I find this piece as an awakening rather than a sunset. 'In The Beginning of the Road' is a metaphor for exactly where, as an artist I found myself 35 years ago. As I was constructing it, I knew that no matter where this road takes me I felt an obligation to tell you the viewer, through my art, that you must find your own way in only your way. Do not keep squinting at the horizon looking to see what is down there for you. You will miss all the nuances in the road as you walk down it, and don't miss the ever-changing sky as the sun rises. I knew that once I started that I could not turn back, I had to follow my passion for creativity in the visual arts. Of course, this did not mean casting aside all other ambitions, especially my love for music and creating music compositions. I cannot know which came first except that with each discipline there are so many similarities. I spent my earlier years at the Eastman School of Music where percussion performance was my major and voice my minor, but it was the musical scores that captured my attention. Learning to play most instruments allowed me to explore the musical scores which gave me  the drive to compose music. My mentor, John McNeil recommended me to SUNY Fredonia where I embraced an advanced degree in music compositon, under the mentorship of composer, Donald Bohlen, a student of Roger Sessions. In 1979 I was especially captured by the introduction of electronic music which led to my experimentation of combining electriconics with acoustical instruments in my compositions. Yet, I could not put away the visual piece in my creativity, so I chose theatre which naturally combines all 3 disciplines. After 10 years of music studies and 2 degress, I set to writing my Special Studies degree, 'Music Composition for Theatre'.  I was honred to have been chosen nationally to work a theatre internship in New York City. NYC was a perfect playground in which I worked 3 different shows at 3 different theatres. My greatest opportunity was working with composer, Roger Treyfouse on his new modern opera, transposing and transcribing the entire score, and especially orchestrating the percussion section. Afterward, I opted out of the possibility to begin a master's composition program at Columbia University, and I  escaped to the solitude of Western New York. This is where I used to spend my summers. This is where I met and worked with an artist/boat-maker learning to work with various woods. I constructed 'woodscapes' using elmasiga (an Indonesian wood) as the canvas from which to build layers of various wood pieces, building up in relief fashion. This brings us back to our woodscape 'In the Begining of the Road'. I then was nationally selected to study at the Marchutz School of Fine Arts in Aix En Provence, France, where they advocated study from nature and study of the masters, which had an immense influence on me as an artist.  Following, several years I travelled to Florida, Wahington,DC,  and New York where my paintings and woodscapes were represented in their fine art galleries. Today you will find my visual art works listed as J Lawrence and J Lawtrence Abrams published in several archives including the MOMA in NYC, the Library  of Congress,the National Archives of American Art, and one painting in the permanent collection of the White House, Washington, D.C..  Throughout all the years of exhibitions and shows,  my favorite is the solo exhibition,, 'Pictures at an Exhibition" at the Veerhoff Gallery in Dupont Circle, Washington,D.C.. Currently, I am taking on a huge undertaking revisiting my 'Pictures at an Exhibition', after 30 years still experimenting and combining the two disciplines of tonal and visual art. I invite you to join me for a journey down this road of paintings,sketches, etching and sculpture. Still heading for the horizon but always enjoying the journey.