When I am gloomy and despaired I prefer rather to listen to music. I do not approach my easel when I do not feel easy enough.

I started painting relatively late in my life. Obviously as a child, I made the usual mandatory excercisses, making drawings of houses with a cat and a chicken. In the kindergarten in Warszawa, where we used reverse side of cheap typerwriter paper, covered with hardly visible letters (typing ribbon was on deficit in Poland and usually applied several times, before being discarded). I also draw passionately hopscotch fields on the pavements with a piece of chalk. On the concrete walls of monumental apartment houses I used to depict hearts thrust by an arrow and initials of my colleagues being actually "in love" with somebody. What a pity, that grafitti was not invented yet.

My strong affinity to music at this stage of my life, inspired me to study history of art. This helped me to understand better the exciting interconnections within the art. At the age of 16, I started visiting museums of art and painting galleries. Looking at the works of art, and particularly oil paintings, effected me strongly not only visually. I sensed the vicinity of the artist around me and sometimes his/her breath over my neck. I always imagined the artist asking me to express my opinion about their works and, honestly speaking, I often prepared myself at home to be able to reply . . . With the time my imaginary dialogs with the artists became an intimate exchange of viewpoints . . .

Without any training or instructions from a more experienced individual, very soon I started to paint.. Reading books about, how to look at a painting, how to analyse it, not only as a piece of art, but also as a piece of craftsmanship. I was particularly busy discovering how the painters mixed the colours and

Later on, when I moved away from Poland, I got many chances as a student to travel around in Europe. I visited frequently France and there I re-discovered the impressionisme. That impressed and effected me so strongly, that I started painting in this style. I bough myself a sketch-book, that always followed me on my countless trips all over the world.

After many years of more or less productive periods and more or less successful attempts, painting today is for me a dear hobby, a possibility of spending the time alone with myself and first and foremost a chance to create something, that has not so much to do with my job as engineer . . .

Painting is also a source of joy and an indication that I am in my mental balance, even though it happens not as frequently as I would wish it . . .