nobody Else Told Me How To Do It. Well, I'm A Believer In The Theory That The Artist Is As Important As His Work.

But 'playboy' Was Liberating. I Was Drawn To It And Went For It Full Throttle.

I Love The Passion You Go Through While You're Creating.